Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta believes Jose Mourinho was to blame for the “hate” between the Catalan side and Real Madrid during his spell in charge of Los Blancos.
Iniesta has also pointed the finger at the current Manchester United boss for the downfall of the Spanish national team in recent years.
Is Mourinho at fault? Five things to know about Iniesta’s claim:
1. Mourinho was in charge of Real for 17 Clasicos between 2010 and 2013.
2. He was accused of “destroying Spanish football” by Gerard Pique after an ill-tempered Supercup final that saw three players sent off and a mass brawl.
3. In the same game, Mourinho poked former Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova in the eye.
4. Both teams included members of the Spanish national team.
5. Spain haven’t gone beyond the last 16 of a major tournament since Mourinho left the Bernabeu in 2013.
Iniesta, now of Japanese side Vissel Kobe, believes the Portuguese coach was to blame for the huge increase in tensions between the two rivals, as well as Spain’s poor form in recent years.
“You don’t have to be for Barcelona or Real Madrid to know that the situation was unpleasant,” Iniesta said. “And the key component in that story was Mourinho.
“Whoever doesn’t want to see that, is radical. You didn’t see the rivalry that always existed before, it went beyond that, you saw hate.
“That atmosphere developed and it was unbearable. The Barca-Madrid tension caused by Mourinho did much damage to the national team [Spain] and the teammates.”
The Man Utd manager has come under fire from another Barcelona legend before.
In 2016, Xavi accused Mourinho of wanting “war” whilst the players wanted “football”, a similar claim to Iniesta.
The midfield maestro also mentioned that Iker Casillas had later called him up to apologise for “200 things”, whilst the goalkeeper’s attempts to try and stop Mourinho’s warmongering cost him dearly with a specific group of Los Blancos’ supporters.
Are Mourinho’s days coaching at the top of European football numbered?
He’s a character, he always has been, but can Mourinho still cut it at the top of European football?
Manchester United’s poor form this season would suggest that his days at Old Trafford are numbered, but it will be interesting to see who wants to take him on if and when he leaves.
Prior to Santiago Solari’s permanent appointment, there was speculation that Real Madrid could actually come back in for Mourinho, which the Portuguese denied.
Iniesta’s legendary Barcelona teammate Xavi has also said he’s never liked Mourinho’s style of play, suggesting it has become outdated.
“Mourinho is a very defensive manager and playing against his Inter (with Barcelona) hasn’t been easy,” Xavi said.
“He cares about all the details, he shuts all the gaps and he doesn’t give you much space. I like another kind of football. It’s not a criticism to him, but I don’t enjoy playing football in that way and my teams won’t ever have that attitude.”
The post Andres Iniesta: How Jose Mourinho upset the chemistry of Spain’s national team appeared first on Squawka News.
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