José Mourinho has pushed back on suggestions that he carries any bitterness toward Barcelona, insisting that his loyalty to Real Madrid does not make him an enemy of their great rivals.

The Portuguese manager, now into his second spell at the helm of Real Madrid, was direct on the matter: he harbors no ill feeling toward the Catalan club. His passion, he made clear, belongs firmly on the white side of El Clásico.

"I'm not anti-Barça," Mourinho said, drawing a line between personal rivalry and institutional hatred. "I love Real Madrid" — a distinction he appears eager to keep front of mind as he returns to one of the most scrutinized jobs in world football.

Mourinho's return to the Santiago Bernabéu marks one of the most high-profile managerial comebacks in La Liga in recent memory. His first tenure at the club was defined by fierce competition with Barcelona and a series of memorable Clásico clashes.