#5 Pepe – Real Madrid
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When Casillas was lambasted in the press by Mourinho, it caused players in the dressing room to take sides. Real defender Pepe had sided with the Spanish goalkeeper and had publicly supported him through the ordeal.
That did not sit too well with Mourinho and he used the press to attack his player yet again. Mourinho claimed that Pepe was simply frustrated because the younger Raphael Varane was a better bet at centre-back than Pepe.
“You just have to be a normal person like me or like almost everyone in this room to know that we are talking about frustration,” Mourinho had said. “His problem has a name: Raphael Varane.
“It's not easy for a man of 31 years, with status and history, to be trampled over by a kid of 19. But that's the law of life. On a sporting level, Pepe's life has changed. I have no problem with him.
“I understand that it's not an easy situation but I have to try to be honest and I think that there are very few people who don't think that the future of Real Madrid in defence is Varane with Sergio Ramos.”
Pepe himself has since gone from strength to strength and was also one of the best players at Euro 2016 when Portugal took home the title for the first time. Last week, he was questioned about his relationship with his former manager and he mentioned that he was glad Mourinho’s reign in Madrid came to an end.
“You all know what happened with Mourinho,” the centre-back explained. “But it is in the past now. I was strong and got over it.
“Under Mourinho, people hated us when we got out there on the pitch. It lasted three years and thank God it went very quick.”
