The first El Clasico was played in 1902, and in the 122 years of Barcelona and Real Madrid’s rivalry, only two managers have managed both outfits
Real Madrid versus Barcelona, popularly known as the El Clasico, is one of the finest football derbies in the world. From top names to nasty tackles on the pitch and fans fighting amongst themselves up the stands, the El Clasico is as dramatic as it gets—PURE CINEMA, as we like to call it. Not to forget, given the El Clasico is 122 years old, its history is rich, but only a handful of stories we are capable of covering ahead of the October 27 clash.
In this article, we take a look at only the two managers who have had the honour of managing both Real Madrid and Barcelona, an unthinkable feat that is unlikely to be managed by any other manager at present or in the future, given how deadly the nature of the derby has evolved into.
The first manager in the world to manage both sides was Enrique Fernández Viola. Born in 1912 and hailing from Uruguay, Viola was a football player who had a brief career from 1931 to 1937. During this period, he played for multiple clubs, such as Nacional, Talleres (RE), Independiente, and even FC Barcelona.
Why his career was cut short could not be found on the internet; in 1946, he ventured into the world of managing clubs as a gaffer. In 1947, he took charge of Barcelona and stayed with the club till 1950. He was the first-ever Barcelona manager to win two consecutive La Liga titles. In 1953, he moved to Real Madrid as their gaffer, winning the league title in his first and only season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Viola on the stands, celebrating the win of Barcelona
On October 6, 1985, Viola passed away at the age of 73 but still remains the only manager ever to win the La Liga title with Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid, he managed other teams such as Sporting CP, Real Betis, Nacional, Colo-Colo, River Plate, Palestino, Gimnasia La Plata, and even the national team of Uruguay.
Apart from the late Viola, the only other manager to have managed Real Madrid and Barcelona was Radomir Antić. A defender who had a 17-year long career, Radomir’s best stint was with Partizan, a Serbian club in his home country. Although he also played for a few other clubs, such as Fenerbahçe, Zaragoza, and Luton Town.
In 1992, the Serbian manager took charge of Real Madrid for a single year but failed to win a single title. The story was no different at Barcelona, but Radomir played a crucial role in 2003 when he took over from Louis van Haal in mid-season. Barcelona was in 15th place when Radomir took charge, but he helped the Cules finish 6th that year and also took the team to the quarterfinal of the Champions League.
Radomir Antic & Andres Iniesta in 2003 during Antic's stint as Barcelona manager & Iniesta's first senior season. pic.twitter.com/zy5jfP6U6k
— Serbian Football (@SerbianFooty) November 28, 2020
However, his biggest achievement was polishing youngsters like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Victor Valdes, who later became crucial parts of Barcelona’s history.
Last but not least, the later manager, who passed away in 2020, remains the only manager in the world to have managed Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid, having won La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Los Rojiblancos.
