2:30 AM on May 18th, Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Playing for Mourinho

Mourinho will be leaving Real Madrid, and the Copa del Rey final will be his last major match with the club. This further motivates the Real Madrid players to be determined to win against Atletico.

That could also be considered the most meaningful farewell gift they wanted to give to their Portuguese coach.

The final battle

Mourinho, under the guidance of super agent Jorge Mendes, possesses ample shrewdness to know what to do at this moment. His resolute attitude in every press conference and his composure in the face of all rumors have kept all media and public discussion at a mere speculation. To know the official decision regarding Mourinho's future, one must wait until the end of this season. This means that Mourinho's future will only be announced on June 1st, the date of the 38th round of La Liga.

But recent developments suggest that Jose Mourinho will leave at the end of the season. There's a 90% chance of that happening. Mourinho himself has stated that he hasn't made a decision about his future, but the reality is contradicting his statement.

Media reports suggest that the relationship between Mourinho and the rest of Real Madrid is beyond repair. Even a former favorite like Pepe has spoken out against Mourinho, so naturally, the support of the other players is gone. A small group of Real Madrid fans want him to stay, while the majority have called for his departure. If that happens, tonight's battle at the Bernabeu will be Mourinho's final match with Real Madrid.

Around this time two years ago, Mourinho entered his first final with Real Madrid, the Copa del Rey final. A 1-0 victory over Barcelona gave him his first title with Real. Now, it's the same final, but it carries even more emotion for Mourinho. Instead of marking the first achievement of the Real-Mourinho relationship, the Copa del Rey final now feels like a farewell. Mourinho arrived at Real with a trophy, and he wants to leave with one too. That's something Pep Guardiola did with Barcelona the previous season.

Real are determined to win the Cup because of Mourinho.

All for the departed.

Journalist Alfredo Duro said on the sports roundtable program Punto Pelota that even if Real Madrid beat Atletico and won the Copa del Rey, it's unlikely the players would cheer Mourinho as they did the first time he led Real to this title in 2011.

That was a somewhat negative and harsh prediction, intended to "show the deer the way to run." This is impossible, even though conflicts always exist between Real Madrid players and their Portuguese coach.

Real Madrid lost La Liga to Barcelona. They were also eliminated by Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals, so the Copa del Rey could be considered the only trophy to salvage an otherwise disappointing season. That's what motivates the entire Real Madrid team to fight. As professional athletes, the Real Madrid players understand that they need to fight with all their might, despite the fact that most of them no longer like their coach, Jose Mourinho.

The Copa del Rey, while not enough to compensate for a failed season, would be a meaningful farewell gift for Mourinho. After all, three years and four trophies (if Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in tonight's match) show that Mourinho is not a failed coach.

It's undeniable that Mourinho elevated them to world-class status, helping them match, or even surpass, the star-studded Barcelona squad.

Therefore, with Mourinho's departure becoming a certainty, the Real Madrid players were even more eager to do something special to honor their former manager.

Prediction: 3-1

According to Thethaovanhoa - DT