“Why do you suck?” — Mourinho stuns Real Madrid player. VIDEO
Mourinho knows exactly how to push the button that jolts a player awake.
Details: Raphaël Varane recalled one of the most intense conversations he ever had with José Mourinho during his time at Real Madrid. The Frenchman was going through a rough patch, barely getting any playing time and far from his top form, when the coach unexpectedly summoned him.
The defender admitted he was stunned and even a bit hurt by Mourinho’s words. He tried to explain that the season’s start had been tough, but the Portuguese manager had struck a nerve.
This is how Varane himself described the conversation:
He called me in, and you know, I really respected him. He was charismatic. So, straight up, he says to me: ‘Why do you suck?’
I was taken aback; I didn't really know what to say. I was a bit stung, actually. So I looked at him... It was hard — I wasn't playing, it was a difficult start to the season. I tried to explain myself, but it was tough. He really hit me where it hurt.
Then he asked me: ‘If you play on Wednesday, will you be ready?’
And that was a huge Champions League match against Manchester City at home — if we lost that one, we’d be halfway out. So playing along, I replied: 'Yeah, of course.' But in reality, I wasn't ready — neither physically nor mentally.
He just said, 'OK,' and left. During practice, I gave it my absolute all. The next day, on the eve of the match, I saw that I had made the starting lineup. But then I noticed that Sergio Ramos was on the bench.
I was 19 years old, thinking to myself: 'I'm 19, I'm in Spain, I'm not at 100%, and I'm starting in the Champions League...'
Reminder: A few calls changed everything! Mourinho goes all-in for Vinicius.
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
