- Jul 27, 2004
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- 11,368
- Staff
- #1
Taken from Glory-Glory/Enter the Pitbull.
Part 1
Having promised his first exclusive and in-depth interview to hotspur, new Head Coach Juande Ramos talks about his philosophy of football, the challenges ahead, and his desire to sample some good old-fashioned English fish and chips!
If ever there was a case for having 25 hours in a day, then Juande Ramos would be the chief advocate. Sitting down at Spurs Lodge for his first interview with hotspur, his trusty mobile phone appears on the verge of meltdown. "It's been a hectic time," says the assiduous Spaniard. "There are schedules to organise, meetings with staff, with players, sorting my office and generally trying to find myself in a new country."
Yet judging by his assured demeanour, you get the impression of a serious man thriving in his new surrounds, thriving on his new challenge. "Aside from my family, football has always been my life," he admits. "From the time when I was playing the game as a small boy to now as a coach, I have always been in an environment of football.
"Now, as a coach, I am always thinking about the game, ways I can improve my team, and it gives me satisfaction when my teams do well. This is another chapter opening for me, and coaching a big club like Tottenham in the English Premier League is another challenge but one I've always wanted. So yes, I'm very happy, even if there is plenty of hard work ahead."
Surprisingly, Ramos was a reluctant coach; a knee injury cut short his playing career at the age of 28 and, having hung up his boots with Alicantino minnows Denia, he started on the lowest rung, coaching the B teams at Elche, a particularly modest club from North East Spain. "I had no ambition to be a coach when I was a player, it didn't cross my mind," he admits. "But when I realised my playing career was over, then I had a big decision to make. Coaching was my way of staying involved in the game and that was all that mattered to me at that time. Not so much how good I could become as a coach, just to stay involved. My playing career ended too soon, too suddenly, and I didn't want to end my association with the game."
Ramos continued his education with the B team at Second Division CD Alcoyano before winning promotion to the Spanish second tier in 1995 with then up-and-coming Levante. A year later his fledgling reputation grew tenfold, having taken CD Logrones into the Primera Division, an achievement that secured a move to Barcelona's B team, playing in the second tier of Spanish football.
At first glance, there is a comparison with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene W**ger and Jose Mourinho - players without a stellar playing career who seemingly took to management with ease, but Ramos is quick to point out that there is no correlation between playing ability and success as a coach.
"I should point out that I wasn't an unknown player in Spain," he quips, pointing to the four years he had with Elche in the Primera Division during the mid-Seventies. "But even so, management is a completely different job to playing, you simply cannot draw comparisons between the two. There are examples of top players who have made the transition comfortably, while others have not been so successful.
"The fact that Ferguson, Mourinho and W**ger have been successful here is because they are very good coaches. That is all that matters, and what they did or didn't do as players are simply coincidental."
His year at Barça proved to be the only defecit on an otherwise exemplary CV. Relegation to Spain's third division in 1997 ensured his stay at the Camp Nou was short-lived, yet he recalls it as one of the most poignant periods in his managerial career. "Success at Logrones came quickly, which opened other doors of opportunity for me, and when a club with Barcelona's stature wants you, then you take it," he says.
"It wasn't the best of seasons, I agree, but it was a fantastic experience and at that stage of my development it was important to be associated with such an institution. Coaching the B team doesn't mean you are in charge of the reserve side and therefore some big players, like you have in England. It is a completely different team, a young team, and one that gets to compete in the Second Division in Spain, so in that respect it was just like coaching any other team.
"But the association gave me a good insight into how a big club was run and it provided me with a burning desire to coach at that top level. At the time, Sir Bobby Robson was in charge and we spoke regularly. He was very influential on me; we shared similar views on how the game should be played and when someone like him gives you advice, then you take it.
"He is very well respected in Spain and throughout Europe, but I wouldn't single him out as the most important influence on my career. He is one of many coaches to whom I've listened and who I have observed."
Despite the setback, Juande's ethos stood firm. His 'offensivo' style of management continued at fellow Catalans UE Lleida, before he took Rayo Vallecano into the Primera Division in 1999 and UEFA Cup qualification the following season. His reputation had been further enhanced by the endearing football now being played.
"Depending on the quality of players you have at your disposal and who you are playing against, you have to adapt to any given situation, but I like to be playing an attacking style where possible," he explains.
"It's all about striking a balance between defence and attack, but if you can entertain and get positive results at the same time, then that is perfect football for me. That was the way I had my teams playing and that has never changed. I am more than aware that this is the way Tottenham have always approached their football and what the fans demand from the team, so it's nice that we have a shared outlook on the game."
Ramos completed his conversion from lower league scholar to established Primera Liga luminary with spells at Real Betis, Malaga and Espanyol, but it was during two seasons at Sevilla that he became one of the most lauded managers in world football.
His first season was capped by leading the Rojiblancos to a 4-0 UEFA Cup final success against Middlesbrough, before beating Champions League holders Barcelona to lift the UEFA Super Cup. Last season, the UEFA Cup was retained after Espanyol were overcome on penalties, while the Copa del Rey also arrived at the Ramón Pizjuán stadium with a 1-0 win over Getafe in the final.
