Bastian Schweinsteiger, the former midfielder for Manchester United, recently revealed that he was banned from first-team training by manager Jose Mourinho during his time at the club. Schweinsteiger, who made 31 appearances under Louis van Gaal in the 2015-16 season, played only four games under Mourinho before joining MLS club Chicago Fire in 2017. In an interview with the Overlap, Schweinsteiger expressed his sadness at the way things turned out at United, stating that the club was the second club of his heart.
Schweinsteiger’s experience at United took a turn for the worse when he suffered an injury that sidelined him for the final 11 games of the 2015-16 season. He received treatment in Germany before the Euro 2016 tournament. During this time, United appointed Mourinho as Van Gaal’s successor. When Schweinsteiger returned to United’s pre-season training in the USA, he was met with a surprising and disheartening message from football director John Murtough. “The coach had said that I wasn’t allowed to walk into the dressing room,” Schweinsteiger revealed. Instead, he had to ask for his cleats and training gear to be brought to him, and he was told that he would be training with the under-16 team.
Schweinsteiger’s first appearance of the 2016-17 season came in November 2016 in the Carabao Cup against West Ham. He went on to make a further three appearances across the FA Cup and Europa League before eventually making the decision to move to MLS. It was at this point, when Schweinsteiger approached Mourinho about leaving for America, that he received an apology from the manager. “He apologized for the way he treated me in the beginning,” Schweinsteiger explained. “He had to let me go because he could not do something against me again.”
Schweinsteiger retired from professional football in 2019 after three seasons with Chicago. His time at Manchester United may have been marred by his strained relationship with Mourinho, but he remains grateful for the opportunity to have played for the club. Despite the difficulties he faced, Schweinsteiger chose to focus on football and maintain his professionalism throughout the ordeal.
This story sheds light on the challenges that players can face when relationships with managers break down. Schweinsteiger’s experience serves as a reminder that even successful and highly respected players can find themselves on the fringes of a team due to decisions made by those in charge. It also highlights the importance of communication and mutual respect between players and managers in order to create a positive and productive team environment.