Mourinho's extremes: from the storm of Clásicos to the eye-poke on Vilanova

Mourinho's first Real Madrid stint featured 17 intense Clásicos against peak Barcelona, including a controversial incident with Vilanova and tactical innovations like deploying Pepe in midfield.

José Mourinho's first spell at Real Madrid was defined by his battles against Barcelona, particularly during a remarkable stretch in April–May 2011 when four Clásicos were played in just 18 days. Over three seasons, Mourinho faced Barcelona 17 times, winning five, losing six and drawing six.

Mourinho's debut ended in a 5–0 defeat at Camp Nou in November 2010, but he adapted tactically for the subsequent encounters. Most notably, he deployed Pepe as a holding midfielder in a defensive setup to contain Barcelona's attacking play. The "storm of Clásicos" began on 16 April 2011 with a 1–1 league draw, followed four days later by a Copa del Rey semi-final at Mestalla where Cristiano Ronaldo's header secured a 1–0 extra-time victory. The tension escalated dramatically in the third meeting, where Barcelona dominated and won 2–0 with goals from Messi.

Beyond the pitch, Mourinho's Clásico tenure was marked by psychological warfare and press-conference theatrics with Pep Guardiola, culminating in the infamous incident where Mourinho poked Tito Vilanova in the eye. His final Clásico as Madrid manager came on 26 February 2013, a 3–1 away victory that sent Madrid to the Copa del Rey final, which they would lose to Atlético Madrid.