Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modric has revealed some of the things that happened behind the camera during Mourinho’s era as coach of Spanish giants Real Madrid.
It is not hidden, the fact that Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo did not always have a smooth relationship during their time together at Real Madrid.
Despite the fact that the pair enjoyed a bit of success together especially during an astonishing 2011/12 season, when Real Madrid pipped their arch rivals Barcelona to the La Liga crown, it wasn’t just enough bind them together. It even reached a point where the Portuguese duo almost picked up a physical fight.
According to Luka Modric whom Mourinho added to the squad during the summer of 2012, the Special one had an altercation which almost led to a fight with Ronaldo during a Copa del Rey match with Barcelona FC.
In his biography entitled ‘My Game’, Modric explained the reason behind the row.
He wrote:
‘I was surprised by Mourinho’s reaction. We were winning 2-0 in the Copa del Rey.
‘Ronaldo did not chase the rivals on his throw-in and Jose was furious with Cristiano.
‘The two fought for a long time on the field. After returning to the locker room at half-time, I saw Ronaldo desperate, on the verge of tears.
‘He said, ‘I do my best and he continues to criticise me.’
‘Mourinho came in and began to criticise the Portuguese for his responsibility during the game. They became so hot that only the intervention of the team-mates avoided a real fight between them.’
Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo were teammates together at Real Madrid for six illustrious years, before the Portuguese superstar decided to move to Italy.