Former Manchester United and Germany midfield icon Bastian Schweinsteiger recently disclosed that during his time at Manchester United, manager Jose Mourinho had him removed from the first-team dressing room entirely. Schweinsteiger, who played for the Red Devils from July 2015 to March 2017, revealed that Mourinho's actions were made clear at the beginning of the 2016/17 season.
Despite being aware that Schweinsteiger was training separately from the first-team, the latest revelation on The Overlap podcast unveiled that he was instructed not to enter the dressing room at all. Schweinsteiger recounted how on his birthday, he was informed by John Murtough, the head of football development at the time, that he was not permitted in the dressing room as per the coach's instructions.
As a result, Schweinsteiger had to change in the youth dressing room and train with the under-16 team, a situation that left host Gary Neville visibly surprised. The former midfielder also mentioned that he had to request his training gear and boots from Murtough, highlighting the lack of prior warning.
Reports suggest that Mourinho believed Schweinsteiger's association with German doctors for his rehabilitation indicated his discontent at Manchester United. Schweinsteiger clarified that he was merely following the same protocol he had with former manager Louis van Gaal, by visiting Carrington on weekends and maintaining contact with club doctors.
Following Schweinsteiger's departure from Old Trafford in March 2017, Mourinho reportedly expressed regret over his handling of the situation. The revelation sheds light on the strained relationship between the player and manager during their time together at Manchester United.
