- Worked together at Real between 2010 and 2013
- Ronaldo hated being substituted
- Mourinho never tried to 'teach' CR7
GettyJose Mourinho lifts the lid on arguments with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid as he explains why coaching the Portuguese superstar was impossible
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GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Mourinho served as Real Madrid head coach between 2010 and 2013, picking up La Liga and Copa del Rey winners' medals along the way, and helped Ronaldo complete the transition from explosive winger to goalscoring-obsessed centre-forward. They didn't always see eye-to-eye, though, especially on the occasions Mourinho attempted to rest his star player's legs.
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Mourinho added on what it was like to coach Ronaldo on a day-to-day basis: "I think you don't coach [him]. You don't teach much, it's about being happy and it's about creating an environment from the tactical point of view, from the ideas of football, where the player can show. Madrid for him was a little bit of a transition because for you he was a winger - left winger, right winger, dribbling, attacking people, beating people. In Madrid, he became more the goalscorer that he was for the rest of his career. In fact, probably the first time he played a big match as a striker was Real Madrid vs Barcelona in a cup final where he scored an amazing goal with an amazing header in extra time. Probably that was the first time people got the feeling that animal could be a goalscorer and not just a pure winger. Motivation, you don't need to give him. Ambition, you don't need to give him. Technique, you don't need to give him. You give some tactical adjustments and let the guy be happy."
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Mourinho also opened up on being right in the thick of the intense rivalry between Real and Barca at a time when he was trying to dethrone Pep Guardiola's Lionel Messi-led outfit. Los Blancos beat Barca 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final in his first year at the helm as Ronaldo scored the crucial winner, and lifted the La Liga title in 2011-12 after racking up a record breaking haul of 100 points, with Mourinho always aware his side had to be almost perfect to outdo their arch-rivals.
He said: "For us to win the league, we did 100 points. You knew that if you didn't do 98, 99, 100, you don't win it. You are then in trouble because Barcelona wins and the next season, the previous season, when Barcelona wins. I think we lost with 92 points or 91 points, something like that. So you know that if you made a mistake, you are in trouble."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo left Santiago Bernabeu in 2018 to join Juventus, and went on to take in a second spell at Manchester United before embarking on a new challenge in Saudi Arabia. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner signed a lucrative contract with Al-Nassr in January 2023, which sparked an exodus of top European players to the Middle East, but he's lost none of his hunger for goals and trophies. Ronaldo is already up to 31 goals across all competitions for the current season, with Al-Nassr chasing down Saudi Pro League and AFC Champions League glory, and he will also be eyeing a second European Championship crown with Portugal in the summer.
All three parts of Jose Mourinho's interview will be available on FIVE’s YouTube. The full interview with Mourinho will also be available on @FIVEUK’s audio platforms, Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts.
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