According to reports, Rui Faria was Jose Mourinho’s assistant in 2010 during Inter’s historic victory over Barcelona. Faria has now revealed Mourinho’s secrets in an interview with Marca.

Fifteen years ago, Barcelona played under Pep Guardiola’s famous tiki-taka style, which had just begun dominating Spanish and European football. When they faced Inter in the Champions League semifinals in April 2010, their confidence was sky-high. However, Inter surprised them with a 3-1 victory in the first leg, breaking Barcelona’s spirit. The Catalan club failed to stage a comeback at home, missing out on a second consecutive Champions League title.

Rui Faria, Mourinho’s assistant at the time, told Marca: “In the group stage, they were superior in both matches, and we knew Barcelona was the best team in Europe. But Mourinho’s strategy for the semifinal was completely different. We isolated ourselves at Inter’s training center, and I think we even slept there a few nights. Mourinho was focused on finding a way to beat Barcelona. We studied teams that had troubled them before, looking for their smallest weaknesses.”

He further explained: “Mourinho managed to uncover Pep’s weaknesses. Although they didn’t have many, even the few were enough. He convinced the players that Barcelona was tough but not unbeatable. Mourinho masterfully planted the belief in their minds that they could win. That was the key to our victory.”

About the second leg at Camp Nou, where Inter held on despite being down to 10 men, he said: “Even with 10 men, we managed to contain Barcelona. Only an extremely organized team with an unbeatable mindset could do that. That’s the team Mourinho built.”