Mourinho set for first Clásico since 2013 as UK issues 'Be Ready' guidance
José Mourinho will make his first Clásico since 2013 when Barcelona meet Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday, a fixture whose timing was noted alongside new UK government emergency guidance issued three days earlier.
The government’s Be Ready campaign was released on Thursday and urged households to prepare for 72 hours of disruption; the newsletter reproduced the guidance in full: “Every Briton is being urged to stock up to nine litres of bottled water and three days’ worth of food in new government guidance designed to ensure that households can survive a weather, cyber or other serious emergency. The Be Ready campaign is aimed at persuading people to stock up with supplies to last 72 hours, amid growing official concern about the impact of the climate crisis, technological dependency and hostile state threats.” The newsletter also joked about specific shopping items, listing tomato soup (10 tins of), mushroom soup (eight tins of, for consumption cold) and ice cream (vanilla, one large tub of) after noting the guidance arrived three days before the match.
The newsletter revisited Mourinho’s fraught relationship with Barcelona, saying the pair’s history “could fill a book” and recalling Mourinho’s achievements, including finishing second with Manchester United in 2017-18 and taking a La Liga title in 2011-12. It added that Mourinho’s tenure contributed to Pep Guardiola taking a sabbatical, and cited the Camp Nou as the site of Mourinho’s “most beautiful defeat” followed months later by his most humiliating loss.
Competition context was flagged: Barcelona had won all nine league games and scored 39 goals, leaving Madrid six points behind. The newsletter noted Real Madrid’s recent scoring run — “Mourinho’s team have scored four goals in each of their last three matches” — and that this has come “even in the absence of the suspended Vinícius Jr,” while adding that Mourinho’s post-match press conference would be “must-see TV.” It said the match kicks off on Sunday evening and reported Mourinho’s comment about scheduling and rest: “We’re pushing ahead,” he said. “At the moment, we’re missing out on 24 hours of rest, but we’re moving forward.” The piece also recorded that Barcelona played 24 hours earlier than Madrid in Bigger Cup.
The newsletter carried additional domestic coverage notes, inviting readers to “Join Scott Murray at 8pm (BST) for red-hot Premier League updates on Ipswich Town 0-0 Nottingham Forest.” It reproduced a Michael Carrick remark in full: “I’ll hold that umbrella for me to get wet and for everyone else to stay dry. You know, that’s the position I’m in, and it’s a privileged position.” It also included a satirical suggestion about Manchester clubs attributed to Justin Kavanagh, ending with his line: “Although, no, it’s United; so probably a win-high-scoring-draw-against-Wycombe solution”.
A reader-submitted column referenced a New Yorker story on James Daunt and recounted an anecdote about Alexander Mamut: when told Waterstones would cost £40m, Mamut “looked pleased and just said, ‘That’s less than Fernando Torres’, before adding, ‘It’s not even half a boat’.” The newsletter acknowledged a thank-you message from Daniel Mee and invited further correspondence to the.boss@theguardian.com, noting that today’s “prizeless letter o’ the day” went to Justin Kavanagh and that terms and conditions for competitions, when run, are provided here.
For the full Football Daily email, readers are directed to visit this page and follow the instructions; the Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid kicks off at the Camp Nou on Sunday evening.
