Real Madrid have branded claims made in a new book about Jose Mourinho that they asked him to return as Coach last year “completely false”.
The denial was reported by Marca in response to an excerpt leaked by the Daily Mail from ‘Jose Mourinho: Up Close And Personal’, a book written by journalist Rob Beasley that details revelations about the Manchester United boss.
“When Rafael Benitez got the Madrid job in 2015 it was an appointment that amazed Jose. He emailed me: ‘No way (will Benitez get it)’,” it began.
“He revealed he had turned down an approach to go back himself, saying: ‘President loves me and wanted me to go and clean it, clean people like Pepe, Casillas, Ramos, Marcelo. I told him too late.
“‘Presi thinks Zidane because of name and status but he did … with B team and he is afraid of that risk. Klopp is only one he can bring . . . Rafa no wayyy.’
“This time Jose was wrong. A month later, in June 2015, Benitez became the boss at the Bernabeu.
“Even more astonishingly, Benitez also became interim manager of Chelsea in November 2012. When the news broke we were both stunned. Jose’s message was on the money: ‘Fat rafa in cfc.’
“It’s fair to say he was not impressed.”
Mourinho won a La Liga and Copa del Rey with Madrid between 2010 and 2013, but Beasley states the Portuguese “didn’t like it at Real”, singling out an incident involving former loanee Michael Essien.
“I visited Mourinho at Real Madrid in January 2013 and he gave me a quick guided tour of the superb training facilities,” the excerpt continued.
“I told him: ‘It’s magnificent, you’ve got everything here!’ His reply was swift and telling. ‘Everything but team spirit,’ he said.
“He admitted he didn’t like it at Real. ‘Not many managers stay here for three years,’ he shrugged, clearly feeling he’d done well to last so long.
“He said it was a political club full of warring factions and told me a story to illustrate the point perfectly.
It had been Real midfielder Michael Essien’s 30th birthday party and the on-loan Chelsea star had invited all his Madrid colleagues to his bash.
“Only a handful turned up and it was left to Mourinho to console his upset player.
“He told Essien it was nothing personal; it was not even that his team-mates did not like him and, sadly, it was not because they had anything better to do.
“Mourinho said it was simply because they were more interested in themselves and not others.”
