'I've forgiven Jose Mourinho' - Ex-Real Madrid winger opens up on issue with Portuguese coach after famous Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona jibe

The former Madrid winger has reflected on his difficult relationship with coach Mourinho during their time together at Santiago Bernabeu, more than 14 years after their infamous fallout. Speaking on El Cafelito, the current Real Murcia midfielder revisited the controversy that erupted when Mourinho publicly downplayed his importance to the squad with a brutal remark comparing him unfavourably to Zidane and Maradona.

“It seems like people are talking about Zidane or Maradona,” Mourinho said at the time when asked why Leon had not been selected for a Champions League clash against Auxerre. “A couple of days ago he was playing at Getafe.” The comment instantly made headlines, turning Leon into the symbol of Mourinho’s tough-love approach and sparking widespread debate among Madrid fans.

Leon, who joined Madrid in 2010 for €10 million after an impressive spell at Getafe, saw his opportunities quickly fade. He would go on to make just 14 appearances under Mourinho before being loaned out and eventually returning to Getafe. Yet despite the disappointment, Leon insists he has no bitterness toward his former coach.

Now 38 and playing for Real Murcia, Leon says he has made peace with the past. “I have forgiven Mourinho,” he said. “I think that otherwise my sporting career might have been different… but I don’t hold a grudge against him.”

Leon also downplayed the infamous “Zidane or Maradona” line, saying that it was not the insult itself that hurt him, but the lack of understanding behind it. “I’ll be honest with you. It didn’t hurt. That didn’t hurt. What hurt was not knowing why. And to this day I still don’t know,” he explained.

“I didn’t disrespect Mourinho or anything like that,” he said. Addressing long-standing rumours that he had failed to warm up properly during a match against Levante, an accusation that former Madrid goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek later confirmed in his autobiography, Leon insisted those claims were untrue. “You can watch that match. At no point did I make a scene, nor did I disrespect him or anything like that,” he said.

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

According to Dudek’s autobiography, A Big Pole in Our Goal, the tensions between Leon and Mourinho reached boiling point during a La Liga match against Levante. The Polish goalkeeper wrote that Mourinho had been left furious after seeing Leon fail to properly warm up before being substituted on during the second half of the 0-0 draw.

“Mourinho told him to warm up but instead of doing so, he just stood around by the corner flag. I saw his reaction. He was furious,” Dudek wrote. The goalkeeper added that Mourinho confronted Leon after the match, telling him: “You lack professionalism. You think you’re pulling the wool over my eyes and your teammates’. You had two clear chances to score but you weren’t up to it. You want to play for Real Madrid? Here everybody gets their five minutes and you’ve had yours.”

The next day, Mourinho reportedly continued his tirade in training and dropped Leon from the squad to face Auxerre, instead calling up youth player Juan Carlos. “He turned around and asked, ‘How old are you?’ The boy said 19. ‘Do you want to play for Real Madrid?’ Mourinho continued, wanting to send out a message.

While Leon has always maintained his professionalism, these revelations illustrate how quickly Mourinho’s perception of the winger shifted, from a promising signing to a cautionary tale within weeks.

In a separate interview with Onda Cero, Leon revealed that Mourinho not only sidelined him at Madrid but also prevented him from leaving. “I had another offer from City, Chelsea and Milan,” he said. “Some wanted to sign me in winter but Mourinho didn’t let me go.”

At the time, City and Chelsea were among several top clubs tracking Leon, whose breakout performances at Getafe had earned him a reputation as one of Spain’s brightest wide talents. His inability to secure a move, coupled with limited opportunities at Madrid, derailed his progress and led to years of stagnation before reviving his career at Eibar and Murcia.

Reflecting on that period, Leon’s tone was more nostalgic than bitter. “Is Mourinho a good coach? He’s a good motivator, especially at the beginning. He arrives and you believe in the message. You buy into it,” he said. When asked if he missed his old boss, Leon laughed: “What if we miss a coffee? No. It’s not a problem, he’s fine in Portugal and I’m in Murcia.”

Leon's time at Real Madrid may have been short-lived, but his reflections reveal the human side of an era dominated by Mourinho’s intensity. A gifted right winger with technical flair and creativity, Leon became one of several players who struggled to fit into the Portuguese coach’s demanding, results-driven environment. His words reflect both maturity and closure, a reminder of how players and coaches often move on from the storms that once defined them.

Click here to read article