Real Madrid: What Mourinho's Departure Means for Club's Key Players

“And don’t come back!” is set to be the less-than-fond farewell from a number of Real Madrid players, when Mourinho leaves the club’s premises for the last time. There is unlikely to be a repeat of any Marco Materazzi hugs and blubs for a figure who has clashed with a number of the club’s big hitters in three feud-filled years at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

After all, this is a manager who has had spats this season alone with Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas, Pepe and Cristiano Ronaldo, to name but a few. Recording the squabbles of the previous two campaigns will need a lot more time, space and most importantly, patience, than is currently available.  

Whilst there is still no firm word on who will be taking over Mourinho’s managerial spot at Real Madrid, feelings over the future for a few key players will still be positive ones.

Iker Casillas

The first directive from the Madrid president to the new underling may well be to restore the club captain to the starting lineup and bring some closure to an icky bit of Bernabeu business. This is not exactly great news for current glove-wearer in chief, Diego Lopez, who has been performing exceptionally well since taking over from the Madrid icon, after a thumb put Casillas out-of-action in January. 

However, despite Mourinho suggesting that his preference for Lopez as his keeper to the World Cup winner was a purely football opinion, there is still the nagging sensation that there was something personal getting in the way of the pair when Casillas was ready to return to the squad but was subsequently left on the bench.

Pepe

The Brazilian-born defender and Mourinho seemed BFFL after Pepe become the coach’s hatchet man in big games against Barcelona—performances which did not do a great deal for the personal reputation of the footballer, who came across as an unhinged nut job.

However, the affair turned sour when Pepe recently stated that he felt the exile of Casillas was unfair. Mourinho’s immediate response was to dish out the same outcast treatment to his countryman with the Portuguese stopper send to the stands for the Copa del Rey final. A new coach means a new chance for the 30-year-old whose career needs a bit of a reboot. 

Sergio Ramos

The defender seems to the footballer who was most upset with the increasingly nasty atmosphere that Mourinho helped ferment with Barcelona, a bit of a bruising battle that set Spanish teammate against Spanish teammate. Ramos will appreciate a detente between the two clubs, as well as an end to Mourinho's doubts of the defender’s abilities. 

Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese poacher is unlikely to be impacted one way or the other by a change of manager. Ronaldo played under Manuel Pellegrini and scored lots of goals. Ronaldo played under Mourinho and scored lots of goals. Paris Hilton or Snooki could run the show and Ronaldo would once again score a whole bunch of goals. 

Gonzalo Higuain

Mourinho struggled to chose which one of the the club’s leading men was the main striker and this indecision did neither footballer any good, last year. Higuain won praise for working hard but lacked the goal-scoring ability of Karim Benzema, who was considered too lazy.

Rumours are currently floating in the air, linking Higuain with Juventus, but the Argentinean may want to hang about a little longer and get a feeling of who the new manager sees as Madrid’s main man up front.