I remember reading up on him as there is so much he did that others didn't do. From translating and learning to taking over Barca's second team he moved quickly. He learned everything under Bobby Robson.
You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
Ah Good greetings sir,please don't leave me for this long again.[smiles]
Exactly he has an enviable record as a coach and then such a
Well when you say "everything" I know it's not like you are being absolute, even so I think we should now open up a little of his story.
Mou's Dad was a coach after a brief career as a goalkeeper. Mou played football too and once was a player in the team his father coached, then began working actively with his Dad in coaching matters. In his early twenties he had already started scouting players for his Dad eventhough he was a footballer. Still in his early twenties he retired from football and took his coaching badges in the UK.
He didn't play so long as a footballer because he always knew he will be a coach,his Dad knew too. So coaching was "in his blood" as we say in my country, meaning it is his God given talent.
All the above were before he met Sir Robson. Infact 1987 following he had coached some clubs in Portugal(though U17 and U19) and was assistant coach in a senior team years before he began his work with Robson in Portugal(Sporting Lisbon).
In Sporting Lisbon a publication called "These Football Times" quoted Robson: "Robson utilised Mourinho as a sounding board, a confidante, leaning on the Portuguese’s expertise to help prepare for upcoming matches. “He’d come back and hand me a dossier that was absolutely first class,” Robson said, speaking in 2005. “[They were] As good as anything I’d received. Here he was, in his early-30s, never been a player or a coach to speak of, giving me reports as good as anything I ever got.”
You see even Robson downplays his background somewhat. That he wasn't a popular player or a world renowned coach before they both met doesn't mean he wasn't top notch. Infact by this time Mou had long finished his coaching badges put together by the England and Scottish FA'S,where he studied alongside the likes of former Scotland and Manchester United player Gordon Strachan. He had also coached teams exceptionally.
Van Gaal said of Mou when Mou assisted him as Barca manager(having taking over from Sir Robson)—"[He was] An arrogant young man, who didn’t respect authority that much, but I did like that of him. He was not submissive – he used to contradict me when I was in the wrong. Finally, I wanted to hear what he had to say and ended up listening to him more than the rest of the assistants."
Please I do not mean to say Sir Robson didn't teach Mou a lot,he sure did. Even Mou confirms this– "..He helped me to work in two clubs here and took me to one of the biggest clubs in the world. We are very different but I got from him the idea of what it is to be a top coach.”
So I just felt it necessary to unveil the big picture, just for information purposes.
If José Mourinho sees the post, I think he would smile.