Why José Mourinho left Real Madrid in 2013 and what went wrong

José Mourinho could hardly have picked a more daunting time to join Real Madrid the first time around. The former Inter coach arrived in Spain in the summer of 2010, at which point Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, considered one of the best club teams of all time, were at their peak. The Catalans had just won back-to-back LaLiga titles and amassed 99 points in 2009-10. Incredibly, Manuel Pellegrini’s Madrid had totaled 96 points and still finished second.

Battling peak Barcelona

Competing against Barça, boasting prime Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta among others, was the ultimate challenge. Madrid collected 92 points in LaLiga in Mourinho’s first year, which would have won every single LaLiga title except that season’s and the previous one’s.

But a first taste of success arrived in the Copa del Rey as Los Blancos defeated their Clásico rivals in the final thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s extra-time goal.

Historic title breakthrough

The following season, 2011-12, was historic. Mourinho’s Madrid became the first team in LaLiga history to hit the 100-point mark, clinching the title over Barça by nine points.

At the start of the following season, they claimed the Spanish Super Cup against a Barcelona side seemingly weakened by the departure of Guardiola. Real Madrid followed a 3-2 first-leg defeat in Catalonia with a 2-1 victory at home to lift the trophy on away goals.

Tensions rise behind the scenes and on screens

But just when it seemed as if momentum in the bid to be Spanish soccer’s dominant force had swung in their favor, it swung away again even more sharply.

Mourinho had signed a contract extension until 2016 in the summer of 2012, just before things began to unravel.

Off the field, the former Chelsea coach was involved in a number of spats, including with the media and his own players. His relationships with Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, and Cristiano Ronaldo became tense, while constant complaints about refereeing bias against his team and UEFA favoring Barça dominated his press conferences.

On the field, despite Guardiola’s departure, Tito Vilanova, who Mourinho famously poked in the eye in the 2011 Spanish Super Cup, led Barcelona to a 100-point finish, which saw them end up a whopping 15 points clear of their Clásico rivals, a record winning margin in the Spanish top flight.

Mourinho’ exit by mutual agreement

That, along with a humiliating Copa del Rey final loss to Atlético Madrid at the Bernabéu, of all places, and those falling-outs with high-profile figures, led to him leaving by “mutual agreement” in June 2013, a year after he had penned that extension until 2016.

“Nobody’s been sacked, it’s a mutual agreement,” Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez said in a press conference. “We’ve decided to bring our relationship to an end.”

“The club and manager agree the timing is right to bring our relationship to an end,” Pérez continued. “On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank José Mourinho for all his hard work. The team has improved in his three years and we wish him all the best.”

For the second time in his career, it appears as if Mourinho will be asked to pick Real Madrid back up after two trophyless seasons.

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