Uefa throws book at Real Madrid and José Mourinho after Barcelona game
• Real hit with five charges and Barça with one
• Barcelona to report Mourinho over 'fix' claim
Uefa will next week consider one of football's most volatile disciplinary cases ever, after handing Real Madrid five charges and Barcelona one over their ill-tempered Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
José Mourinho's belief in the existence of a conspiracy against his side is unlikely to be assuaged by the Uefa charges, which include the possible violation by the Real Madrid coach of "the basic rules of decent conduct" in his post-match remarks.
The European governing body opened cases against both teams as the controversy generated by Barcelona's 2-0 away victory against a 10-man Real side continued. Two charges relate directly to Mourinho, who was sent to the stands during the game. After it he claimed the existence of a plot to ensure that the Catalan club reached the final. Barcelona said they would formally report Mourinho to Uefa; Real's Emmanuel Adebayor accused Barça of behaving like "babies".
"We're playing a man's game but every time we play against Barcelona and every time we touch them they go to ground and cry like babies," the striker said on Thursday. "Everyone talks about their fair play but I think they are a long way away from fair play. Their coach, their players and their bench are always crying."
It is believed that the Uefa refereeing committee is likely to discuss issues arising from the match – including the hounding of the referee, Wolfgang Stark, by both sides – before deciding whether to issue a directive to all its officials via Uefa's refereeing unit.
The rancour surrounding the match was ill-timed for Uefa given the high profile of the fixture, the huge worldwide audience for a Champions League semi-final and the ongoing Respect campaign to improve players' behaviour. The Uefa disciplinary committee will meet on 6 May, three days after the second leg, to consider a wide range of charges.
"The case against Real Madrid is in relation to the throwing of missiles, a pitch invasion, the red card shown to [the defender] Pepe, the dismissal of the coach José Mourinho, as well as the inappropriate statement given by Mr Mourinho to the media after the match," Uefa said.
After a board meeting Barcelona said they would formally report Mourinho, despite the fact he had been charged by Uefa. "It is unacceptable for someone to question our titles and our relationship with Unicef," a spokesman said. "Our aim is not to pour petrol on the fire, it is to put the fire out. We believe that coaches should only talk about football and not outside things that only incite violence. We reject dialectic confrontation and Mourinho uses that too often."
The charge against Barcelona relates to the red card that was shown to their reserve goalkeeper, José Pinto, after a confrontation as the teams returned to the changing rooms at half-time. Possible sanctions against individuals range from a one- to a five-match ban and/or a fine; measures against clubs can result in anything from a warning to disqualification.
Mourinho was sent to the stands after protesting the sending-off of Pepe, for a foul on Daniel Alves, on the hour and with the score at 0-0. After the match the Portuguese manager accused Barcelona of wielding untouchable power in European football and said that their coach, Pep Guardiola, should feel "ashamed" if he wins a competition that "yet again" is engulfed in "scandal".
Mourinho said that his red card and that shown to Pepe had been unjustified and that it was not the first time Barcelona's opponents had been singled out for unfair punishment. He added that he would not say what he "really thinks" because he feared a life ban but said he felt "disgusted" to be working in football.
Mourinho tried to discredit Guardiola's 2009 Champions League victory and any success he might enjoy this year. He said: "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 Bernabéu. I hope that one day he can win a proper Champions League."
Regarding Pepe's red card, Real posted footage on their website that, they said, "clearly shows the player only touched the ball". The club also accused Alves, who was carried off the pitch on a stretcher, of feigning injury.
The Real forward Ronaldo, who admitted he was unhappy with Mourinho's defensive tactics, said: "I feel bad for us and for Mourinho, because it always happens to him. Barcelona are a great team but these guys have a lot of power off the pitch, too. Chelsea, Inter, Arsenal. It's always the same. Is that a coincidence?"
