Lessons from José Mourinho (Part 2)

Early in his career as head coach, Mourinho gave an interview to a Portuguese magazine that had as its main theme leadership, motivation and management of a football team. You can, in the following text, read the thoughts that, one of today's best coaches, had at the time on these issues.

How do you manage players who begin to be unhappy because they are not playing and use the newspapers to claim a place in the team?

First they have to realize the concept of team. And that takes time.

And how is the management of those individual successes and failures within the group?

I think we have to be very straight with the players. They have to know what I want from them, as a player and as a man, and that those who do not fit this profile do not fit in the group. It is simply this. If there is a player who does not accept the rules he leaves.

How do you define the line between discipline and good environment?

At first, when you start working with a new group, these boundaries have to be defined, the rules should be clearly defined. But over time they will be blurring.

So you must be more distant in the early stages?

I feel I am necessarily much more rigorous and more observer than in a later stage. My leadership in the day-to-day was up blurring with time. For example, players know perfectly well that they cannot smoke in public because I do not want. I know there are players who smoke. There are few, very few, but there are players who smoke. And I set this as one of my rules because we have a great social responsibility. So we do not smoke in public.

How do you manage the defeats?

Similarly to the management of winnings. With balance. I cannot, win a game and in the following week not train or train less, or be less rigorous. And when we lose I cannot say that my methodology is a great bullshit, I do not believe it and I'll change the rules that I had imposed on the players ... I think it all starts before the season starts. Then we have to set a profile for leadership, player, training, tactics, and believe in it. I think fundamentally we have to believe in what we are doing and the players have to believe me.

The signings of your former players at UD Leiria, Nuno Valente, Tiago and Derlei, are due solely to the individual quality of the athletes or you felt the need to have a "contact bridge" within the team?

It is easier. Accelerates the formation and the formation of a team. Primarily at the tactical and psychological level. It helps in building a group with personality. It's good that they know the coach, they know how it works and the kind of behavior that pleases you.

Do you think this label of arrogance that is set on you benefits the team?

I think the team is also arrogant. Because it is an extreme not plying to draw. I think it's an extreme arrogance to go to any field and play like you're playing in our stadium. Go on a bus, get to the Estadio da Luz and have hundreds of people to stone my players and them, instead of lowering on the bus, they laugh out. I think this arrogance on competitive terms is fantastic.

This is part of the psychological force that you pass on to your players?

I think so. For example, I arrived at the Estadio da Luz, the field was full, and the first person who entered was me, I knew perfectly well what could happen to me. And I went there to be first. When my players came they (the fans) were already a little tired of whistling me and sending me oranges, flags, sticks ... So I think my group is exactly what I am. It is arrogant. Professionally arrogant.

How far do you want to go?

When I got the head coach I decided that my goal was to get where I got as assistant coach and to win the titles won. As head coach, in this two years I reached into big club like to FC Porto, I won an European competition, I won the national championship and what I want is to win more titles. I want to work in big clubs that can bring me pressure, that can bring me responsibility, that can bring me recognition.

And to improve your skills?

Also. I think it's a shame there are no coaching courses for coaches. The courses we have are only for candidates to coaching.

Where do you find such development?

Fundamentally from my practice. In the study of my practice. And I think I have to hold on to my practice of training and theorize it. Reflect on it. If I give you the trainings I did at SL Benfica as a coach and I show you the trainings that I am doing in FC Porto, they are only separated in time by two years but they are completely different, precisely because there was an evolution of what was my methodology. Clearly I try to read, I go to sites of many countries searching for literature, videos, trainings, psychology, management, common literature... I read many things. But most important of all this is to try to theorize my practice.

What is the secret of your success?

I think I am a good coach. And I've had the competence and lucky to have surrounded myself by competent people - assistants, medical staff, players, administration - I believe in competence. And if you ask me if ten years from now I will have the same success, I tell you that believe so. And I believe that to succeed I have to be much better coach than what I am today. It is a fundamental premise for me, tomorrow I have to be better than what I am today.