Liverpool star Fabinho opened up on how he was caught off guard in his pyjamas during his first meeting with Jose Mourinho before signing for Real Madrid.
The Brazilian midfielder had a short stint with Madrid on loan from Rio Ave in 2013, making just one appearance for the senior team and 30 more for Real Madrid Castilla.
Now a Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, Fabinho can look back and laugh at how his big move to Real Madrid was preceded by a meeting with Mourinho in some less-than-formal attire.
What happened?
“We arrived in Portugal, but I stayed around at Rio Ave for just two weeks, maybe three at the most,” Fabinho told FourFourTwo.
“I had a barbecue with other Brazilians and then my agent called to say that Real Madrid Castilla [Real Madrid reserve team] needed a right-back and wanted to know if I was interested.
“Then one night, Lucio [Araujo, brother of former Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Deco], came and told me to pack my things because Jorge Mendes was on his way by car in the early hours of the morning.
“I was like, ‘Is something wrong?’ Nobody said a word, but then at some point in the car, Mendes said we were traveling to Madrid and that I would sign for them.
“I called my mum in Brazil to tell her about that and she started to cry.
“No-one had expected something this huge to happen in such a short time. It was a very special moment for me.”
He continued: “We headed to the hotel in Madrid, and while I was still sleeping, I woke up to somebody knocking on the door.
“I looked through the peephole and couldn’t believe it. It was Mendes and Jose Mourinho!
“I was still wearing my pyjamas, not at all prepared to meet him. I didn’t even know what to say.
“He wanted to welcome me. I was still a bit shy and never thought I would meet him like that!”
What happened next?
Fabinho returned to Rio Ave in 2013 after being unable to seal a first-team spot in Madrid and was then loaned out to Monaco.
He featured for the club for two years before the move was made permanent in 2015, then earned a move to Liverpool three years later.
The Brazilian’s gone on tobe a regular under Jurgen Klopp, making 155 total appearances for the club so far.