Maniche claims being managed by “the worst Coach I’d ever worked under” in Abel Resino led to his failed spell with Atletico Madrid.
Maniche is widely considered to be one of the most disappointing signings in Atleti’s history, given they paid €9m for the ex-Portugal midfielder – who won the Champions League with Porto in 2004 – just over a decade ago.
However, the 39-year-old felt he was set up to flop in the Spanish capital, retelling a tale about how Resino humiliated him in front of his teammates.
“When I arrived at Atletico, in the dugout was Aguirre, with whom I already had problems,” he told Marca.
“After him came Abel Resino, who was even worse. I don’t know how he managed to become a Coach. It’s a shame because he was by far the worst Coach I’d ever worked under.
“On one occasion, he suspected that I was faking an injury before a Copa match. I went for an MRI scan and it came up that there was fluid in my knee.
“Even after that, he still didn’t believe me and I stayed behind. The day after, the Coach told me he wasn’t going to count on me, in front of all my teammates.
“He said I lied to him, so I told him that if he couldn’t motivate a group of 24 men, how could he possibly provide an adequate education for his children?
“However, I should never have told him that. From that moment on, there were no longer the conditions for me to stay at Atletico Madrid.”
