The Arsenal midfielder Mesut Özil has claimed in his autobiography that during their time working together at Real Madrid, José Mourinho called him ‘a coward’.
The pair both joined Real in the summer of 2010 and left in the summer of 2013, winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey together.
The book, Die Magie des Spiels (The Magic of the Game), is being serialised in German newspaper Bild, and recalls a tense encounter after one unspecified game, when Mourinho tore into the player for a perceived lack of effort.
Özil writes that the Portuguese said: “You think two beautiful passes are enough. You think you’re so good that 50% is enough.”
Özil continues: “He pauses. Stares at me with his dark brown eyes. I stare back. Like two boxers at the stare-down before the first round. He shows no emotion. Just waits for a response from me. How much I hate him right now. And I love Mourinho actually.”
After Özil threw his shirt on floor, Mourinho’s tirade continued: “Oh, are you giving up now? You’re such a coward.
“What do you want? To creep under the beautiful, warm shower? Shampoo your hair? To be alone? Or do you want to prove to your fellow players, the fans out there, and me, what you can do.”