The decision of Pep Guardiola's to step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season will change nothing for Real Madrid, Guardiola's Real counterpart, José Mourinho, said on Tuesday.
In his first public comments since Guardiola announced on Friday that he was taking a sabbatical, Mourinho, whose Madrid side are on the brink of taking Barça's La Liga title, said the decision should be respected and even sent his adversary a hug.
"The Guardiola case is a personal decision," Mourinho said the day before Madrid play at Athletic Bilbao, where victory would clinch their first domestic league title in four years with two games to play.
"It's his, he is the one who knows, he is the one who knows why, he is one who has to comment on it, he is the one who has to do what makes him happiest at any given time.
"I have been a coach for 12 years and for me I will be annoyed in June when I don't have any matches as I will miss training and playing, playing and training. But everyone is the way they are and you have to respect and accept that and hope that they really do find enjoyment because the most important thing in life is to enjoy it. If for him enjoying life means withdrawing from football for a while then so be it and I send him a hug."
Mourinho was asked whether Guardiola's departure, after four years and 13 titles including two Champions Leagues triumphs and three league titles, would benefit Madrid. He also appeared to confirm he would stay on next season amid speculation he might leave two years into a four-year deal.
"I don't know why it would benefit us," Mourinho said. "Real Madrid is Real Madrid, Real Madrid will continue along its own path, Real Madrid has its own decisions to make. My decision to continue at Real Madrid has nothing to do with who is the coach of any other team.
"It doesn't appear to me that Barcelona has people on its board of directors without talent, quite the opposite. If they have decided that [Tito] Vilanova is the ideal person to be the next coach for sure they are doing it with conviction."
Mourinho said Madrid would continue to respect Barcelona as they had always done.
"Knowing with absolute certainty that next season, however much our other [La Liga] opponents improve, Barcelona will be our great rival for the Spanish title. For us it changes nothing."
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