Jose Mourinho Aims Dig at Cristiano Ronaldo, Discusses Vacant Portugal Job

Jose Mourinho has spoken of the "frustration" that has stayed with him since Cristiano Ronaldo missed the opening spot-kick during Real Madrid's 2012 Champions League semi-final loss to Bayern Munich.

CR7 failed to hit the net during the penalty shootout, which ended Mourinho's chances of capturing La Decima with the Spanish side. Real Madrid claimed their tenth European crown just one year after the former boss returned to Chelsea.

Although Mourinho never referred to Ronaldo by name during his interview with Portuguese channel TVI, he appeared to aim a dig at the iconic forward, which was reported via AS:

"

Losing a semi-final on penalties when your best player, your best penalty taker, the player in which you put all your confidence to score first, comes into the penalty box and misses. It’s a frustration that stays with you.

"

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Mourinho called this moment "especially hard to take" during the interview, per Joe Ridge of the Daily Mail. Despite appearing in four consecutive Champions League semi-finals without making the showpiece event, Mourinho's emphasis on Madrid's failure against Bayern—which also saw Kaka and Sergio Ramos fail to beat Manuel Neuer from the spot—progresses his continued back and forth with Ronaldo.

Upon leaving Madrid in 2013, Mourinho indicated he had "one problem" with Ronaldo, saying the player "thinks he knows everything and the coach cannot help him to develop more," per The Guardian. Ronaldo recently slammed Mourinho for creating a "bad atmosphere" at the Bernabeu, saying his tenure was a "difficult period in personal terms," per The Sun's Anthony Kastrinakis (subscription required) and via Alex Sharp of the Daily Mail.

Ronaldo was dropped in 2011 after criticising Mourinho's conservative approach. Ben Hayward of Goal.com charted a "tense" relationship throughout their three seasons together, despite the occasional public showing of strength.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Mourinho's recent comments regarding the aforementioned penalty miss almost outlines Ronaldo as the sole reason for the manager's inability to capture the Champions League in Spain. The Special One hints that had Ronaldo scored, the rest of his team would have followed suit.

Furthermore, Mourinho's insistence he placed "all" of his confidence in Ronaldo goes some way to passing the buck on a reign which ended trophyless in its final season.

Many have outlined Mourinho as suitable for the Portuguese national job after the recent departure of Paulo Bento. Selectors would surely consider Mourinho's relationship with Ronaldo if the potential candidate put himself forward. He was close to taking the role shortly after becoming Madrid boss, according to AS, but now appears uninterested:

"

The other time I was close to accepting because I had an emotional reaction. Now I can say I don’t think it will help a manager when he’s also managing a club. Nor would it be ethical with many good coaches unemployed.

"

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

With Ronaldo rumoured to be considering a return to Manchester United, per Guillem Balague of Sky Sports, a face-to-face showdown between the pair may appear in the future. Chelsea have been linked with making a move for the versatile forward by Rob Shepherd of the Daily Mail, who believes agent Jorge Mendes could have a key part to play in any transfer.

Mendes deals with both Mourinho and Ronaldo's interests. Having recently helped Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao sign for United, his influence could broker the next chapter in Ronaldo's career, per Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

Portugal's two biggest football exports appear destined to continue jabbing each other in the press. Both have tactical preferences and egos that need to be satisfied. Perhaps most vitally, both are winners who strive to attain success by placing themselves at the forefront of their teams. Clashes inevitably rose with this in mind at Real Madrid.

While a future reunion on the same side shouldn't be discounted just yet, many will wish to see the pair line up against each other.

Mourinho is shrewd enough to neutralise Ronaldo's threat, while the player has the ability to rip through anything put in front of him. Their history would undoubtedly create a prominent sub-plot to any future showdown.