Mourinho renews criticism of Casillas, says early talks showed a spoilt dressing room | OneFootball

José Mourinho renews criticism of Iker Casillas in a new Netflix documentary revisiting their volatile Real Madrid years. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the film, released on Tuesday, spotlights their early exchanges, the Clásico battles and the dressing-room leaks.

Mourinho recounts three initial conversations with his captain that jarred. Casillas asked for extra holidays for Spain internationals, a one hour delay to training because of Madrid traffic, and to skip the team hotel and meet at the stadium. The coach says those requests confirmed to him that the squad were being spoilt.

Arriving in 2010 to a squad of stars, the Portuguese felt his role was not to teach them how to play, but to impose a shared method and discipline.

Tensions spiked around the Clásicos after Casillas phoned Xavi Hernández seeking to cool hostilities that were seeping into the Spain camp, a delicate task as he captained both Madrid and the national side. Mourinho took a different view, insisting the rivalry should persist while the clubs were fighting for major trophies and that cordiality could wait for international duty.

The film also revisits the furore over leaked team news. Mourinho, fastidious about information control, reacted furiously when a line-up emerged, and Casillas recalls him raging at the players, striking a bottle and slamming his office door.

With Mourinho back at Real Madrid, the reflections double as a snapshot of his present, taking charge of elite players again and intent on managing egos, hierarchies and personalities without ceding control.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

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