El Clasico: Throwback When Jose Mourinho Poked Tito Vilanova in the Eye

• Jose Mourinho made El Clasico a spectacle due to his antics
• He infamously poked Barcelona's assistant manager Tito Vilanova in the eye when Barcelona clashed with Real Madrid in 2011
• We look back at that moment ahead of the first El Clasico of the 2023/24 season

Jose Mourinho is undoubtedly one of the best managers in football history. When it's all said and done, his reputation and legacy will be that of a serial winner and the master of the dark arts in football.

In 2011, he poked Barcelona's then-assistant manager Tito Vilanova in the eye during an ill-tempered El Clasico clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The first El Clasico of the 2023/24 season is scheduled for Saturday, October 28.

The Portuguese manager has had several infamous moments in his successful career, but the eye poke in 2011 is up there.

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In August 2011, Barcelona hosted Real Madrid for the Spanish Super Cup, looking to lift their first trophy months after winning the Champions League.

It was an entertaining match, and it was Lionel Messi's 88th-minute winner that sealed the deal for Barcelona, who won 3-2 and 5-4 in aggregate.

Real Madrid defender Marcelo's dangerous tackle on Cesc Fabregas late in the game sparked one of the biggest brawls in El Clasico history. Players from both sides scrapped on the touchline. Marcelo was shown a red card for the tackle, while Mesut Ozil and David Villa also saw red.

Mourinho, then Real Madrid manager, walked up to Vilanova, Pep Guardiola's assistant at the time and poked him in the eye. Vilanova pushed Mourinho moments after the eye poke, and both were later banned, per ESPN.

Vilanova went on to succeed Pep Guardiola as Barcelona's boss and led them to the 2012/13 La Liga league title. For most of that season, he was undergoing cancer treatment

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He stepped down as coach but sadly died in 2014.

Mourinho apologizes to Vilanova

In 2012, Mourinho admitted he was wrong to poke Vilanova in the eye.

“I should not have done what I did, obviously not,” Mourinho said during Real’s pre-season tour of the United States. “The person who messed up there was me,” via Reuters.

The AS Roma manager paid tribute to Vilanova following his death.

"Tito Vilanova's passing is a sad day for football," via the Guardian.

Real Madrid will be looking to cement their lead at the top of La Liga on Saturday, while Barcelona will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Why El Clasico has lost its allure

Sports Brief earlier analyzed why El Clasico had lost some of its appeal in the last few seasons.

The absence of Messi and Ronaldo is a major reason why El Clasico has experienced a decline because it was rare for two iconic players playing for bitter rivals to go face to face.

The fixture also lacks some compelling characters like years ago when you had characters like Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Sergio Ramos and Victor Valdes.