For a team to achieve success, they must be united. This means that the goals and objectives of the team should be ahead of anybody’s interest as such promoting uniting. In fact, in team sports like football, this is very much important. What happens if there is no unity in the team? Well, you’re about to find out! In this article, we will be taking you through some top football players who once had serious rifts with their managers. We would be examining what caused the issue, and how it ended.
You’ll love this article! Let’s get started!
Paul Pogba and Mourinho
After his first full season at Old Trafford, Pogba was happy with his connection with Mourinho. In fact, in a press conference, he explained to journalists the meaning of the “special one” title that was given to Jose Mourinho. However, things didn’t remain that way.
Let’s examine what Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho did to confirm that they had a declining relationship while they were together.
To show that the Pogba and Mourinho camp wasn’t on good terms, Pogba, just before the World Cup in 2018 stressed that he wasn’t “best friends” with Mourinho. This happened around the time when there were rumors linking him to several big clubs in Europe. However, in the same press conference, he praised Mourinho. Maybe, wanting to make it appear that there was nothing wrong when in fact, something was going on.
“He made me progress in leadership. I had the armband with Mourinho, it was the first time in a club, it’s important for me, it makes me grow to be also a leader in the France team.” Those were some of the statements from Paul Pogba about Mourinho.
Fast-forward to September 2018, Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho were caught having an altercation in the training field. This happened because the manager thought the midfielder had posted an Instagram story that didn’t make sense. In the Instagram post, he appeared to have been having fun when the team was struggling to beat Derby County in a penalty shootout.
The incident was a very serious one, Mourinho was seen through hidden cameras criticizing his actions. After that altercation, it was confirmed that Paul Pogba was no longer the vice-captain of the team.
Things started to go downhill from that occasion between the two and as a result the two never enjoyed their moments with each other after that.
Mesut Ozil and Jose Mourinho
Mesut Ozil was an amazing playmaker back in his prime. No one was near him in playmaking. Mesut played football as if he had been playing from his mother’s womb.
Mesut Ozil played for Real Madrid in the early part of his career and so did Jose Mourinho who of course, wasn’t a player, but his manager. Anyone who knows Jose Mourinho’s style of play would attest to the fact that the manager is a very demanding type. He wants his player to run after the ball after losing it and even making important tackles in the game. Well, that was not the case with Ozil and Mourinho.
In his autobiography, Mesut Ozil recounts his heated encounter with Jose Mourinho. He revealed that in one game during halftime at the dressing room, he was the one who was roasted by the Portuguese manager.
He stated that Jose Mourinho called him a “coward”, and made him feel bitter. This made him feel angry up to the point of tearing his shirt and throwing it to the ground.
The beef towards Mourinho didn’t end there. After he secured outside Spain some years later, he was asked if he would like to play under Jose Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspurs. His answer was quite clear, he stated that he would rather retire than play for Tottenham.
This statement made by Mesut Ozil suggested that he might have not forgiven Jose Mourinho yet. Would the two settle their beef soon? We wait to see.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik Ten Hag
Cristiano Ronaldo is a well-known player who stands out for his professionalism and his achievements. It is not often you see reports about Cristiano Ronaldo having issues with a manager. This is because almost all the managers that have coached Cristiano Ronaldo have come out to give a good report about the footballer.
What caused his fallout with Erik Ten Hag?
In an interview that was released after the incident, Ronaldo revealed what had occurred during that period. He stated that during the preseason tour when he was unavailable due to the ill health of his child, he received no sympathy from the management of the club. Also, he disclosed that Erik Ten Hag didn’t show respect for him.
“The coach (referring to Erik Ten Hag) didn’t have respect for me. So this is why the relationship, it’s that way,” Ronaldo said.
He stressed this when he made an instance of how he wasn’t brought on as an early substitute against Tottenham and also when he was not happy when the coach refused to bring him on against derby rivals, Manchester City.
This didn’t settle well with Erik Ten Hag who responded by reporting the issue to the management of the club to make sure Cristiano Ronaldo does not wear the Manchester United shirt anymore.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract was terminated eventually due to the broken relationship and the two parties went their separate ways.
Conclusion
In almost every dressing room, player and manager rift is bound to happen. What matters, however, is how the situation is defused in order not to escalate the issue. The article has been able to highlight just a few examples of what could happen if matters like this escalate.
Hope you enjoyed reading this article.
