Real Madrid vs Barcelona: 5 of the Best War of Words From El Clasico

• Real Madrid will cross swords against Barcelona for the 252nd time in the Copa del Rey
• Los Blancos will host Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday night in semi-final first-leg
• We look at some of the war of words that have existed between the two Spanish powerhouses

Over the years, matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona have given both sets of fans and the football world something to cheer on.

El Clasico is renowned for consistently being one of the best and most heated matchups in Europe, with Real Madrid and Barcelona often tearing into each other both on and off the pitch.

The two Spanish powerhouses have has also produced some of the best player rivalries in football with the most recent involving Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

While some prefer to let their football do the talking, others simply mouth off about their opponents, leading to some quite spectacular quotes.

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Sports Brief looks at some of the best insults El Clasico has produced over the years.

Lionel Messi vs Sergio Ramos

Former Real Madrid captain Ramos was Messi's opponent for over a decade and often faced the then-Barcelona superstar during Clasico games.

The combative defender was certainly one of the few people who could really rile up Messi when they were opponents.

However, the centre-back was on the receiving end of some foul language from Messi during Real Madrid's 3-2 defeat at home to Barcelona in 2017.

Messi reportedly used the phrase: “La concha de tu madre”. Well, the meaning of that phrase is that bad we won’t even bother to repeat it here. If you speak and understand Spanish, you’ll know why.

Jose Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola

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Mourinho and Guardiola have locked horns many times before and have a fierce rivalry. The AS Roma and Manchester City managers will likely clash heads for as long as they’re both in the game.

Matches between the two gaffers normally come with controversies and outspoken remarks

One such polemic came in 2011 after Real Madrid lost 2-0 at home to Barcelona in the Champions League semis.

“Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but I have won two Champions Leagues,” Mourinho said after his Real Madrid side lost to Guardiola’s Barcelona in the 2010-11 edition of the competition.

“He has won [only] one Champions League and that is one that would embarrass me. I would be ashamed to have won it with the scandal of Stamford Bridge and if he wins it this year it will be with the scandal of the Bernabeu.

“I hope one day Guardiola has the chance of winning a proper Champions League, a brilliant, clean championship with no scandal.”

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Gerard Pique vs Alvaro Arbeloa

Pique and Arbeloa have often had war of words during their playing days with Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.

The former La Roja duo's grudge goes back to 2013 when Pique compared Real Madrid's penalty against Elche to a comedy movie. Arbeloa responded in kind, but it didn’t end there.

“A player who has started once in 32 games doesn’t deserve a response. I’ll tell my friends to tell me when I’m not a protagonist, either on the pitch or off it,” Pique would later tweet in response to some more chat from his Spanish international team-mate.

Jose Mourinho vs Lionel Messi

After guiding Real Madrid to beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou in a fierce El Clasico encounter in 2012, Mourinho said Cristiano Ronaldo was more deserving of the Ballon d'Or than Lionel Messi.

That season, the Argentine genius notched a record 50 goals in La Liga, but Mourinho disclosed that Ronaldo's 46 strikes carry more weight because they were crucial to Real Madrid's title success.

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“Messi scored 50 goals that have not been worth anything,” the Portuguese tactician said.

The following campaign, Messi inspired Barcelona to the league title in 2012-13, scoring ‘only’ 46 times, and leaving Mourinho out of a job at the end of the season.

Samuel Eto’o vs All of Real Madrid

Eto’o never really made it at Real Madrid, joining the club as a teenager but only making seven senior appearances for the club.

So, when he won La Liga with rivals Barcelona in 2005, it meant that bit more to him. So much so that he hurled himself into the celebrations and chanted “Madrid, bastards, hail the champions.

He apologised soon after, saying “I never wanted to show any lack of respect to anyone.” That’s a strange way to go about it, mind you.

5 iconic clasico moments

Real Madrid and Barcelona will once again serve football fans another spectacle when both teams clash in the Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg on Thursday, March 2.

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The 252nd meeting between both Spanish giants will be a defining moment for their seasons as Barcelona continue to chase a domestic double while Real Madrid are seeking redemption.

Here, Sports Brief with the help of Goal highlights five of the most iconic El Clasico moments between Real Madrid and Barcelona in the 21st century.