Real Madrid Vs. Barcelona, 2011 El Clasico: Jose Mourinho Skips Pre-Match Presser

Jose Mourinho has refused to speak to the media ahead of Real Madrid's crunch tie against Barcelona in the first Clasico of the 2011/12 season, letting assistant Aikor Karanka do the talking instead. It's not the first time he's pulled this stunt - he did delegate press duties to his aide for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final last year, after all - but a big deal is being made out of it once more because a) it's the Clasico and b) the media will always always always turn an affront to them into a big story, because they're kind of the ones in a position to.

Anyway, it's not entirely clear why Mourinho isn't talking ahead of the match, especially because this means he can't indulge in his famous mind games... but wait. Epiphany strikes. Maybe this is a mind game. "He's not even going to talk to us?" cry Barcelona. "Madrid aren't afraid anymore! All is lost!". Oh, Jose. You're such a cunning, cunning man. Whether that ever-so-slightly-villainous intellect will be enough to take on Pep Guardiola on Sunday is an open question, however...