Mourinho and Flick hold back before the match at Camp Nou

Mourinho used “no”, “never” or “nothing” twice as often as usual in his press conference, and his answers were less than half their usual length. The difference, noted before the match at Camp Nou, reflects an approach that the analysis sums up this way: Mourinho and Flick sometimes prefer to stay quiet rather than commit themselves on sensitive issues.

Esteban Pascual, a specialist in behavioural analysis and reading tells, examined the two managers’ gestures, silences and answers for MARCA. The refereeing issue proved the most significant moment in the press conferences. Mourinho complained about the situation, but Pascual focused on what he held back: in his view, the coach was keeping his opinion of the referees until after the match. He voiced some of his displeasure without revealing his full position.

Flick, by contrast, chose to keep his message under control from the outset, avoiding a subject that could turn against him. He also sighed and weighed his words while discussing the possible consequences of his remarks: “I don’t want any headlines.” The two men therefore responded to pressure in different ways, with Mourinho trying to close down the debate and Flick publicly reinforcing confidence in his team. Pascual considers their comments consistent with some of the contrast he sees between them.

Mourinho’s return to Camp Nou also prompted a brief response: he likened the experience to “going to another stadium”. Pascual describes him as well prepared and impassive, apart from one gesture when titles were mentioned: Mourinho swallowed.

Pascual’s observations of their speech further underline the contrast between the two conferences. Mourinho used those negative terms twice as often as usual, while his answers were at least half as long. Flick, on the other hand, remained within his usual patterns. When he said his team was ready, he nodded throughout the sentence. Pascual interprets that as a sign of genuine belief in his players. A poker player with a world ranking and a PokerStars ambassador, he applies to football principles learned at the poker table.