Mourinho faces 12-game ban for brawl eye-poke

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho could be suspended up to 12 games for his altercation with Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova during a Spanish Supercup game-ending brawl.

The Spanish football federation opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish clubs today, six days after Barcelona won the trophy in a match marred by the finale.

Mourinho walked towards Vilanova and appeared to poke him in the eye during the onfield melee between both benches. Under rules 98 and 100 of the federation disciplinary code, the Portuguese coach could be banned between four to 12 games while Vilanova whose actions are being investigated under articles 111 and 122 could be sanctioned for four games after retaliating with a push.

Mourinho apologised on Tuesday to Madrid fans for his actions. "(I) wish to apologise to Madridistas, and only to them, for my attitude in our last game," Mourinho said in a statement posted on Madrid's website.

"Some people are better adapted to the hypocrisy in football than I am, and they hide their faces and speak in whispers deep inside tunnels. I'm not learning to be a hypocrite, and I don't want to."

The altercation came when both benches cleared onto the field following Madrid defender Marcelo's ugly challenge on Cesc Fabregas just before injury time. Marcelo and teammate Mesut Oezil and Barcelona striker David Villa were all subsequently shown red cards and were all given one-game bans by the federation today.

The clubs have 10 days to present their cases.

Barcelona won the match at the Camp Nou 3-2 and two-legged series 5-4 for its 10th Supercup. The melee seems to have been a result of the obvious tension between the bitter rivals, who have played six times since April.

Watch: Mourinho eye-pokes Barca assistant coach