In his discussion with Rio Ferdinand for Football.com, Jose Mourinho reflected on his coaching experience with Cristiano Ronaldo during their time together at Real Madrid.
Mourinho emphasized that coaching Ronaldo was not about instructing him, stating, “You don’t coach” Ronaldo.
Despite their differences, Mourinho achieved success as the head coach of Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, securing titles in LaLiga and Copa del Rey.
However, there were moments of disagreement, particularly when Mourinho attempted to provide Ronaldo with rest.
Mourinho said: “You have guys like Cristiano, where you are playing against Levante and you are winning five-nil and you tell the guy to relax and take a rest. ‘No, no, no, I can score one more goal!’
“When you have guys like this, you know the boat is in the water and you just let the boat go and in the end you enjoy the fight”
“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.”
