José Mourinho will experience his first Turkish Clásico this Saturday, as Fenerbahçe faces Galatasaray—a thrilling match you can catch live on beIN SPORTS.

However, the Portuguese coach is no stranger to high-stakes rivalries. Throughout his career, he has faced off in numerous intense clashes, with the most notable being the Spanish Clásicos between his Real Madrid and Barcelona.

During his three years at the helm of Real Madrid, Mourinho was involved in a staggering 17 Clásicos across La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa, and the Champions League. The record was close: six wins for Barcelona, six draws, and five victories for the Madrid side.

Beyond the statistics, that period was marked by intense tension both on and off the pitch. The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona went beyond the sporting realm, creating a time of significant drama and conflict.

Press conferences during that era were as heated as the matches themselves. Mourinho and Guardiola exchanged sharp words, stoking the flames of rivalry. One of the most infamous incidents occurred when Mourinho poked Tito Vilanova in the eye during a sideline altercation, further intensifying the animosity between the two sides.

Andrés Iniesta, reflecting on those charged encounters during an appearance on the show Salvados, described how those Clásicos felt more like battles of hatred than mere football rivalries. He noted that the animosity even affected the Spanish national team, where tensions were palpable. 

Iker Casillas, Madrid’s captain at the time, reached out to Barcelona’s Xavi Hernández to try to ease the division, though Mourinho and some Madrid fans were not pleased with this diplomatic gesture.

After Mourinho’s departure and the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti, the tension subsided, and the focus shifted back to football.

Now, Mourinho leads Fenerbahçe and aims to make a statement in a Süper Lig that has been dominated by Galatasaray for the past 11 years.