José Mourinho, now back as Real Madrid manager, has disclosed that dressing-room mentality issues, including early requests from then-captain Iker Casillas, contributed to his departure from the Santiago Bernabéu in 2013. The Portuguese coach, who returned this summer after a 13-year hiatus, made the revelations in a Netflix docuseries.
Early Requests and Mentality Concerns
Mourinho, who joined Real Madrid in 2010 after a treble-winning season with Inter Milan, recalled his first interactions with Casillas. In the docuseries, he said: “The first thing he told me was, ‘I’ve come to ask for more vacation time for the national team players.’ In the second conversation, he requested that I postpone training by an hour due to heavy traffic in Madrid at the time I intended to commence the session. In the third, he mentioned that the players preferred not to go to the hotel and instead wanted to meet on matchday and head directly to the stadium. Mentally, they were in a very poor state.”
During his initial three-year stint, Mourinho secured a memorable La Liga title in 2012, breaking Barcelona's three-year dominance in domestic football, though European success in the UEFA Champions League eluded the team.
Breakdown in Relationships
Addressing dressing room tensions and media scrutiny, the veteran manager explained that the breakdown in relationships was mutual, leading to his eventual decision to walk away from the club. “I believe the players had grown weary of me as a leader, and I felt the same towards them. I was frustrated with them, not just the other way around. I was fed up with the players and the media. I wanted to leave. I sensed that my time was up.”
Following his departure in 2013, Mourinho took charge at several high-profile clubs—including Chelsea, Manchester United, and AS Roma—before returning for his second managerial spell at the Spanish capital.
