Mourinho’s curious relationship with Malaga in focus ahead of key Real Madrid clash

Mourinho’s curious relationship with Malaga in focus ahead of key Real Madrid clash Real Madrid will be looking for their third consecutive win in La Liga as they host Malaga at the Bernabeu this afternoon. Los Blancos have made a perfect start under Jose Mourinho, following up a 2-1 win over Espanyol with a 4-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad. It promises to be an interesting game for the Spanish giants, even more so considering the history Mourinho has with the opposition. A spicy history with Malaga As reported by MARCA , Malaga’s visit to the Bernabeu brings back plenty of memories from Mourinho’s first spell in Spain. Mourinho has a past with Malaga. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images) It was at La Rosaleda that Mourinho first dropped Iker Casillas, a decision that would go on to become one of the defining sagas of his time in the capital. His first visit there was also marked by controversy, after it emerged that then-Malaga coach Jesualdo Ferreira had reportedly branded Mourinho a “donkey” in comments made in Portugal. Then there was his rivalry with Manuel Pellegrini, the man he replaced at Real Madrid. Constant comparisons between the two projects led Mourinho to deliver a pointed message, insisting he would never manage Malaga if Real Madrid ever sacked him. The Casillas controversy All eyes on Mourinho this afternoon. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) Of all those incidents, it is the Casillas saga that continues to resonate most to this day. During the 2012-13 campaign, Mourinho dropped Casillas for a match against Malaga, with cameras famously capturing Florentino Perez’s surprise upon discovering live on television After all, his captain and goalkeeper had been benched in favour of Antonio Adan. The gamble did not pay off, with Real Madrid losing the game 3-2. Mourinho publicly framed it as a simple technical decision, but the passage of time suggested there was far more to the story. Although the current Malaga side, back in the top flight for the first time since 2018, poses a very different challenge, Mourinho will be keen on avoiding an unfortunate result this afternoon.