Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has piled the pressure on Jose Mourinho by taunting the Special One that if Barcelona was 18 points behind Real Madrid, he would be sacked.
When asked if the title race was over, Vilanova told reporters:
“No, but if the situation was the other way around, I woudn’t be here to answer that question.
“Madrid are capable of winning every game in the second half of the season and we are capable of losing those points. We are not talking about four games, there are a lot of games left. I know that things can change very quickly. As soon as you lose two games, you look worse as a coach.”
Tito and Mou are not on the best of terms to begin with. Mourinho was suspended by the Spanish FA for two games in 2011 for poking Vilanova (then Barça’s assistant coach) in the eye following a mass brawl in a Supercopa match that spilled over onto the touchline and ended up with the involvement of both team’s coaches.
Vilanova was speaking ahead of the Blaugrana’s Copa del Rey tie against Malaga, which he does not think will prove to be an easy path to the semifinals — where Barcelona could potentially meet Real Madrid.
“Malaga have already shown what they are capable of in the Champions League and La Liga,” Vilanova said. “They are a team full of virtue, and you can have a red card or go a goal down and everything is more difficult, because it is decided over the two legs.”
Mourinho has came under heavy criticism from Madrid fans due to the Whites poor form this season, plus his strange decision to drop club icon Iker Casillas. While Los Blanocs were playing against Real Sociedad recently, the mention of Mourinho’s name drew whistles from the Bernabeu faithful.
