Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho praised his rival team Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola prior to the keenly awaited El Clasico.

The two top teams in Spain face against each other on Monday at Nou Camp. Mourinho believes that Guardiola deserves a contract for 50 years.

Mourinho said, “If I were Barca president Sandro Rosell I’d give him a contract for the next 50 years. Because he’s a club man who’s been steeped in the Barcelona way since birth.”

He added, “He knows the place inside out and he knows the kind of football that Barcelona fans want. He’s the ideal man to coach Barcelona for as long as he wants to.”

‘The Special One’ also commented on the period when both of them worked together at Barcelona. He remarked, “We used to work together at Barca and I have only positive memories of that period. Now we’re rival coaches but I get the feeling that we respect each other.”