体坛英语新闻：Barca captain Puyol: Mourinho is no extra motivation for us

MADRID, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Carles Puyol, the captain of Barcelona Football Club, on Saturday said that the presence of Jose Mourinho as Real Madrid coach would not provide extra motivation for him or his teammates when Barcelona entertains Madrid in the Camp Nou Stadium on Monday.

Mourinho, who was an assistant to Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal at Barcelona, became unpopular with Barcelona fans after a pair of incidents when he was coaching Chelsea.

Last season saw Mourinho's Inter Milan knock Barca out of the semifinals of the Champions League, while his move to Real Madrid this summer only served to seal his position as public enemy number one for the Barcelona fans.

Mourinho is guaranteed a hostile reception on Monday night, but Puyol insisted that the Barcelona players would keep their focus on the game.

"We don't need any extra motivation. It is always important to beat Madrid. They are games that you want to play, they are against our maximum rival and we don't need anything else," he said

"We are not playing against Mourinho, we are playing Real Madrid," highlighted Puyol on the Barcelona website. "It is a special game for everyone, against a team with great players and a great coach. It is a Barca - Madrid," he stressed.

Madrid travel to the Camp Nou with a one-point lead over Barcelona in the league table and Puyol highlighted they would be difficult rivals.

"They are a team that is very strong in defense," said the Barca captain. "They get men back in numbers and then they are fast on the break: they are a complete side," said Puyol.