5 people who have perpetuated the animosity between Real Madrid and Barcelona
If there is anything more famous in this country than La Tomatina or bull-fights, it is El Clasico. In Spain, no matter wherever you hail from, whichever religion you belong to, whether you are rich or poor – all factors go for a toss as Real Madrid and Barcelona go head-to-head with each other.
The Spanish giants have been at the crux of some epic battles over the years and their rivalry notches up to another level every time they play. Not always have players from Real Madrid and Barcelona got along with each other. Some have even dared to move to their bitterest rivals, much to the ire of their passionate fans.
In such a competitive environment, it is all but natural that games between these two powerhouses are not only played on the field but also off it. Call it potshots or mind games, players from these the two clubs always love to take an occasional dig at each other.
Let us then look at 5 of the biggest instigators of the fierce rivalry between probably the two biggest clubs in the world.
#1 Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho was a mere translator at Barcelona when he started his coaching stint in football. After successful stints at Porto and Chelsea, life came a full circle for Mourinho as he returned to Spain – not to manage Barcelona, but bitter enemies Real Madrid. The Special One had a roller coaster three-year spell at Real Madrid, one that saw its fair share of controversies.
In 2011, the maverick Portuguese even accused the UEFA of conspiring against Real Madrid and favoring Barcelona in a post-match outburst after their first leg semi-final defeat in the Champions League, which took Barcelona to the brink of the finals.
The current Chelsea manager's antics don't stop there as he infamously poked a finger at Barcelona's assistant manager Tito Vilanova during a fiery El Clasico in 2011.
Not one from backing away, Mourinho was always involved in a war of words with his club's biggest competition. When Tito Vilanova stated back in 2012 that Ballon D'Or nominee Lionel Messi was the best player on the planet, Mourinho responded in typical tongue-in-cheek manner in an interview to Portuguese daily A Bola, stating: “If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe.
“It would be a crime if Ronaldo did not win the Ballon D'Or. It is harder to be Cristiano than Messi. Messi grew up in the team where he plays, with the players with whom he plays. Not Cristiano. He was in England, then they put him here in a losing team.”
