Football is one of the most loved games in the world, with such beautiful gameplay, talented players, and mastermind tacticians on the pitch showcasing their class. There is also a deep connection between the fans and the game, which is just beautiful for any newcomer to see.
Apart from that, there is another deep-rooted connection, which is between the coach and the superstars of their team and there have been many cases of such in the past, including Guardiola-Messi, Ferguson-Rooney, Klopp-Salah, and more. Recent incidents reminded us of a connection of the same kind between Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Jose Mourinho talks on how to coach Cristiano Ronaldo
In the latest reports, it has been clear that Jose Mourinho has been quite vocal about his career after being unexpectedly sacked by AS Roma just a few weeks ago. A few hours ago, the Portuguese tactician was interviewed by Rio Ferdinand about his past career at Chelsea, Manchester United, and AS Roma and the recent job offers that the manager has turned down.
Apart from those topics, there was another agenda on the mind of the former Manchester United player, who then started asking about Cristiano Ronaldo to the Portuguese manager. And considering his wonderful relationship with CR7, Mourinho, who has been rumored to return to Chelsea, started giving out pointers on how to manage the player.
When he was asked whether he taught anything to CR7, the Portuguese replied that he couldn’t teach him anything even if he wanted to.
The former Manchester United manager further added that the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards winner has all the things required to be a star player, be it motivation, ambition, responsibility, or technicality. Apart from some tactical insights or readjustments, Mourinho was never required to teach anything to CR7 and he always used to just tell the player to go and play his game to the best of his ability.
“I don’t think so, he doesn’t need it. Motivation, ambition, responsibility, technicality? You don’t need to give him.”
These statements are quite perfect regarding the generational star who is currently playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and recently played in the Al-Riyadh Cup after returning from an injury. Despite being 38 years old, the player was the top scorer of the year 2023 even surpassing young goal-machines like Mbappe and Haaland.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance under Jose Mourinho
The statements of one of the best managers of all time can be considered to be vastly true considering how much success the player had under him in the past. Apart from Sir Alex Ferguson, who brought CR7 to Europe from Portugal, the player has played the most games under the Portuguese manager with a massive 164 matches under him.
When both were at Real Madrid, CR7 was at his peak of prowess under the Portuguese manager who himself benefitted a lot from CR7’s performances and his team looked good with him in the attack. While playing under him, Cristiano Ronaldo bagged majestic numbers with 168 goals and 49 assists in just 164 matches. These performances helped him win the La Liga in the year 2011 as well.
Consecutively, Jose Mourinho also benefitted from the CR7 performances and his team was able to 127 games while drawing 28 and losing just 23 matches in all of his 3-year tenure. These numbers are just majestic considering at that time, another masterclass team in the name of FC Barcelona was also at the peak of their prowess.
Jose Mourinho was also able to win the Best Club Coach award in 2011 while managing Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo and helping them win the La Liga title. The connection between the manager and the player was certainly beneficial for both and it remains to be seen whether there could again be such a bond between players and their manager in the current world.
Do you think Jose Mourinho’s words regarding Cristiano Ronaldo are on the point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
