Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images
Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013 was marked by many successes and controversies.
During his tenure, the Portuguese tactician also nurtured young talents, including giving debuts to academy products like Alvaro Morata and Dani Carvajal.
But while the former was favoured highly by Jose Mourinho, the tactician was not really fond of Carvajal. The right-back, in fact, had to settle for a spell at Bayer Leverkusen before even formally indicted into the first team.
Indeed, Carvajal’s journey saw him being sold to Bayer Leverkusen, where he flourished before returning to Madrid and cementing his legacy as one of the club’s legends.
Jose Mourinho acknowledges Carvajal mistake
However, in a recent Instagram post, Jose Mourinho admitted his mistake of failing to identify the talents of Dani Carvajal at that time.
“Nacho Fernández, captain and champion of the 2024 Champions League. Álvaro Morata, captain and European champion. Congratulations to them and to the coach who made them debut when they were kids at the academy,” Mourinho wrote.
The Portuguese went on to admit that he failed to recognise the talent of Carvajal, adding, “The same coach who didn’t understand that Dani Carvajal was another one. Congratulations to De La Fuente for an incredible job. The best team won.”
As indicated, Mourinho’s Instagram post came just after Spain clinched the Euro championship with four Real Madrid youth products—Nacho, Morata, Joselu, and Carvajal—playing pivotal roles.
While Mourinho did miss out on Carvajal, the coach, during his tenure, played a pivotal role in honing the skills of many Real Madrid stars of the past, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria among others.
Nevertheless, as Spain basks in their European glory, the important role played by the likes of Nacho, Carvajal and Morata should certainly make the La Fabrica proud.
