Aspire in the World Fellows Book - 2023

/95 One thing you’ve said publicly is you are a very ambitious coach and that can be seen in theway you play. Again, going back to having that relationshipwith players and a teamand a squad, howdo you instil the same level of ambition into a squad? I think we cannot separate the things to create ambitious behaviours in the team. Since the first day with your speech, with your way of playing, I think if you convince the players, you can win and they believe in your ideas, is one of the biggest steps you can take. For me creating ambition in the team is every day, from the first days with the people working in the other departments, with the players and principles in the way we work and the way we play. I think when you believe in something, when you believe in your way of playing, your way of facing the game, the main job is done. You’ve coached in Portugal, in Italy, Ukraineandnowin France. Do you feel you’ve had to adapt thewayyoudeliver thatmessage, or do you stay true, and can you stay on the same path that you expect? No, I had to adapt. It’s totally different to be coaching in Ukraine, in Italy or in France, different cultures, different personalities and you have to play different championships and different ways to play. Everything is different and it is essential to adapt to that reality. Let’s talk about theway you approach the game then, becausewhen you played, youwere a defender, but your style of playandwhat you expect fromyour team is very much an attackingway of playing, high possession aswell. Howdo you go about that? When I was a player, I didn’t know anything about the game. I’m a little obsessive with some things and to dominate the games, to dominate the opponents is the key for me. I must have the initiative, I have to play in attack, I have to play in possession, it is my identity and I believe I will never lose this until the end of my career. For me, it’s not just about the results, it’s about the process and I have to confess, sometimes, I win the game and I return home very upset and sometimes I lose some games and I return home very confident. It’s about the process, about what we build, about what we believe, about the players beliefs, and that’s why for me, it’s so important to love the game, to create a good spectacle, a way to play, give pleasure to see, I know I’m a little romantic, but I feel very good with this. Is that something that you believe comes naturally by being able to deal with the players individually or is it something you canwork on, and you can learn further? I think it’s one thing inside of us that how to influence the people who work with you. We have to think first we are working with people, and just after with the players and you have so many important issues to improve. We have to grow so much in the relations that we build with the people who work with us and it was one of the first things I start to learn, the questions of leadership, because I think it so important today. STAR CHAT