Real Madrid star Karim Benzema has revealed that he demanded respect from Jose Mourinho when the pair worked together at the Bernabeu.
Towards the end of the Portuguese coach's three-year reign at the Spanish outfit, rumours were rife that he had fallen out with some of the players.
Benzema has now revealed in a documentary made by Canal Plus France that he and Mourinho did not have any major problems between them, but the forward did take issue with his manager once saying in a press conference that the 29-year-old's attacking presence was 'like going hunting with a cat'.
"We had a good relationship but then he started to say some phrases and remarks that were out of place," Marca quotes Benzema as saying. "It felt that he though they were amusing and the truth is that if he was someone that I respected, then in that moment I lost my cool.
"I told him that there was something that we needed to talk about. We had a meeting for an hour. [I said to him] 'I am a footballer, you are my coach and I respect you but you have to respect me also as a footballer'.
"Following that there were no further stories about cats, dogs or anything else. I may be timid but if you are going to laugh at me then I will react. When you talk about things then it is better."
Mourinho won three trophies at Madrid, including the La Liga title.
Danielle Joynson
