"It's as simple as that" - When Jose Mourinho offered opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo after ‘differences’ with him at Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho once described former Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world. The Portuguese made the remark when his Manchester United took on Ronaldo's Juventus in the UEFA Champions League back in 2018.
The Portuguese gaffer joined Los Blancos in 2010. During his three-year stint, he won the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España. However, his stint with the Spanish outfit is infamously known for his strained relationship with Ronaldo.
The two never saw eye to eye, with the 39-year-old criticizing his boss's tactics on numerous occasions. Furthermore, it is believed that Mourinho had once accused the former Juventus star of not back-tracking during a Copa del Rey game against Valencia.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager left Real Madrid by mutual consent in 2013 and while the pair never really spoke after that, Mourinho was full of praises for Ronaldo in 2018.
Speaking about the Portuguese forward, Mourinho stated that he was one of the best players of all time. Here's what he had said (Mirror):
"He is one of the best players of all time - it's as simple as that."
Furthermore, Mourinho had even stated that despite their differences, managing Ronaldo during his time at Real Madrid was the highlight of his career. The forward had also claimed that he would love to work with Mourinho again.
How did Ronaldo perform during his time at Real Madrid?
The Portuguese forward joined the Galacticos in 2009 from Manchester United for a then-world-record fee of £80 million. In 438 appearances across all competitions, the 39-year-old managed 450 goals and laid off 131 assists, also becoming their all-time top scorer in 2015.
During his stint with the Spanish outfit, the Portuguese won four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles a pair of Copas del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups.
Ronaldo is also tied with former teammate Karim Benzema on the list of players with the most Champions League titles (5). Former Los Blancos teammates Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Nacho and Dani Carvajal have six Champions League titles to their names.