The relationship between Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo was strained during their time together at Real Madrid. One of them was marked by a public row that has now come to light thanks to the testimony of Aitor Karanka, who was then assistant coach to the Portuguese coach.

Karanka, now director of development at the RFEF, spoke on El Cafelito de Josep Pedrerol and, in addition to talking about the possibility - which did exist - of Mourinho returning to the Real Madrid bench, he also addressed that confrontation between the coach and his star player.

It was Pedrerol himself who contextualized the episode: "In a Copa del Rey match against Valencia, Mourinho scolded Cristiano. And Cristiano responded in front of everyone: 'I have supported you so much...', almost crying". It was a scene that surprised the dressing room and showed the strain of a relationship that was as intense as it was demanding.

A Compromising Situation

Karanka, however, offered a different take. "I have selective memory," he said, before comparing it to a parent-child relationship. "Like a father to a son. Maybe Jose said that precisely to provoke that reaction. I'm telling you off in front of the whole dressing room because you're the one I trust the most," he explained.

The former defender insisted that such decisions were always made with a collective logic in mind. "All the decisions that Jose made, and that we as a coaching staff made, were for the good of the group," he said. It was a clash of egos, yes, but also a reflection of the maximum demands that marked one of the most intense periods of modern Real Madrid.