Mourinho accused of stoking Barcelona, Real ‘hatred’

Jose Mourinho was the “key component” at the centre of bad blood between Barcelona and Real Madrid in the past, according to Andres Iniesta.

In possibly the most high-profile incident, Barcelona assistant manager Tito Vilanova was poked in the eye by Mourinho during the Portuguese coach’s spell in charge of Real between 2010 and 2013.

Mourinho’s rivalry and tensions with Barca and Pep Guardiola often spilled over into heated exchanges in the dugout and on the pitch.

A lot of the players on both sides played together at national team level for Spain and Iniesta claims that the tension between rival players was “unbearable”.

“The situation was unpleasant and the key component in that was Mourinho,” Iniesta told La Sexta.

“You didn’t see the rivalry that always existed before, it went beyond that, you saw hatred.

“This caused a lot of harm in the national team. It was surreal. The environment was unbearable.”