Luka Modric has named Jose Mourinho as the toughest coach he has ever worked under having once witnessed ‘The Special One’ make Cristiano Ronaldo cry.
The Croatia legend is one of the greatest midfielders of all-time – the only player to win the Ballon d’Or award other than Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during a 13-year stretch between 2007 and 2021.
He spent six years playing alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, winning four Champions League titles together, before leaving the Spanish capital in the summer to join AC Milan.
Still going strong at 40 years old, Modric recalled his time at Madrid playing under Mourinho, who signed him from Tottenham in the summer of 2012. The Portuguese coach was gone a year later after a trophyless season.
His relationship with Los Blancos legends Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas were fraught, also sharing a strained one with Ronaldo who he once accused of ‘thinking he knows everything.’
In a wide-ranging interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Modric discussed his relationship with the most prominent managers in his career including Carlo Ancelotti and current boss Massimiliano Allegri.
But the Croatian named Mourinho the toughest of the three having seen him reduce one of the best players in history to tears.
‘I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room, a man who gives his all on the pitch, because for once he didn’t chase the opposing full-back,’ Modric said.
‘Mourinho is very direct with the players, but he’s honest. He treated Sergio Ramos and the new arrivals the same way: if he had to tell you something, he’d tell you.
‘Max is like that too: he tells you to your face what’s right and what’s wrong. Honesty is fundamental.’
Modric however named Ancelotti as the no1 coach in his career.
‘It’s hard to find the words. For his way of being, not just for his qualities on the bench,’ he said. ‘We talked many times about Milan and AC Milan when we were in Madrid.
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‘This place was unique for him too. I remember when I met him. I was alone in the city. He called me and said, “Come on, come to dinner with me.”
‘We talked for hours, about everything. Football, family, life. Usually, coaches don’t trust their players. He does.’
