Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has joked that close friend Aitor Karanka "deserved to be sacked" by Middlesbrough.
The Spaniard was given the shove on Thursday following weeks of speculation, having seen the Smoggies go nearly three months since their last Premier League win.
Karanka's sacking came five days after he hit out at the lack of fight shown by Patrick Bamford and Stewart Downing, the latter of whom he is reported to have had a training ground bust-up with.
Asked if player power had a part in the dismissal of Karanka, who he worked alongside at Real Madrid, Mourinho told reporters: "In this case, I know the names.
"In the first year he arrived, the team was going into League One and he saved the team. In the second year, he took the team to Wembley, to play the playoff final. In the third year, he had direct promotion. So I think in the fourth year, he deserved to be sacked."
Karanka, who improved Boro's position year on year since taking over in 2013, leaves the club 19th in the Premier League and three points from safety.
Daniel Lewis
