Cape Town - Mesut Ozil has revealed that he once had a bust up with Jose Mourinho during a half-time dressing down with the then Real Madrid coach accusing him of being a coward.
The Arsenal player is set to release his autobiography later this year and German newspaper Bild has been serialising extracts from the book ahead of its expected publication.
In an explosive extract on his time at Real Madrid, Ozil reveals a heated dressing room bust up with the current Manchester United coach, who accused him of not working hard enough.
'You think two beautiful passes are enough? You think you’re so good that fifty percent is enough?!' Ozil writes, remembering Mourinho's half-time fury.
'He pauses. Stares at me with his dark brown eyes. I stare back. Like two boxers at the stare-down before the first round.
'He shows no emotion. Just waits for a response from me. How much I hate him right now. And I love Mourinho actually.'
Ozil admits that he reacted by throwing his jersey at Mourinho and imploring him to play instead.
The German played for three years at the Bernabau under Mourinho until 2013 before being sold to Arsenal.