After rumors of a complicated relationship between them during their time at Real Madrid, Mourinho put an end to such claims by praising Cristiano Ronaldo after his fifth Ballon D'Or win.
The Portuguese coach spoke to France Football about his former pupil, and he surprised everyone by comparing him to legends such as George Best, Maradona, Pelé and Messi.
"My kids never saw Pelé play, but they know who he is. Forty years from now, kids will know who Cristiano Ronaldo was. Those players I mentioned before and him will all be part of history, they are simply unclassifiable," Mourinho stated.
The Special One ellaborated on his relationship with his compatriot, admitting that for most of the time, it was strictly professional.
"Many things were written, and most of them were blown out of proportion. All I can say is that I hold no grudge against him, and I want to believe that he feels the same way, we had a good coach-player relationship," Mourinho added.
Before the interview concluded, Mourinho looked back at those three years when they worked together, stating the need for success both of them shared.
"Our bond was strengthened by our desire to win trophies. I think that, during those three years, he became a better player and I became a better coach. We shared some great moments," the coach concluded.
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