Vicente Del Bosque, the former meritorious coach of Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, recently accepted an exclusive interview. He recalled some details of his time coaching the "Galacticos".
Let's talk about Real Madrid during the Galacticos era, you must remember
No, no, no, I have to tell you, before you ask any questions, I want to say that I have always tried to be a good predecessor and have been doing so for so many years. It just so happens that Real Madrid just lost 2-5 this week (lost to Atletico Madrid in the recent derby). If I talk about Real Madrid at this time, people will say, ‘Look, this guy has been silent, and now he speaks out when the team loses’, so we won’t talk about this game.
We won't talk about that game, don't worry. I'd love to know, for example, what's it like to manage a young player like Anelka? Because you have to manage some players with strong personalities in your coaching career, I was interested in understanding how to deal with those types of people.
He may be one of those players who is a bit... not to say the least disciplined, but emotionally restrained, but he didn't create too many problems for us. He was a good kid and even though he was left out of the team for a week or two because of a little thing, he also helped us become European champions and we can't forget that. I also admire him very much, but each of us has some shortcomings.
Has Figo's arrival changed something in the locker room?
I think he was also well received. In the world of football, some things seem impossible. A Barcelona player who is deeply loved by the people of Barcelona suddenly comes to Real Madrid. This may seem a bit conflicting, but it must be viewed quite calmly.
This has happened in both directions, Luis Enrique also went there from Real Madrid not long ago, or before or after, I can't remember now. But these situations have occurred in both directions.
Can you imagine this happening in today's modern football? For example, Barcelona players go to Real Madrid, or vice versa.
Yes, yes, I think it can. This could happen, I don't know, I don't have a clear example off the top of my head right now, but my feeling is that something like this could happen at any time. After what happened with Figo, we won't find this dramatic.
Zinedine Zidane as a player and Zidane as a coach, what do they have in common?
I can only evaluate him as a player. He is one of the club's greatest signings and a very good player. He is very strict with himself and equally strict with his teammates. And, with all due respect, I think he had a little trouble adapting at first.
He comes from Italian football, where the style of play and the way training is understood are different. I think it took him some time to adapt to us at first, but if we asked him now which period he was better at, Juventus or Real Madrid, I think he would say Real Madrid. I think so.
Not long ago, last week, we talked with Ruben de la Rede, and he told us that although Zidane seems to be a serious person, he actually has a sense of humor and is a very cheerful person in the locker room. Do you feel the same way?
Yes, yes. Well, he's very measured, he's very quiet, he's very sharp-eyed, and that also allows you to understand the character of the players. Each of us is different. The most important thing is that they have to think about themselves and perform at their best, but also think about the team, that's the most important thing.
I think Zidane’s character is different from Ronaldo. I want to talk a little bit about the former player, who is now the president of Valladolid. Ronaldo said you are the coach who understands him best. What do these words mean to you?
I understand him completely, yes, yes. I think it’s very important to have a friendly, loving, harmonious atmosphere in the dressing room. A healthy work environment is vital to our success. If we can go with what the players want, that would be even better. Why do we have to yell at them all day long, why do we have to be angry with them all day long? No. I believe that everyone must be accepted as they are. Ronaldo, to me, is an example of a player who needs to be happy to play well.
I see the smile on your face when you talk about him. I guess that locker room must be very happy when those types of players are around, right?
Yes, yes, of course. It doesn't bother me at all because he's very obedient, but he wants to have fun playing football. They have that right too, and all of us as coaches love to make them happy through competition.
source:vn 7m cn2