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https://www.reddit.com/r/reddevils/comments/5zd2zc/funny_story_from_mourinho_on_his_career_and/Taken from this Portuguese interview, where he talks about:
- The changes he made in United's training facilities.
- The changes that happened in the Premier League from when he arrived at Chelsea for the first time to now.
- Sir Alex, how it hurt United when he left and how Mourinho sees him.
- United fans
- How long he sees himself at United
- How his personality changed as his career progressed
- How differently he is treated when compared to other coaches (Bilic and Wenger)
- What he thinks about the media and how players use it nowadays
- Shows his work place and talks about his coaching staff
First the funny story:
He basically starts off talking about Julio Cesar, currently at Benfica and was in his Inter squad. He says:
"There was a game against Fiorentina, we we're losing and then we came back, scored the "winning" goal in the 90-91th minute but then Fiorentina drew at 93/94. I enter the dressing room and as per usual i don't say anything but i saw some players, Julio for example, and others upset, like the world had ended and i didn't like that because we would be back in Florenza 2 days later to play the semi final of the cup.
And i, at the same time i was talking to them and telling them "let's wake up, we have to come here to win the semi final of the cup in 2 days, forget this result" decided to kick one of those shirts that were on the floor, i slipped, "backfliped" and fell on the floor. There was silence in the dressing room, no one dared to say a thing and i was laying there on the floor, all messed up with my back hurting".
1. The changes he made in United's training facilities.
He says they (probably him and his crew) had to put some order in the training facilities. First they divided it in 2 fields with the same size and grass as Old Trafford's.
Then he says they built another 2 with a grass called Desso, since it is a type of grass used by a lot of English clubs due to the weather. He says it is a mix of the usual grass with a tiny bit of synthetic one.
Also says they built all those fences around the pitch to avoid balls from going over and disappearing. To end of he talks how they worked in the lighting of the pitches, mentions he sometimes wants to do some training sessions at 3pm and without these new lights there were days where it was impossible.
2.The changes that happened in the Premier League from when he arrived at Chelsea for the first time to now
He starts by saying that in the end of the Ferguson era United didn't seem to realize how the Premier League was growing. How the Premier League was creating ways for every club to have financial power.
Then he gives examples: "When i arrived in 2004, i wanted to buy City's best player, and i bought (Shaun Wright-Philips, 31M). United wanted to buy Arsenal's best player, and they bought (Van Persie, 31M), wanted to buy Tottenham's best player, and they bought (Michael Carrick, 26M) and so on.
"Nowadays, the clubs grew in another dimension that the Premier League hopefully provided them, the way the TV money is distributed is almost a unique situation in the European football and all this made United stop being the "All powerful" to being part of a 5/6/7 elite followed by less powerful but never meaningless clubs, clubs that although don't have the same financial power can still fight.
(He praises Premier League for making teams more competitive)
3.Sir Alex, how it hurt United when he left and how Mourinho sees him
He kinda connects 2 with 3. He says that the exiting of SAF plus the fact teams were getting more and more competitive was a bit too much for United.
"The exit of an unique coach, that was more than a coach along with the inversion in strength in the clubs (Talking about how the clubs became more capable financially) made the club go by a period of instability where in 3 years United had 3 coaches if we consider Ryan Giggs which led to even some separation in a way between the club and the fans. Of course the fans still went to stadium and were behind the team but there wasn't that empathy."
The interviewer interrupts - "But that's changing now?"
Mourinho: "Totally, i had bad experiences here, bad results at home like draws against teams that we should win, draws where we had 70% possession like Watford, a game where we beat the record for shots on target, 23 against Burnley and people were happy leaving the stadium. The song they dedicated to me, unlike other clubs who usually sing my name or Special one, their song is about waking up in the morning, having a good feeling and how good Mourinho leads the team. Winning the championship this year is impossible, the distance is more than considerable but there is this empathy, people are happy, people like, people believe in the future".
Only about SAF: "We have the same relationship as before, a call or a text message in Christmas, a Birthday or before a more important game.
