El Clásico is unlikely to ever fade from global relevance, but there’s no denying that one of Europe’s most illustrious fixtures has lost a bit of sparkle over the past decade.

This was once the pinnacle of the sport. The soccer world stopped when Barcelona and Real Madrid locked horns, and Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho paraded their respective dugouts.

Well, Mourinho is back, folks, and preparing himself for his first Clásico since 2013. His relationship with Barça dates back to his time as Sir Bobby Robson’s translator/assistant in the mid-90s, and the resentment that washed over him after the club he once adored opted to hire Guardiola as Frank Rijkaard’s assistant in 2008 has struggled to fade.

He was Barça’s arch-nemesis for a period, and he eventually broke Guardiola’s outstanding team, not to mention his Spanish counterpart on the touchline.…