World Cup champion Bastian Schweinsteiger has claimed that former Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho banished him to the Under-16s squad for three months without explanation.
The former Germany international, who won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League with Bayern Munich, joined Manchester United in 2015, with Mourinho replacing Louis van Gaal as coach the following year.
However, speaking to Manchester United legend Gary Neville on the Overlap Podcast, Schweinsteiger recalled how Mourinho froze him out of the first-team without warning after he returned to pre-season from the European Championship, not even allowing him to enter the dressing room.
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“When I walked into Carrington, (football director) John Murtough was there and said that I wasn’t allowed to walk into the dressing room, the coach (Mourinho) had said so,” Schweinsteiger said.
“No warning, nothing. I don’t know. Someone could have told me there, or explained it to me in a normal way, but okay, I went to the youth dressing room and trained with the Under-16’s.”
According to Schweinsteiger, Mourinho later explained the club was not happy with his decision to undergo treatment for a knee injury back in Germany.
“I then had a meeting with (Mourinho) in the afternoon. He explained to me that he didn’t see me happy here at United because when I had my injury, I did my rehab with German doctors, spending time in Germany,” Schweinsteiger continued.
“Of course, I came back to United and was in contact with doctors and watched the games – I had a conversation with Louis van Gaal when he was coach, and he said to come on the weekends to United and remain in contact with the doctors, they needed me fit and there was an FA Cup final which I almost played.
“That was our agreement and I kept to it. For me, I just wanted to get healthy and wanted to be able to play – I stuck to the agreement with Louis van Gaal but obviously the board thought a little differently about that.
“After that, I was training alone for at least three months with a fitness coach. I trained before and after the team.
“I guess they wanted to get rid of me. At that moment, I was still super happy at United, I loved to wear the jersey, I loved it. I was thinking that maybe it was just a period, I will train now and keep myself fit and maybe one day they’ll change their mind. My dream was to always step back out into Old Trafford.”
Neville said he was “stunned” by the revelations, claiming the club’s behaviour could have been considered “illegal”
“I was the PFA Union Representative, and you’re not allowed to do that,” Neville responded.
“You can’t dismiss someone like that, it’s constructive dismissal in some ways.
“It’s probably a few years too late, you should have come and seen me at the time.
“I’m stunned and embarrassed at what I’m hearing because I always think, players leave clubs and people fall out, but there is a way to do things and a way to behave and act.”
Schweinsteiger left Manchester United to join MLS club Chicago Fire the following March, while Mourinho was sacked by the club in December 2018.