The Shocking Moment Mourinho Brought Cristiano Ronaldo to Tears at Real Madrid

Luka Modrić recently revealed how harsh criticism from José Mourinho brought Cristiano Ronaldo to tears in the Real Madrid changing room during their last season working together in Spain.

The Croatian midfielder had just joined the capital club months earlier, but during the 2012–13 season, friction between the two determined Portuguese personalities had started to emerge.

When discussing the finest managers of his distinguished career, Modrić remembered Mourinho's tough approach. "I witnessed him making Cristiano Ronaldo weep in the dressing room, a player who commits everything on the field, simply because he failed to track back against the opposition fullback on one occasion," he shared with Corriere della Sera.

This wasn't intended as criticism of the respected tactician, but rather recognition of his nature. Modrić emphasized that Mourinho lived up to his self-proclaimed reputation. He was truly "special," according to the thoughtful midfielder. "Both as a manager and as an individual. He was the one who brought me to Real Madrid; without Mourinho, I never would have joined. I regret having him for just one season."

During that single season together, Modrić witnessed his uncompromising nature firsthand. "Mourinho speaks plainly with his players, but he's truthful," the 40-year-old reflected. "He approached Sergio Ramos and newcomers identically: if something needed saying, he would say it."

Ronaldo, apparently, received more feedback than he preferred from Mourinho on numerous occasions.

The Turbulent Dynamic Between Ronaldo and Mourinho

The statistics are remarkable. Ronaldo netted 168 goals across 164 appearances under Mourinho's guidance during their three-year partnership at Real Madrid. As the focal point of Mourinho's lethal counter-attacking system, Ronaldo managed an incredible 46 goals in 38 league matches as Pep Guardiola's dominant Barcelona lost their La Liga title in 2011–12.

However, behind these impressive figures, a strained relationship seemed to develop.

Mourinho benched Ronaldo during his inaugural season at the club after the star attacker criticized the defensive approach following their Champions League semifinal elimination. Guillem Balague's biography of the Portuguese forward details a heated confrontation with the manager who notably shared the same representative: Jorge Mendes.

Ronaldo's Performance Under Mourinho

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.

In Diego Torres's thoroughly engaging and largely critical examination of Mourinho's Real Madrid tenure—The Special One—he describes a supposed locker room confrontation between the duo in 2011 regarding Ronaldo's defensive commitment (or absence of it).

"I'll tell you directly: you complain about our defensive approach. But do you understand why we play like this? Because of you," Mourinho allegedly told Ronaldo. "Since you refuse to defend or track back on the flanks, I must keep the team positioned deep... when you play, you follow your own agenda."

Ronaldo allegedly responded by "swearing in his thick Portuguese dialect" but, following at least two years of reprimands from his fellow countryman, he was moved to tears by Mourinho's criticism, based on Modrić's recollection of the incident.