Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho, two of the biggest egos in football. Florentino Perez took a risk by placing them together at the same club but, despite almost coming to blows in the dressing room, the partnership brought success to the Bernabeu.
Collectively, it was not Real Madrid's most prosperous period, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España. However, the Portuguese manager seemed to bring out the best in his fellow countryman, who banged in 168 goals in 164 appearances in what remains the most successful three-year spell of his career.
Jose Mourinho's tactical approach was tailored for Cristiano Ronaldo, who played on the left with a licence to drive infield. A solid defensive formation provided the perfect starting point for the team which was built to play on the break.
Towards the end of the manager's time at Spanish capital, Mourinho and Ronaldo exchanged criticism, which never stopped the striker from banging in the goals. The coach defended his comments as an incentive to motivate the superstar, believing there was still room for improvement.
A few weeks after his departure, Mourinho said: 'Ronaldo has had three fantastic seasons with me. We found a tactical set-up where he got the best out of himself and scored a lot of goals. I had one problem with him, though. When I criticised him from a tactical point of view because I felt he could still improve, he did not accept what I had to say'.
It summed up a relationship which was far from straightforward, but still contributed to the best years of Ronaldo's career. Mourinho played a big role in getting him to where he is today, as they prepare to meet again on Tuesday in Skopje.