Jose Mourinho has shared details of how he turned Cristiano Ronaldo into a deadly goal-scorer while managing Real Madrid.
On his YouTube podcast “FIVE”, Jose Mourinho recently had a conversation with Rio Ferdinand, an icon of Manchester United, according to Sportskeeda. He disclosed his belief in keeping Cristiano Ronaldo’s techniques straightforward by 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 five-time Ballon d’Or winner at Real Madrid needed a joyful environment, therefore the Portuguese manager claimed that didn’t really teach Ronaldo anything. He also confirmed that he changed from being a winger to a striker after Ronaldo joined La Liga.
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 recalled that Ronaldo’s first goal as a striker came against Barcelona, Real Madrid’s bitterest rivals. In extra time of the Spanish Cup final, he scored with a header. Ronaldo totaled 168 goals and 49 assists in 164 games while playing for Mourinho.
Ronaldo joined Santiago Bernabeu in 2009 from Manchester United, and he ultimately played for nine years there. He made 438 appearances throughout that span, finishing as their all-time leading scorer with 450 goals and 131 assists.
