Jesé Rodríguez has made headlines with candid revelations about doping and his journey in football, particularly his time at Real Madrid. Speaking on the Batmowli program hosted by YouTuber Mowlihawk, the former La Fábrica prospect shed light on previously undiscussed aspects of football’s past and his career experiences.
Jesé didn’t hold back when discussing the issue of doping:
“There were a lot of people who took a lot of sh*t to perform. That used to be not as controlled as it is now. I’m not criticising or judging anyone, but it was like that. What happened is that maybe it didn’t come out publicly,” he remarked, hinting at less regulated practices in earlier eras.
Beyond this startling claim, Jesé reflected on his promising yet turbulent time at Real Madrid. He was once hailed as the leader of a new generation for the club but suffered a career-altering injury that stalled his momentum. Despite the setbacks, he cherishes the memories of his time with the ‘Merengues.’
“I spent only two years in the reserve team. I made my debut at 16, finished that season, started the next one, and we were promoted to the second division. Florentino Pérez wanted me to stay in the second division another year because I was ‘almost a professional.’ The following year I joined the first team. My debut came when Mourinho was in charge. Cristiano came off, and I came on. At that moment, I wanted to give my all.”
Jesé’s recollections highlight the influence of José Mourinho on his career. While he described Mourinho as “controversial,” he also acknowledged his strategic brilliance:
“He’s a great coach. Smart and strategic. But he clashed with players because of his character. I had a couple of discussions with him, but there was no disrespect. He liked confrontations, but he’s a good guy.”
He also spoke about working under Carlo Ancelotti, praising the Italian coach for his bold decisions, including benching Gareth Bale to start Jesé:
“Ancelotti had the balls to put Bale on the bench and play me. Another coach might not have done that. Florentino really liked that academy players were solving games. Yes, there were long faces with Bale, but what could he tell me if he didn’t know how to talk?”