“I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room” - Luka Modric opens up on working with unforgiving ex-Real Madrid coach

Real Madrid legend Luka Modric has opened up on Cristiano Ronaldo's experience with the toughest coach he had in his time at the club. The AC Milan midfielder enjoyed a hugely successful 13-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu during which he firmly established himself as an all-time great.

Modric spoke with Corriere about his experience with various coaches throughout his career so far, pointing to Jose Mourinho as being special but also the toughest. He put forth an example of the Portuguese tactician's encounter with Cristiano Ronaldo that left the superstar forward in tears in the dressing room.

"Mourinho? Special. As a coach and as a person. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. Without Mourinho, I would never have arrived. I’m sorry I only had him for one season. Mourinho was the toughest. I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room, a man who gives his all on the pitch, because for once he didn’t chase the opposing full-back. Mourinho is very direct with the players, but he’s honest. He treated Sergio Ramos and the newcomer the same way: if he had to tell you something, he’d tell you,” he said (via Madrid Universal).

Jose Mourinho was in charge of Los Blancos when the club signed Luka Modric in 2012 from Tottenham Hotspur. The midfielder struggled in his early months at the club before establishing himself as a key player and a stalwart under multiple coaches at the club.

In 2018, Modric became the first player not named Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or in a decade. The 40-year-old ended his time at Real Madrid as their most decorated player, winning the UEFA Champions League six times at the club.

Real Madrid superstar makes Cristiano Ronaldo admission

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo's level is impossible to reach at the club. The 27-year-old France international enjoyed a hugely successful first season and year at the Bernabeu following a switch from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the summer of 2024.

Mbappe spoke with the club's media upon his return to training following a winter break and was asked about being an idol at the club. The Frenchman humbly responded that the only idol that the club's fans have is Ronaldo.

“Being an idol? For Madridistas, the idol will always be Cristiano Ronaldo", he said (via @MadridXtra on X).

Mbappe won the Pichichi as LaLiga's top goal scorer in the 2024-25 season and also claimed the European Golden Shoe. He equalled Ronaldo's tally of 59 goals in 2025, making him the joint-highest goalscorer in a calendar year for the club.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen