The scenes witnessed during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final between Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are not an example of what football should be like.

The whole world was watching, but the players seemed more intent in acting like drama queens rather than play football. It was expected to be a tense affair, but what happened at the Bernabeu Stadium last Wednesday was more than tense.

Yet, the worst part was still to come. The brawls on the pitch or on the sidelines were despicable, but what Real Madrid manager José Mourinho said afterwards was even worse.

That Mourinho is a great manager is undisputable. That he has achieved many successes cannot be denied. But he is also a bad loser. Mourinho is known for his arrogance and ugly temperament, and this is transferred onto his players. This is perhaps why, wherever he has been, his teams end up with 10 or fewer men more often than others.

He is loved by his supporters, but hated by the rest. Neutral supporters often back Mourinho’s opponents just because of him. In several instances in the past, he was controversial with his actions and words, although the term “controversial” is mild when describing what he did or said.

Last Wednesday, he went beyond the limits of decency and, once again, drew all attention towards him with the post-match accusations against Barcelona. Conveniently forgetting the refereeing decisions that went his way in the run-up towards last year’s Champions League final when he was Inter manager, he spoke about what he termed as “Barcelona power” and how Wednesday’s match had gone in his opponents’ favour, even referring to Barcelona’s Champions League title two years ago.

It would have perhaps been better that he tried to explain how come his team – full of stars – ended up being dominated (Real Madrid had just 29% of possession) by Barcelona. But probably Mourinho is too proud to admit his own mistakes, and prefers to hide them by accusing others.

He will now have to face the consequences of his behaviour and statements, and will be suspended for the return leg, to be played on Tuesday. He will probably get an even stiffer punishment following the inquiry that has been launched into his statements. But it is hard to believe that he will learn his lesson.

In general terms, football lost a lot last Wednesday, mostly because of Mourinho. It is hoped that Tuesday’s game – before, during and after – will help it regain the lost ground.