Modric Says Mourinho Once Made Ronaldo Cry

• Luka Modric says Jose Mourinho’s standards at Real Madrid could be ruthless
• He recalled one dressing room moment involving Cristiano Ronaldo
• Modric also compared Mourinho’s direct approach to Massimiliano Allegri

Luka Modric has described Jose Mourinho as the toughest manager he worked under at Real Madrid, saying the coach’s demands once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears.

“I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room, a man who gives his all on the pitch, because for once he didn’t chase the opposing full-back,” Modric told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Ronaldo, now 40 and playing for Al Nassr, worked under Mourinho in Madrid between 2010 and 2013. Modric joined from Tottenham Hotspur during Mourinho’s final summer at the club, then played alongside Ronaldo for six seasons under multiple coaches, including Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane and Rafa Benitez.

Modric made clear that the intensity came with respect. He described Mourinho as “special.”

“As a coach and as a person. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid,” Modric said. “Without Mourinho, I would never have arrived. I’m sorry I only had him for one season.”

Mourinho’s self description has been part of football culture since his first news conference at Chelsea in 2004, when he said, “Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m a European champion so I think I’m a special one.”

Modric, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, spent 13 seasons at Real Madrid and left the club on 597 appearances, three short of 600, the eighth most in their history. He won 28 trophies in Madrid, including six Champions League titles and four LaLiga titles. In 2018, he captained Croatia to the World Cup final.

Modric signed a one year deal with AC Milan in 2025, with an option for a further season. He said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri reminds him of Mourinho in the way he speaks to players, especially when standards slip.

“Mourinho is very direct with the players, but he’s honest,” Modric said. “He treated Sergio Ramos and the new arrival the same way: if he had to tell you something, he’d tell you. Max is like that too: he tells you to your face what’s right and what’s wrong. Honesty is fundamental.”

Allegri returned to Milan earlier in 2025. He previously won Serie A with the club in 2011, then guided Juventus to five straight league titles from 2015 to 2019.