Tryst with controversy – Mourinho’s Top 10 controversial moments

Love or hate him, the charisma exuded by Jose Mourinho can never be disputed. His football acumen may have evolved over the years and so may have his man-management skills ever since he began his career as a “gaffer” at Benfica in 2000, but Mourinho, the man remains the same. Quick retaliation, tongue-in-cheek remarks, absolute mockery of opponents, mind games with other managers and continuous excoriation of referees shall all be a part of the legacy that the Portuguese leaves behind when he draws the curtain on his career.

Jose Mourinho – Not a stranger to controversy

Mourinho has never been a stranger to controversy, right from his first press conference at Chelsea that earned him the “special” tag. From then on, controversies have followed Mourinho faithfully, during his spells at Inter Milan and while at Real Madrid. Mourinho has thus become one of the most polarizing persons that football has seen in recent times, with many willing to overlook his antics for the prowess he exudes as a manager, while those against him have become inured to his constant whimpering.

Here is a look at 10 of the most outrageous things Mourinho has said or done (in no particular order) in his 13 year managerial career.

Poking Tito Vilanova in the eye

The venue was the magnificent Camp Nou and the stage was set for a high octane game of football that would decide who laid their hands on the 2011 Spanish Super Cup. Arch rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona faced off in the second leg of the final, with the first leg ending with honors shared at 2-2.

Barcelona went on to triumph 3-2 in what was an enthralling game which took an uglier side towards the conclusion. After Marcelo had badly fouled Francesc Fabregas towards the end, the two dugouts came to blows with each other with Jose Mourinho also involved big time. In an incident that escaped the eyes of many, including the referee, Mourinho is filmed to have gouged the eye of Barcelona’s then assistant manager Tito Vilanova by sticking out a finger, who reacted by pushing Mourinho.