When he left United he wanted to leave and not come back but after i came here he came back and start visiting the people he worked with before. Even traveled with us 1 time to London, i told him it was non sense he would travel by private train and that he should go on car but he went by train in the end. He is so respectful that he becomes shy, it has to be us making him feel wanted, make him feel comfortable. Now he gets closer, he is an ambassador of the club and will always be but he has been doing that far from the dressing room, there are games where Sir Bobby and the director will come to the dressing room and he doesn't but I've told him he can do whatever a person of his dimension wants when it comes to the club."
(With this Mourinho wants to say that SAF can do what he wants because he respects and believes in him basically).
4. United fans
When i was asked to translate 3. i realized it wouldn't make sense if i didn't put it together with 4 so basically, everything he said about United fans is on the 3rd point. The thing he praised you guys the most for was definitely the chant, he seems to love it.
5.How long he sees himself at United
"I will stay for 3 years i believe, i believe the club understood they need some stability. Even if i don't reach that massive success that is harder and harder to reach in England but i reach some success i can see myself here as long as they want me. If both parties are happy and i have success i can see me staying for a long time."
6. How his personality has changed as his career progressed.
"Its the natural evolution of things, a thing is Porto scoring in the last minute in Old Trafford, a team of kids coached by a kid that in that moment felt that a dream could come true and another thing is 12/13 year after, now I react in a different way. But I still go home really mad after a loss and wanting to work, analyse, understand why, play again and win again that's for sure. I'm still a super happy man, I sometimes get mad and I still can get emotional with some more important wins. In that aspect i'm still the same".
7. How differently he is treated when compared to other coaches (Bilic and Wenger)
"I'm still a super happy man, I sometimes get mad and I still can get emotional with some more important wins. In that aspect i'm still the same".
"But then i understood because time and experience forced me to that i was treated in a different way, i was, in this country, forbidden to enter the stadium even when i had a ticket, i was stadium banned. This season i was also sent off for kicking a plastic bottle while a coach (Wenger) pushed a 4th official and nothing happened. Today the press tells that a coach (Bilic) picked up a microphone and threw it on the pitch and nothing happened too and i started to understand there are certain power you just can't fight and that is an unfair life lesson.
8.What he thinks about the media and how players use it nowadays
Interviewer: "Is the social media a bad thing in today's football? Does it give you headaches?"
Mourinho: No, no, i'm from the time where i, as assistant manager, was told to go to the back of the bus and see if the players were talking on the phone by my "bosses". When i got there the players were all using their phones and i would just tell him "Boss, its fine, no one is using the phone".
"In the start of the telephone era i already knew there were things you could do nothing about".
"We establish some pretty basic and necessary rules, an injured player can't release his injuries's current state until the club does it officially"
"Yes you can say that in my time it was unthinkable for a player to publish a photo of the team celebrating in the dressing room but my time was 20 years ago, there's things you don't fight"
"I have my instagram that i started because my business partners thought it was a good idea and then i got used to once a month publish a photo of an important moment, something funny, something that the people that like me will like to see, always basic things. In the end i learnt a lot from my kids, about the guys i work with, they are the same age"
9. Shows his work place and talks about his coaching staff
This one is a bit hard but i will try. First he says he brings some of his people to his new work place but that he likes to keep the people that were already there and teach them his ways, he gives everyone a chance.
He talks wonders about his assistant coach (Rui Faria), that he knows a lot about the game, that he has experience and that he knows very well how Mourinho likes things which means Mourinho trusts him fully if he ever needs to fail a training due to a reunion for example. He talks really well about the whole crew, you can see them in the end having supper.
The place that is shown at 17.08 is the place he uses to meet with players/coaches, whether is them wanting to meet or him calling them. He says some players will want to talk because they feel lack of confidence of have tactical problems.He also says he watches videos on that TV. The room he shows next is another place he says he likes to work, mentions the bike is just decoration and that the only times he uses it is when he is happy, when he wins.
17.40 is the view he gets to the training fields.
Very good interview and few insights about how he has changed training ground, how PL changed from 2004 to now.
Edit: Credit to u/thespaceman01 for translating the interview on reddit.
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