"The little guy was not coachable" - When Jose Mourinho spoke about Lionel Messi after managing Cristiano Ronaldo
Legendary coach Jose Mourinho claimed Lionel Messi was not coachable after working with his archrival Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The Fenerbahce boss coached the Portuguese legend between 2010 and 2013 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have often been pitted against each other by football fans and pundits since their debut two decades ago. The duo dominated football for the last 20 years, winning a combined 13 Ballons d'Or (Messi won eight and Ronaldo five). Over the years, followers of the sport have chosen one over the other as the better footballer.
To the surprise of many, Jose Mourinho also picked Lionel Messi as the greatest of his generation over Cristiano Ronaldo, despite having coached the latter. In an interview with TNT Sports last year, the tactician was asked to name one player he wished he had signed. Mourinho said (via Forbes):
"Of course, I would have to say the little guy. But the little guy was not coachable. But I have to say, in our generation, he was the best."
Under Jose Mourinho's guidance, Ronaldo recorded 168 goals and 49 assists in 164 appearances across competitions. The duo together won one LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey, and a Supercopa de España trophy. The Portuguese coach has never worked with Lionel Messi.
When Jose Mourinho claimed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are lucky and unlucky to be born in the same generation
In a 2019 conversation on On the Touchline with Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese tactician shared his two cents on the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate. He believed the two legends are both lucky and unlucky to be in the same generation and explained (via SPORTBible):
"I think they are lucky and unlucky to be in the same generation. They are lucky because they can compete against each other. They look to each other in a positive way and get extra motivation. If there were only one of them, they would have ten Golden Boots."
He added:
"Now, I think they have put the bar really high. And you have the players coming behind, who I like to call the 'little monsters.' The bar has to be high, so it has to be incredible motivation for Neymar, [Kylian] Mbappé and [Antoine] Griezmann. Unfortunately, Cristiano and Messi will not last forever."
At 40 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo has shown no signs of slowing down. The Portuguese legend currently plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and is on a mission to touch 1000 career goals for club and country. He has scored 32 times in 36 outings for the Knights of Najd across competitions this season.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi plies his trade with MLS side Inter Miami. The Argentine legend will look to lead the side to the MLS Cup this year, after winning the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters' Shield with them since joining.
