Barcelona legend Carles Puyol has commented on Jose Mourinho's return to Real Madrid, admitting that the Portuguese coach can make the Madrid team even more competitive.
The former Barcelona captain described Mourinho as a great coach and recalled the strong rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid during the period when Pep Guardiola and Mourinho were on the benches of the two teams, while Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo faced each other on the field.
"We are talking about a great coach. I met him at Barcelona when I was in the youth system and when I was entering the first team. Even then we saw that he knew a lot about football," said Puyol.
However, the former Spanish defender stressed that Barcelona remains a very strong team and will aim to defend the La Liga title. According to him, the arrival of midfielder Rodri could make the Catalan team even more competitive.
"With Mourinho they could be stronger, but I still think Barcelona have a very good team and can have a good season," Puyol said.
The new La Liga season kicked off last weekend, while Barcelona and Real Madrid have not yet taken to the field in the first week due to the commitment of some of their players in the final stages of the World Cup.
