José Mourinho confirms Dani Ceballos departure from Real Madrid

Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho has detailed the circumstances surrounding the exit of midfielder Dani Ceballos this summer. During a press conference ahead of a match against Real Betis, Mourinho revealed that he held a three-minute telephone conversation with the player upon arriving at the club to clarify that Ceballos was not part of his future plans. While players often resist contract terminations, Mourinho stated that Ceballos accepted the situation to pursue other opportunities as a free agent. This agreement resulted in the midfielder departing Real Madrid one year before his original contract was set to expire. Ceballos subsequently secured a return to Real Betis, completing his move following the earlier release from his previous club.

• 8:55 PMYahoo Sports — ‘I spoke to him for 3 minutes’: José Mourinho reveals how he told Real Madrid star he was not in his plans