7) Jose Mourinho – Iker Casillas
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It's a subject that divides many Madridistas – who ought to they be loyal to when Jose Mourinho and Iker Casillas sparred for power at the helm of Real Madrid. Given that this is Mourinho's second appearance on this list, perhaps they have their answer.
The soap-opera began in the aftermath of the Clasico that took place after Barcelona demolished Real Madrid 5-0. Real Madrid employed a defnesive strategy and drew the game 1-1, although what was surprising was that the lineup was leaked to the press hours before the game, with Casillas a chief suspect, given his girlfriend, Sara Carbonero was a journalist.
Things came to a head in the following Clasico, as Pepe was sent off for a foul on Messi, resulting in a brawl that had Mourinho poking Tito Vilanova in the eye. As the national team captain, Casillas held a 'clear the air’ phone call with Xavi and Puyol, but Mourinho considered that a further betrayal.
Casillas later revealed that this resulted in a complete breakdown of his relationship with Mourinho, saying “It didn't sit well with him [Mourinho] that I spoke with someone from Barcelona to ease the tension in the national team.”
Mourinho also had harsh words for Casillas, saying “Just as Casillas can say he would prefer another coach such as [Vicente] Del Bosque or [Manuel] Pellegrini, I can say that I prefer Diego Lopez.”
Both, Casillas and Mourinho have left Madrid, but their final year was wrought with tension, with Casillas saying “I had spoken with him many times, but the last year we didn't speak at all. It was an ugly situation. And I think what I did was for the best.”
Given the stature of the pair, perhaps it would be better for both of them to forget the episode and move on.
