“I’m Jose Mourinho, we will crush them next season” - Mesut Ozil shares how ex-Real Madrid boss avenged 5-0 loss against Barcelona with emphatic claim

Former Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil has shared how Jose Mourinho avenged the club's 5-0 loss against Barcelona in 2010. He revealed that the Portuguese manager encouraged the team after the loss and vowed to "crush" their arch-rivals the following year.

During the 2010-11 season, Mourinho was defeated in his first El Clasico battle against Barcelona. Los Blancos suffered a humiliating 5-0 loss to their rivals at the Camp Nou, one of their biggest defeats against the Catalan club.

In a recent interview with Vav TV, Ozil disclosed what transpired in the locker room after the 5-0 loss to Barcelona. He said (via Madrid Xtra on X):

"I was at Real Madrid, and we lost 5-0 to Barcelona. In the locker room, we thought Mourinho was going to blow up. He came, hit us all at the back of the neck & said: ‘Raise your heads, I’m José Mourinho, we will crush them next year’. And it happened."

While Real Madrid didn't beat Barcelona by a huge scoreline the following season, Jose Mourinho did live up to his words. Los Blancos went on to defeat La Blaugrana 2-1 at Camp Nou en route to winning the 2011-12 LaLiga. They clinched the title with a record 100 points, finishing nine points clear of Barcelona.

Mourinho faced Barcelona 17 times across competitions during his stint as Madrid's manager, recording six losses, five wins, and six draws.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona head-to-head this season

Real Madrid and Barcelona have faced each other twice this season, with the Catalan club emerging victorious on both occasions. The two sides first clashed in LaLiga in October last year as Hansi Flick's side secured an emphatic 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

In January, they met again in the Supercopa final in Saudi Arabia. La Blaugrana came from a goal down to defeat Carlo Ancelotti's team 5-2, winning their first trophy of the season.

The two sides are billed to face off again in the league on May 11, in what could become a title-deciding encounter. Barcelona currently lead the standings with 51 points, the same as Madrid, but have a superior goal difference.