And Lyon were their scourge, beating them in matches in 2007 and 2009.
As a result, Mourinho has now revealed that he believed Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team-mates to be SCARED of facing the Ligue 1 outfit.
"I think that for seven or eight years they hadn't reached the quarter-finals. They didn't play in semi-finals or quarter-finals," he told beIN Sports.
"In my first season we had Lyon and the club was afraid.
"I couldn't understand how a club could be afraid of Lyon, who were a good team, but it was Lyon."
Mourinho guided Real to three consecutive Champions League semi-finals during his time in charge.
Cristiano Ronaldo played under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid (Image: GETTY)
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In 2011, they were beaten 3-1 by fierce rivals Barcelona
The following year, it was Bayern Munich who broke their hearts, winning via a penalty shootout.
And, in Mourinho’s final season, the La Liga giants were beaten by Borussia Dortmund.
Real have enjoyed more success in the years since Mourinho’s exit, however.
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