His fraught relationship with Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas, the latter the club's captain, saw them rejected by some supporters and championed by others, deepening divisions. Each side chose its symbols, apparently irreconcilable ones, even though they're supposed to be on the same side. Mourinho invented the term "pseudo-Madridistas" to dismiss those that claim to have the best interests of the club at heart but who do not: in practice, a pseudo-Madridista is simply someone who does not agree with him. Even if he has played for the club or supported it from birth. Vicente Del Bosque, for instance.
On Tuesday night, Mourinho's opponents saw his priorities come to the surface. He talked about his achievement in Madrid reaching three semi-finals in three years, when they had previously lost their status as a seed and failed to progress to the quarters five years in a row. But, Mourinho admitted, "almost is not enough for me or for Madrid". This is the most expensive squad in history and some expect more. Asked about his future he initially responded "it is not important, Madrid is important" but soon he was drawn on it. The agenda became about him.
EL País, one of the papers most critical of the coach, wrote: "Whether Mourinho understands it or not, the fans are disappointed because semi-finals are not enough. That's why it is a special club. No one is more special than Madrid. A tenth will always be more important than a third."
AS's cover was stark, the juxtaposition deliberate, confrontation in the design. It showed Casillas and Ramos embracing, tears in the defender's eyes. Symbols of Madridismo at odds with Mourinho, hurt by the club's elimination. Underneath was a small picture of the coach and the headline: "Mourinho and his navel."
"Mou, why?" asked the paper's most volatile columnist, Tomás Roncero, always projected as the voice of the Madrid fan, even as he is rejected by others. "I saw Ramos crying, hugging Casillas and that's when I understood that Madrid is eternal."