-A coach from Mozambique at the head of a large club like Roma …
-Yes, I was born there by my father. At that time Portugal had many fighters in various countries in Africa and my father, a soldier, was assigned to Mozambique. Later, when the war ended, he decided to stay and my mother with him. That is why I was born there, although we returned to Portugal when I was only one year old. I have no memories, but my parents have always spoken to me with great adoration about Mozambique.
-How about your first year at Calcium?
-Well. Italian football has been a great surprise for me, it has a very high level. He knew his teams are strong and organized, but they also attack and are not just defensive. The top scorer in Europe has been Immobible and until the confinement Series A was the one that scored the most goals among the greatest in Europe. I have not done the calculation afterwards, but I am convinced that it has been maintained. It is an offensive tournament, with a lot of show and goals.
-Is the ‘catenaccio’ already history?
-It is true that tactically and defensively the Italian teams are strong, but we must end this myth. From an offensive point of view, Calcium is one of the best in Europe.
-You have finished the season in the best way, seven wins and a draw …
-We had to adapt to the post-confinement period, a stage that was undoubtedly difficult. The team was reunited, we made a fantastic championship final and we only tied with Inter and in the final minutes. We are in a good moment, motivated by the results.
“Sevilla are lucky to have a coach as strong and as qualified as Lopetegui. He leaves no doubt, he is a huge coach”
-And a Roma-Sevilla arrives in the Europa League, what are you waiting for?
-Sevilla is a great team and has a great coach. They have made a very good League. It is a very difficult tie. We are very psyched. We know Sevilla well. He has won the title three times in the last six years, of course he is one of the strongest teams out there. His recent past in the tournament shows this. What he has done is only within reach of the great teams.
-Can you dominate the Europa League as Madrid dominates the Champions League or is it a 'passing' tournament for the big teams?
-It's a mini Champions. You have to have many qualities and a lot of experience to overcome it. Sevilla has specialized in winning this tournament and that is difficult. Playing against such an experienced team, which won the title so many times, is a very difficult task for us.
-You know Lopetegui well, Sevilla coach …
-Yes, we know each other both professionally and personally. It was the coach who replaced me the year after I went to Porto. We have talked many times and we have a good relationship. He is a technician that I admire very much. Their teams are very intense, very dynamic. Sevilla are lucky to have such a strong and qualified coach. He leaves no doubts, he is a huge technician.
-Do you think that your decisions were correct: the national team, Madrid …?
-We trainers always think that we make the best decisions. The reality is that he has been in great teams and that shows his qualities.
-One of the successes of Portugal at the moment is the level of its coaches, what is it due to?
-A change that occurred a few years ago at the Portuguese coaching school. There is a high level training. The federation and the coaches association transformed the methodology and that is why today we have so many Portuguese coaches throughout Europe. In addition to that, the Portuguese coach has the ability to adapt to different contexts, and that is a great weapon. And we also have reference coaches who open the doors to the rest in the great championships. The important thing is that there was a change of mentality in the Portuguese coach, in the way of thinking and approaching the game. Today there is a lot of level.
“Guardiola is unique to me. There will hardly be anyone like Guardiola in the near future.”
-Who were your references?
-I have my level and try not to be a copy of any. Mourinho is and continues to be the benchmark coach for all the Portuguese for everything he won and achieved. Obviously, that's why he's one of the technicians that I looked at and admired. But, for game level, I always said that I am a great admirer of Guardiola. For me it is unique. There will hardly be anyone like Guardiola in the near future.
-When did you decide to become a coach?
-When I was nearing the end of my career, I saw the game differently. Jorge Jesus is another of the technicians who influenced me a lot, especially in the defensive aspects. I went through all the steps of Portuguese football: fourth division, third, second and first. It was a very fast climb and one that I am proud of. I have won titles like the Portuguese Cup with Braga and I have finished third in Portugal with Paços. I place as much value on that as winning national leagues. They have been very happy times in my career.
-Where does football evolve?
– Soccer is changing a lot from the tactical point of view. It is a faster, more intense football, in which it is difficult to find spaces, and there are many more transitions. There is a need for teams that do not have the ball to recover it quickly because it is very difficult to find spaces before the defensive organizations of the rivals.
-Is that the idea of your Rome?
-We are a team with a very high high pressure, when we lose the ball the reaction to recover it is very intense. This allows us to play the ball in more advanced areas of the field. The team feels good like this.
-In the post-Totti era in Rome, what strategy has the club followed?
-We changed many players since I arrived last summer, young boys came, footballers who wanted to grow at a higher level. It is true that we keep experienced people like Dzeko or Kolarov, but we have a team of many young people. If this team is given continuity, it can become very strong in the future.
“Dzeko is a special player. He has scored 16 goals, but he does not shoot penalties …”.
-Are Dzeko-type tank forwards dying out?
-He is a special player. He has scored 16 goals, but he does not shoot penalties. There are other players in Italy who did many more but shooting penalties. He could have been above them on the list. He has enormous qualities and experience. Today it is not easy to find forwards with these characteristics, strong, of reference.
-You have reappeared with young midfielders like Zaniolo or Pellegrini …
-We have Zaniolo, who was injured for six months, Pellegrini, but also Mancini, Ibañez, Diawara, Veretout, Villar, Carles Pérez, Kluivert, Under … Our team is full of young players who can be the future of the Rome.
“If this Rome is given continuity, it can become very strong in the future.”
– Why the bet by Spanish talents like Gonzalo Villar or Carles Pérez?
-Young Spanish players like to have the ball, they are technically strong … We must also understand that Italian football is very specific and tactical, and any young person needs adaptation. Carles Pérez has been at a great level in the way of training and playing, getting better. And Villar too. He has played less, comes from the second division, but there are huge expectations around him. On the last day against Juventus he played a great game.
-How can Roma – and any team from Italy – approach Juventus, absolute dominator for a decade?
-There are two possibilities to be stronger. Invest as Juve and Inter invest – Rome does not have that possibility right now – or give continuity and do a job to sustain the future. That is our way. Betting on young people, who gain experience, and through continuity in their work, do what Atalanta has done, for example: be closer to the former and be able to fight for the title.
-But Cristiano there is only one … and he's at Juve. What do you think of your compatriot?
– It is a unique case. Italian football for a striker is supposed to be difficult, but in two seasons he has maintained his level and managed to remain champion. Keep scoring, being decisive and at your usual level.