Jose Mourinho Reveals Why He Fell Out With Real Madrid Players Before 2013 Exit

Jose Mourinho has revealed fresh details about the breakdown in his relationship with Real Madrid players before his departure from the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013.

Mourinho joined Real Madrid in 2010 after completing a historic treble with Inter Milan. During his three-season spell in Spain, he guided Los Blancos to the La Liga title in 2012, ending Barcelona’s dominance in the competition.

However, his time at the Bernabeu was also marked by dressing-room tensions, disagreements with players and intense pressure from the Spanish media.

Jose Mourinho admits he became fed up with Real Madrid players

Speaking on a Netflix docuseries about former Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas, Mourinho discussed the problems he encountered inside the squad.

According to Mourinho, Casillas initially approached him with requests related to the national team players’ schedule. Further conversations allegedly involved training times and matchday arrangements.

Mourinho recalled that the requests eventually made him believe the players were struggling mentally and were no longer fully aligned with his methods.

“Mentally, they were in a very bad place.”

The Portuguese manager also acknowledged that the frustration was not one-sided. He admitted that some players had grown tired of him as a leader, while he had also become tired of dealing with the squad.

“I think the players had grown tired of me as a leader, and I of them too. I was fed up with them as well, not just them with me.”

Mourinho added that he was also exhausted by the constant attention from the Spanish media and eventually felt that his time at the club had come to an end.

“I was fed up with the players and the press. I wanted to leave. I felt I was finished.”

Mourinho’s Real Madrid spell produced a historic La Liga title

Despite the eventual breakdown in relationships, Mourinho achieved significant success during his time at Real Madrid.

His biggest domestic achievement came in the 2011-12 season, when Real Madrid won La Liga and ended Barcelona’s three-year run of league titles.

Mourinho’s side also set an extraordinary points record during that campaign and competed fiercely against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

However, the UEFA Champions League remained elusive. Real Madrid reached the semifinals during Mourinho’s tenure but failed to secure the European title he had been brought in to win.

Jose Mourinho viewed El Clasico as “war”

Mourinho also discussed his approach to the intense rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Portuguese manager was particularly unhappy with efforts by Iker Casillas to maintain friendly relationships with Barcelona players, including Spain teammates such as Xavi.

Mourinho believed the rivalry required players to maintain a different mindset when representing their clubs.

“This is a Barcelona vs Real Madrid match. When you’re with the national team, you can kiss each other twice, but not now. This is war.”

His comments reflected the highly confrontational atmosphere surrounding El Clasico during the Mourinho and Guardiola era.

Mourinho eventually returned to Real Madrid

After leaving Real Madrid in 2013, Mourinho continued his managerial career with several major clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and AS Roma.

He has now returned to Real Madrid for a second spell, more than a decade after his first tenure ended.

His upcoming schedule includes a final pre-season friendly against Schalke in Gelsenkirchen on August 16 before Real Madrid begin their La Liga campaign against Espanyol six days later.

Mourinho’s latest comments provide another glimpse into one of the most turbulent periods of his managerial career and explain how tensions inside the Real Madrid dressing room contributed to his eventual departure.