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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.”
#2 Johan Cruyff
Labeled back then as the 'Best Player in the World', Johan Cruyff's transfer situation was an epic saga in itself. Bought in 1973 by Barcelona for a world record fee, Cruyff had outrightly refused to join bitter rivals Real Madrid, even after the President of Ajax was all in readiness to sell him.
Back then, Spain was under the dictatorship of General Franco, under whom the Catalonian people had suffered on a large scale. Real Madrid was reportedly favored by Franco's regime that also had a big role in bringing Alfredo Di Stefano to the club.
Suggesting in a documentary on TV3 that he would have never played for a 'fascist' club, the Dutch sensation made an epic decision in favor of the Catalans, even though Barcelona were nowhere close to the achievements of Los Blancos at the time. He ultimately went on to become one of Barcelona's most successful players as well as managers ever.
Cruyff's dislike for Madrid is visible even today as his opinions on Real Madrid continue to grab some eyeballs. It was only back in May this year when he told De Telegraaf that it was 'ridiculous' and 'unacceptable' that Madrid have a return of just one league title in seven years.
He did not step back from taking a jibe at their players as well, stating that the Galacticos were not happy to see their teammates score, unlike Barcelona where everyone helped each other score goals.
#3 Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique has become the backbone of the defence for both club and country. The 28-year old, however, has made it no secret of his hatred towards Real Madrid. In 2011, after a feisty match with their arch-rivals saw Real Madrid's Portuguese defender Pepe being sent off, Pique stated that Madrid deserved what they got. He went on to say that Los Blancos players tried to play with fire and effectively paid the price for it.
Fast forward to 2015. Barcelona went on a win a historic treble under Luis Enrique last season. During the celebration that took place at Camp Nou in the aftermath of Barcelona historic Champions League triumph, Gerard Pique took a swipe at their arch-rivals in his speech saying:
“Thanks to the staff, to the team-mates... And to Kevin Roldan, he started all this!'”
Kevin Roldan, of course, is the Colombian singer who infamously sang at Cristiano Ronaldo's 30th birthday bash, a party that took place afterReal's heavy defeat to city neighbours, Atletico. Ronaldo's celebrations did not go down well with the Madrid faithful as they saw their title challenge slide downhill after that crushing loss. Roldan, obviously, got embroiled in the controversy for no good reason.
It did not stop there for Pique. Even after being jeered and whistled at for the unpopular jibe he took at Real Madrid, the defender was in no mood to apologize. Instead, he further emphasized his loathing for the ten-time European Champions in a press conference, stating he watched the 2015 Champions League semi-final 'wearing a Buffon shirt' and that he would always wish things to go wrong for Los Blancos.
#4 Dani Alves
The maverick Brazilian has been an integral part of the Catalan setup for over seven years and he has seen more than a handful of controversies involving his Spanish counterparts. In 2011, Barcelona came on the back of a Club World Cup victory when Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho undermined Barcelona's achievement.
Alves responded by stating on his club's official website that Madrid were jealous of Barcelona's success and that Jose Mourinho always disrespected the achievement of other clubs.
Back of the field, Alves got Real Madrid defender Pepe sent off for what seemed like a fierce tackle. A close look at the replays suggest Alves was play-acting the entire time, even going off on a stretcher and coming back immediately to cheekily force his Portuguese nemesis off the park.
The 32-year-old right-back was back in headlines earlier this year when he under-rated Cristiano Ronaldo's supreme record at Real Madrid. Stating in an interview to ESPN Brazil that the 2014 Ballon D'Or winner was a selfish player, he added: "I think he cares little for what really matters, which is the collective side of the game.
“So much so that some criticized us during the celebration of titles while he celebrated the Pichichi (La Liga's leading scorer).”
#5 Pepe
It would be unfair to end this article without mentioning the name of one of the most prominent menaces in some ferocious games between Real Madrid and Barcelona. In 2011, when Dani Alves stated that Real Madrid were jealous of Barcelona's achievements, Pepe was quick to react to it with an amusing reply to Spanish newspaper AS saying that he was at the biggest club in the world and that they never needed to be jealous of others.
Moving ahead to an El Clasico in 2012, replays showed that the Portuguese defender purposely stamped Lionel Messi's hand as the latter sat on the ground after a tackle. The incident sparked off a big uproar from players and managers alike – with even coach Jose Mourinho suggesting in a post-match interview that Pepe should be punished if the stamp was intentional.
Well, it does not stop there. Pepe faced the ire of his Catalan opponents on the field again after he grabbed Cesc Fabregas by the neck when the Barcelona midfielder brushed his hands into the 32-year-old defender.
This triggered a nasty fight between a host of players.
