José Mourinho has demanded that Real Madrid dismiss their Italian fitness coach, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport, as reported by Football Italia.
The specifics of the dispute have not been fully detailed in the available reporting, but the claim suggests a significant breakdown in relations between Mourinho and a member of Real Madrid's backroom staff — a club he managed between 2010 and 2013. That the intervention is being made at all, apparently from outside the club's current structure, marks it as an unusual development.
Mourinho is currently manager of Roma in Serie A, which makes the reported demand all the more striking. Whether he retains informal channels of influence at the Bernabéu, or whether this is a more public appeal, is not clear from the Sport report as relayed by Football Italia.
Real Madrid have not commented publicly on the matter, and there is no indication from the available reporting that the club intends to act on any external pressure. Fitness staff appointments at elite clubs are rarely subject to outside scrutiny, and the suggestion that a current Serie A manager could influence personnel decisions at one of European football's largest institutions would be extraordinary if borne out.
The story is thin at this stage, resting on a single Spanish newspaper account. What it does confirm is that Mourinho, whatever his relationship with his former club, has not moved far from the controversies that have long surrounded his managerial career. Whether the claim develops into something more substantial — a formal statement, a response from Madrid, or further sourcing — remains to be seen.