Jesé Rodríguez, the former footballer known for his stints with Real Madrid, PSG, and Sampdoria, recently opened up in an interview with YouTuber Mowlihawk on his show Batmowli. Jesé shared insights about his football journey, including his relationships with big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Mourinho, and Ancelotti.
He also spoke about his troubled experience at PSG, where he claimed that club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was more interested in his wife, model Aurah Ruiz, than in him as a footballer. At the beginning of the interview, Jesé touched on dark aspects of the football world, suggesting that some players use banned substances to enhance their performance, while such incidents remain concealed.
Jesé’s career started brilliantly, earning praise from figures like Florentino Pérez and Karanka, who introduced him to Mourinho. However, his relationship with the Portuguese coach wasn’t always smooth:
“I had some clashes with Mourinho, but always with respect. He’s a great coach, a strategist, and very intelligent. Naturally, he often clashed with players because of his strong character.
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Jesé expressed admiration for Carlo Ancelotti, who showed courage by playing him instead of Gareth Bale, a player the club had invested €120 million in:
“Ancelotti had the guts to bench Bale and put me on the field. Few coaches would do that.”
His move to PSG, however, turned out to be a failure. Jesé revealed that his relationship with president Al-Khelaifi was tense and almost unbearable:
“The president didn’t even want to see me on the pitch. I don’t know if he liked my wife more than he liked me as a player. They never gave me any explanation.”
Jesé’s PSG debut was promising, providing the assist for the winning goal in his first match, but an appendicitis surgery sidelined him for two months. He admitted feeling mistreated by PSG and ultimately realized Real Madrid’s unmatched value as the best club in the world.
Jesé also recalled his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo and his dream of winning the Ballon d’Or:
“Cristiano brought me the Ballon d’Or after he won it and asked me, ‘Will you win it too?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That’s the right attitude.’”
A severe knee injury marked a turning point in his career:
“Florentino sent me to the best surgeon in Germany, but the infection I got made me think, ‘It’s over…’” After that, his career began to decline, with stints at various clubs failing to restore him to his peak form.