"Give him some tactical adjustments and let the guy be happy" - Mourinho on how he managed Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho has opened up about how he managed Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and made him a lethal goalscorer.
Jose Mourinho recently spoke to Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube podcast FIVE. He revealed that he believed in keeping the tactics simple for Cristiano Ronaldo, saying:
"Motivation, you don’t need to give him. Ambition, responsibility, you cannot give him. Technically, you cannot give him. It’s just to give him some tactical adjustments and let the guy be happy.”
The Portuguese manager also said that didn't teach Ronaldo anything much as he wanted to build a happy environment for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at Real Madrid. He also affirmed that following Ronaldo's arrival in La Liga he transitioned into a goalscorer from a winger. Jose Mourinho added:
"I think you don’t coach. I don’t have to teach much, it is about being happy, it is about creating an environment from the tactical point of view, by the idea of football where the player can show his best. I think Madrid, for him, was a little bit of a transition because for you, he was a winger."
Mourinho also reminisced that Ronaldo scored his first goal as a striker against Real Madrid's arch-rivals, Barcelona. He scored a header in extra time in the Spanish Cup final. Ronaldo played 164 games under Mourinho, scoring 168 goals and providing 49 assists.
Overall, Ronaldo spent nine years at Santiago Bernabeu after joining the club in 2009 from Manchester United. During that time, he made 438 appearances and became their all-time top scorer, bagging 450 goals and 131 assists.
Real Madrid are interested in signing 18-year-old defender in summer transfer window: Report
Real Madrid defenders David Alaba and Eder Militao have been ruled out after they suffered ACL injuries. However, Carlo Ancelotti's side refused to sign another defender in the January transfer window.
According to Relevo, the La Liga giants are now reportedly looking forward to signing French defender Leny Yoro in the summer transfer window. The 18-year-old is an academy product of Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille.
He made his professional debut for the senior team in July 2022. Since then, he has made 44 appearances across different competitions for Lille, where he has also recorded three goals and an assist. He has been an important figure in Lille's playing XI this season as he made 20 appearances in Ligue 1.
Leny Yoro's release clause is reported to be around €60 million. Moreover, he's also expected to be a perfect replacement for Raphael Varane, who left Real Madrid and joined Manchester United in 2021. The Red Devils are also reportedly interested in signing Yoro.