Iniesta slams Mourinho

Jose Mourinho did more harm than good to Spanish football during his controversial three-year tenure as coach of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Portuguese Mourinho quit Real three years before the end of his contract after a 2012-13 campaign without major silverware and has returned to former club Chelsea.

His stint in the Spanish capital was overshadowed by a series of ugly incidents and he alienated a significant section of Real’s own fans when he benched club captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, a Spain team-mate of Iniesta.

“You just have to look at the facts,” Iniesta said in an interview published in Sunday’s edition of El Pais newspaper when asked if Mourinho had harmed Spanish football.

“Yes he damaged Spanish football, in general more harm than good,” added the 29-year-old.  “But I don’t like talking about that person at all. So if you don’t mind we’ll leave it at that.”

Mourinho, 50, was an assistant coach at Barca in the late 1990s and has also managed Porto and Inter Milan.