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In Catalonia, newspapers reacted vehemently to the decision of the Spanish League Competition Committee to disqualify Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for two matches for a provoked incident in the country's Super Cup match.
The capital team's strategist approached from behind the assistant coach Tito Vilanova and tried to poke him in the eye. Josep Guardiola's deputy didn't hold back: the cameras captured Vilanova hitting Mourinho on the cheek and pushing the Portuguese.
Immediately after the Super Cup match, which ended with a victory for Barcelona, a word war broke out in the media lasting several days. The leadership of the Spanish "Primera" championship announced an investigation into the incident. Real publicly expressed surprise at this decision and presented their "arguments" about the events off the field on the club's website. Barcelona announced that they do not object to the investigation, but they themselves refused to file an official complaint. The leaders of "Primera" stated that they would investigate the events off the field "without club complaints", using the video material obtained through their channels.
The results of the incredibly lengthy investigation were published by the Spanish League management on Wednesday. It was announced that Mourinho is being punished with a two-match disqualification and will have to pay a €600 fine. The same financial sanction was imposed on Vilanova, who was punished with a one-match disqualification.
Both match penalties are only valid in the Spanish Super Cup matches, so their "completion" may be delayed.
Financial fines were also imposed on the clubs, but they raised a smile: Real will have to pay... 180 euros from their hundred-million budget, while Barcelona will have to pay half as much.
"This is a scandal. Just two matches!" - complained "Sport.es", also mentioning the incident at the world rugby cup match. During that match, Italian Leonardo Ghiraldini poked his finger into the eye of Irishman Cian Healy and was disqualified for 15 games. The rugby player admitted his guilt but denied doing it intentionally. Nevertheless, this did not help him avoid a strict disciplinary penalty.
"La Vanguardia" emphasized that during the Competition Committee meeting, when the question of imposing penalties was discussed, an argument was presented that "Mourinho's actions did not cause any health problems and there is no evidence that there was an intention to harm another person".
It was precisely this statement that allowed milder sanctions to be applied to the Portuguese and to punish him with only a two-match disqualification.
Vilanova's actions were classified as "adequate reaction", but it was recognized that Guardiola's assistant also violated discipline and on-field behavior rules.
Newspapers traditionally conducted reader polls.
Even 89% of those surveyed by "Sport.es" claimed that the imposed punishment was unjust.
"El Mundo Deportivo" provided its readers with the opportunity to vote on several options. 71% of participants said that Mourinho was punished too leniently, 8% of those surveyed believe that Vilanova was punished too harshly, and 5% said that Guardiola's assistant was punished too leniently.
