Iker Casillas has admitted that Jose Mourinho's off-field antics including poking former Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova in the eye was a key factor behind their high-profile fallout at Real Madrid.
During their time together at the Spanish giants, Casillas and Mourinho endured a difficult relationship, with the long-serving shot-stopper being dropped in favour of Diego Lopez, before the Portuguese was too ousted in 2013.
Mourinho's most shameful incident at the Santiago Bernabeu arguably came when he gouged the eye of Vilanova - at the time Pep Guardiola's assistant at the Catalan giants - after a reckless challenge by Marcelo on Cesc Fabregas sparked a scuffle between the sides in a Supercopa tie in August 2011.
Marcelo was sent off as a result in Barcelona's 3-2 win and Mourinho was initially banned for two matches, while Vilanova was handed a one-match ban for a retaliatory slap before both coaches saw their suspensions overturned.
But speaking in Colgar las Alas, a documentary on Spainsh station Movistar+, Casillas admitted it was that sort of behaviour - which he insisted only 'tacky clubs' resort to - that led to their relationship deteriorating following a players' strike in the same month as the incident.
'As the captain, I spoke to my team-mates and we decided that we weren't going to play which meant the opening games of the season wouldn't go ahead,' Casillas said.
'We said a couple of things that neither of us liked and took badly but it was left there. Then came the Super Cup.
'We gave a terrible impression. There were scraps, battles, giving your heart and soulโฆ but the other things (poking Vilanova's eye) - that was the kind of thing you might see at other clubs - tacky clubs, who need to resort to that sort of thing, and that is not for us.
'We played Levante, a game in which we fell further behind to Barcelona. That was the moment when we stopped talking. We were alone together in a room and he starts telling me that I should be more open and honest.
'I told him that I didn't think it was right for a professional to poke another coach in the eye. Someone from the press department at the club grabbed us and told us to calm down, to talk it through. We sat down again and said what we had to say face to face.'
World Cup winning goalkeeper Casillas also admitted his issues with Mourinho resurfaced in Mourinho's last campaign at the club, and described the previous two years as a 'love-hate relationship' between the duo.
'There were two or three games [in 2012-13] in which we didn't play well,' the 39-year-old added.
'That was when the old resentment resurfaced, when we fell behind in the table. Our relationship deteriorated. It had reached the point of no return by the third year.
'Up until the second year it was a love-hate relationship. He told me he didn't think I was focused, he didn't think I was playing wellโฆ I thought that maybe it was true. I had other things on my mind that I was worried about at the time.'
The news comes a couple of months after Casillas - who left the Spanish capital for Porto in 2015 before announcing his retirement in August this year - revealed that Mourinho was one of the first people to call him after he suffered a heart attack last year.
Casillas was rushed to hospital in May 2019 after he suffered a heart attack at Porto's training ground, and the three-time Champions League winning goalkeeper spent five days in hospital.
'A lot of people don't know it but Jose Mourinho was one of the first people to call about me, to call me to find out how I was,' Casillas told ESPN.
The Spaniard was subsequently seen hugging Mourinho at a FIFA congress and admitted that the event was an emotional occasion for him.
He said: 'I saw people I had not seen for a long time, it makes you appreciate the little things in life,' he said. 'You live more from day to day, you stop just being in your own little world.
'I was very lucky, other people don't have that.
'I felt that I was definitely going to die that day, and the circumstances forced me to reconsider everything. I'm a privileged person. If I can continue to play football, I will do that.'
nuzklpsuy
0
Shutup it's 3 UCL, don't say what you don't know
How old are you?
DhanyK
0
2 UCL just so you know
Shutup it's 3 UCL, don't say what you don't know
nuzklpsuy
0
2 UCL just so you know
nuzklpsuy
0
I really don't know why I like Mourinho fr ๐
Cuz heโs the only one
Juoabeikl
0
anyone who will win UCL with Eibar or westham or any other small club can debate with Jose
You have spoken well
yayuyuyai
0
your language tells us who you are
so what?
m4verickplays
0
Time to let by-gones be by-gones Casillas. it won't change anything now.
halacr7madrid
1
anyone who will win UCL with Eibar or westham or any other small club can debate with Jose
sou1985m
1
Mourinho is a fuc*king disgrace !!
what are you referring to exactly ?
nuzbeilmo
1
Mourinho is a fuc*king disgrace !!
we all knows your place
nuzbeilmo
0
Mou is a clown. I've never liked him nor his tactics.
your language tells us who you are
pabloesco
5
I really don't know why I like Mourinho fr ๐
hamabiopu
4
If guardiola can win uefa champions league with benfica or dortmund we can talk better
yayuyuyai
0
Mou is a clown. I've never liked him nor his tactics.
Miockmnt
1
mourinho belongs to the mental hospital ๐ฅ
sou1985m
1
Mourinho is a fuc*king disgrace !!
EmeraldJ
7
Is it not time for both the press and Casillas to leave Mourihno alone let him concentrate and win something for Tottenham? Why all these hate? Why try to blame him for everything? Cassilas, your beautiful career is over. Enjoy your retirement or become a coach then you'll appreciate what Mourihno has done. Who thought Lampard could be aggressive? This coaching stuff isn't easy at all
haubdnsz
2
Jose is the best and a competitor that has produced results everywhere he went.
haubdnsz
1
Cassilas was no God.He had fleas himself.Whats 'll the obsession with how he left Madrid now and Morinhho this and that.You have retired,find your next thing and let people rest
haubdnsz
1
Seems Jose will take the blame for every thing
Charlesugwu
2
Mourinhno can go extra mile to be a champion. That's what makes him Special One. Casillas mis judged his love for the club. Meanwhile it's fun watching some of the Mourinhno"s stunts
AlwaysRealMadrid7651
1
Man Casillas so overatted true fans gone agree with me infact he had bad times in his last days nuffin wrong with benching em
Fool
Hakdnos
4
he made El clasico a game to watch.
SkullSwagger
1
Man Casillas so overatted true fans gone agree with me infact he had bad times in his last days nuffin wrong with benching em
is that what you deduced from the article
SkullSwagger
0
It's hard to imagine Mourinho hates Barca even though he's from Barca ๐
the whole reason he hates Barca is because Barca decided to make pep guardiola the manager in 2008 and rejected the role for mourinho because they were worried about his behaviour. it's clear the decision turned out to be a successful one but it surely pissed off mourinho
31443336(deleted)
3
Mourinho right now ๐๐๐
AN707
5
It's hard to imagine Mourinho hates Barca even though he's from Barca ๐
17mulla
3
Man Casillas so overatted true fans gone agree with me infact he had bad times in his last days nuffin wrong with benching em