The day Mourinho made Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room

Luka Modric reflected on his time under Jose Mourinho and described a scene that captured the manager's uncompromising approach, even when dealing with Cristiano Ronaldo - the biggest name in world football.

The story reinforces what many suspected about the relationship between Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo. While the pair delivered spectacular results on the pitch, their bond away from it was often strained by clashing personalities and relentless demands.

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

During their three seasons together at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 appearances, flourishing in a lethal attacking trio alongside Karim Benzema and Angel Di María.

Those goals powered Madrid to three trophies across Mourinho's first two campaigns. Yet defensive commitment remained a sore point, with Mourinho frequently frustrated by Ronaldo's reluctance to track back.

A flashpoint that symbolized a broken relationship

Modric did not name the match that sparked the confrontation, but his account closely matches a high-profile incident following a 2-0 victory over Valencia in January 2013.

Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has previously written that Mourinho confronted Ronaldo in the dressing room after that game, furious over his lack of defensive work.

According to Balague, the exchange escalated quickly, with Ronaldo firing back: "After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!"

From that point on, the relationship deteriorated rapidly. In the months that followed, Mourinho's future at the club became a constant talking point, and Ronaldo's responses suggested emotional distance.

"It doesn't matter to me," Ronaldo said at the time. "What matters to me is my future and the club."

The breakdown stood in stark contrast to the public praise Mourinho had lavished on Ronaldo earlier. Ahead of the 2012 Ballon d'Or, he famously declared: "If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!"

After leaving Madrid, Mourinho later explained the conflict from his perspective, framing it as a disagreement rooted in authority and development.

"I had only one problem with him," Mourinho said. "Very simple, very basic, which was when a coach criticises a player from a tactical viewpoint trying to improve what, in my view, could have been improved.

"At that moment, he didn't take it very well because maybe he thinks he knows everything and the coach cannot help him develop further."

At one stage, Mourinho admitted their relationship "did not exist." Yet time eventually softened the rift. Years later, he described coaching Ronaldo as the "highlight of my career."

Ronaldo also revised his stance, later calling Mourinho the best manager he ever worked with, even ranking him above Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I would put him at the top, I always say that," Ronaldo said.