JOSE MOURINHO visited Cristiano Ronaldo’s house after the striker was left distraught following his missed penalty in the 2012 Champions League semi-final.
Mourinho claimed he even cried for the only time in his coaching career.
AFPJose Mourinho admitted he cried after Madrid’s loss to Bayern in the semi-final of Champions League in 2012[/caption]
AFPCristiano Ronaldo was left devastated following Madrid’s exit[/caption]
The tears came after Real Madrid lost on penalties to Bayern in the second leg of the 2012 Champions League semi-final.
The Bernabeu clash, for those who may not remember, is widely regarded as one of the greatest in the history of European club football’s elite competition.
After Bayern won 2-1 in the tie’s opener in Munich, the German champions made the trip to Madrid two weeks later, with their eyes firmly set on the Champions League final.
It was hosts Real Madrid, though, who ultimately emerged on the right side of a 2-1 full-time result.
With the score 3-3 on aggregate, the game was sent to extra-time, and then a tense penalty shootout.
Bayern, ultimately, held their nerve, and won the shootout 3-2 to march on to an eventual defeat to Chelsea at the Allianz Arena.
Kaka, Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, and Philipp Lahm all missed their spot kicks.
As did the world’s then best player Ronaldo – whose penalty was kept out by Manuel Neuer.
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Ronaldo was left devastated with his role in Madrid’s Champions League exit.
So much so that his agent Jorge Mendes pleaded with Mourinho to visit him at his home address.
Speaking in an interview released by Prime Video, he said: “I cried, of course not on the pitch or in the dressing room. But driving home, yes.
“And when I’m going home already down, I get a call from Jorge Mendes: ‘Do me a favour: go to Cristiano’s house, because he’s dead’.
“I told him: ‘I’m also dead!’ But I did it, so… Prepare yourself, no tears and let’s go to Cristiano’s house. He was exactly the way I was. We were destroyed.”
Ultimately, Mourinho couldn’t secure the Champions League title as the manager of Madrid.
But Ronaldo did go on to win four more European titles.