Ander Herrera sat down on the "Mario's Road" podcast alongside Mario Suárez for a lengthy interview about his career, and he also discussed José Mourinho and Real Madrid. GOAL says Sport newspaper published the pick of Herrera's comments.
Herrera on working with Mourinho
Herrera played under Mourinho at Manchester United. He said: "For me, Mourinho is a coach for men. He belongs to an era of football in which players were not overly sensitive. Criticism was understood, accepted and respected, and so too the hierarchies within the team were respected."
Herrera also said: "I remember a match after facing Saint-Étienne in the Europa League, when Mourinho came in front of everyone and told me I had been a disaster and so on... but the next day, we embraced."
Herrera on Real Madrid's situation
Herrera said: "I see that Mourinho is facing a difficult bull that he has to tame. Real Madrid come after two difficult years, during which the team saw a great deal of noise, and its stars too were surrounded by a great deal of noise. We are in the post-Toni Kroos and post-Luka Modrić era, and it is not easy. It is an arduous task."
Barcelona and Mourinho's qualities
Herrera said: "And then he is facing a Barcelona that is invincible. All these circumstances have come together, but if there is someone who has the charisma, and I would also say... the strength and the toughness needed to turn things around, it is Mourinho. He has already done it during his first spell, when he managed, I do not know whether he completely tipped the scales, but he at least managed to bring Real Madrid to the same level as Barcelona itself."
Timing of the interview
GOAL says every sign points to the interview taking place before the Clásico, which Real Madrid won 2-1 courtesy of a Kylian Mbappé brace.
