Cristiano Ronaldo's direct remark to Jose Mourinho resulted in a violent spat.
A LOOK BACK: In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo had a spectacular falling out with former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho during a furious battle of words in the dressing room.
The Santiago Bernabeu home locker room has hosted numerous major football figures throughout the years, maybe none more so than Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Back in 2013, when many considered Mourinho to be one of the finest managers in the world and Ronaldo to be the best player in the world, the pair argued in the Real Madrid dressing room following a win over Valencia. The incident occurred when the famed number seven took a throw-in too rapidly.
Ronaldo's throw was difficult for recipient Mesut Ozil to manage, and because it occurred soon before full-time, the outcome was jeopardized. Mourinho made this obvious to the former Manchester United player on the sidelines as well as after the game.
According to Guillem Balague's book Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner shouted back: "After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me?" "How dare you say such a thing to me!"
Mourinho responded, "I was saying it for the team because the team needed you to track back." The rest of the team sat astonished in silence.
When Mourinho attempted to patch things up shortly after, Ronaldo, still in no mood to lessen the tension, shoved him away. His attempts only made the forward angrier, prompting an angry response from the Madrid manager.
"Just so you know, he exclaimed, "Many believe like me here, but don't dare to say it, they don't have the courage to tell you," the new Roma manager said in front of his team-mates.
It is reported that tempers escalated to the point where the pair had to be separated to prevent things from becoming physical.
According to the book, Mourinho was told by the rest of the squad in the days building up to the incident to demand more defense from Ronaldo. The goal machine mistook some tactical instructions for a violent attack on his character.
Ronaldo's confidence in responding to his boss in such a caustic manner offers a rather unflattering picture of the Los Blancos dressing room dynamic at the time.
The harm done to Ronaldo's relationship with Mourinho is seen to be irreversible. Though it didn't last long, as the latter left the Spanish capital barely months after.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, stayed at Real Madrid for another five years before leaving for Juventus, which was followed by an ill-fated second stint at United before landing in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr.
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