Jose Mourinho may have decided his fate with Real Madrid when he chose to sit captain Iker Casillas during Real Madrid's 3-2 loss to Malaga.
The decision's effects are two-fold. The Portuguese coach's squad is now 16 points behind first place Barcelona and likely out of contention to defend the title they won back in the spring of 2012. However, his decision to bench Casillas emphasizes the locker room turmoil and will likely signal Mourinho's end at the Bernabeau stadium.
The keeper downplayed the benching and stated, "The coach decides which team he thinks is best for each match and you need to accept the decision...I'm not used to being a substitute, but above Iker Casillas or any player is the team. What I need to do is continue training and try to recover the confidence of the coach."
Mourinho defended his decision by stating that it was purely "technical" and that keeper Antonio Adan was in better form than Casillas. "The coach analyses the situation and analyses the players available, chooses the team to play. You can invent all the stories you like but it's a purely technical decision and nothing more," said Mourinho.
Casillas is not only Madrid's captain, but the player that most deemed untouchable. The keeper has led Madrid to a number of major titles and won the World Cup and back-to-back Euro Cup titles with Spain. His position has never been questioned, but the effect of Mourinho's decision can be seen in the reaction of Real Madrid President Florentino Perez.
"He is one of the great captains in the history of this club," Perez recently stated about Casillas. "He shows that above and beyond winning titles, he knows how to interpret this institution."
He was apparently not informed of Mourinho's decision prior to the match and according to the Associated Press, he "raised his glasses as if to get a better look at the player list and then, apparently stunned, turned away" when he learned of the news. Perez has long been considered a Mourinho backer and has even defended him when he has had fights with other players and even inked Mourinho to a contract that keeps him with Madrid until 2016. However, the report indicates that this may have been the last straw and that Perez may not be willing to support his coach any longer.
Among the critics of Mourinho were former keeper Cesar Sanchez who noted that "Iker doesn't need to be punished to play better... This only brings to a boil the atmosphere of conflict that Madrid already has.''
Mourinho does have some defenders. Among them is former keeper Paco Buyo who stated that "I refuse to think that Mourinho has anything personal against Casillas."
According to reports from Spanish paper MARCA, Casillas has had a worsening relationship with goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro for over two months and according to ESPN.com, Mourinho had problems with Casillas and Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez's friendship. This friendship was the bond that helped unite the Spanish national team to its historic Euro 2012 championship run.
The turmoil does not end there however. A report from Bleacher Report's Lucas Radicella indicates that the team is divided into two sides: those that oppose Mourinho (Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Gonzalo Higuain) and those who support him (Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao). Back in January, he had a fight with defender Sergio Ramos and the entire conversation was published.
Then Mourinho encouraged his players to criticize referees and Barcelona players which went against the tradition of Madrid's "sportsmanship and gentlemanly values" according to Radicella. Radicella concludes that Mourinho's position with the club could be over in just a matter of days.
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