But a truer yardstick of how high Sevilla's stock had risen came with last season's La Liga title race, in which the side was in contention with Barça and Real Madrid until the penultimate week of the season. Third place was still the club's highest league finish, ensuring Ramos a Champions League debut.
He picked up his fifth and latest piece of silverware earlier this season with a 6-3 aggregate win against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup and, inevitably, looks back on his time at the club with fond memories. "The mentality of the players at Sevilla was a key to our success," he says modestly.
"Technically, we knew they were all very good players but we had to convert them to thinking they could compete with the best teams and then, more importantly, that they could beat them.
"Once that happened, success seemed to follow. Our form in Europe was a reflection of what was happening in the league and an environment of winning had been created within the squad. While it would be wrong to single out individuals, we improved many of the players, and that extra few per cent had a big consequence.
"When a team works it's because everyone does their job properly, both on the pitch and behind the scenes. We had unity and kept everything low key. That is the way I work. We just went out in each game, in each competition, and tried to see how far it would take us."
The joy of Sevilla's newly-acquired status was put into sharp perspective following the tragic death of winger Antonio Puerta during a league game with Getafe in August. Ramos, like everyone at the club, was deeply affected by his passing. "It has affected me the same way it has affected everyone," he said at the time of the tragedy. "You don't expect a young sportsman to lose his life and it is so hard for all of us who have worked with him. There is nothing else you can do except carry on because life is full of situations like that."
Juande prefers not to expand on such a delicate subject and while Puerta will never be far from his thoughts, life does, indeed, move on. His appointment as Tottenham boss in October saw a lifetime ambition fulfilled. Where many foreign arrivals come up with standard quotes such as: 'I've always loved English football - it's where I've always wanted to be', Juande's love for the game here is clearly deep-rooted. "I've been an admirer of English football since the World Cup in 1966," he insists. "While I've looked on from some distance, I've watched the teams, the coaches and the players with interest.
"It was always an ambition to come here and coach at some stage. I never had a set plan in my head when that time would come - I don't think you can plan like that in football. But it's all about making the most of the opportunities when they come your way, and when Tottenham expressed an interest in me, then I knew the time was right.
"There was also this feeling that after the success we'd had at Sevilla and the indifference in results this season, a change was good for everybody. Not everybody was happy when I did leave but that's how football is. If you leave, people change their opinion and you go from hero to villain in seconds. But I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. There were other offers but it was always Tottenham for me."
Some observers in the Spanish media claimed that while Ramos was correct in joining a big club in Spurs, he was about to join an inferior league. There is, indeed, a perception on the continent that the Premier League - and English players in particular - lacks the necessary technical ability and finesse, yet you won't find Ramos echoing those sentiments. "Every single country has its style: France, Spain, Italy, England... and you have to respect the style of each. You have to implement that style into the workings of your team, but I have always admired the Premier League and the players within this league.
"But to say that the English players are no good technically is completely wrong. I believe English players to be very good technically and certainly the English players we have here at Tottenham are very accomplished footballers. If they were no good, they would not be in the Premier League and they would not be here."
Part 1
Having promised his first exclusive and in-depth interview to hotspur, new Head Coach Juande Ramos talks about his philosophy of football, the challenges ahead, and his desire to sample some good old-fashioned English fish and chips!
If ever there was a case for having 25 hours in a day, then Juande Ramos would be the chief advocate. Sitting down at Spurs Lodge for his first interview with hotspur, his trusty mobile phone appears on the verge of meltdown. "It's been a hectic time," says the assiduous Spaniard. "There are schedules to organise, meetings with staff, with players, sorting my office and generally trying to find myself in a new country."
Yet judging by his assured demeanour, you get the impression of a serious man thriving in his new surrounds, thriving on his new challenge. "Aside from my family, football has always been my life," he admits. "From the time when I was playing the game as a small boy to now as a coach, I have always been in an environment of football.
"Now, as a coach, I am always thinking about the game, ways I can improve my team, and it gives me satisfaction when my teams do well. This is another chapter opening for me, and coaching a big club like Tottenham in the English Premier League is another challenge but one I've always wanted. So yes, I'm very happy, even if there is plenty of hard work ahead."
Surprisingly, Ramos was a reluctant coach; a knee injury cut short his playing career at the age of 28 and, having hung up his boots with Alicantino minnows Denia, he started on the lowest rung, coaching the B teams at Elche, a particularly modest club from North East Spain. "I had no ambition to be a coach when I was a player, it didn't cross my mind," he admits. "But when I realised my playing career was over, then I had a big decision to make. Coaching was my way of staying involved in the game and that was all that mattered to me at that time. Not so much how good I could become as a coach, just to stay involved. My playing career ended too soon, too suddenly, and I didn't want to end my association with the game."
Ramos continued his education with the B team at Second Division CD Alcoyano before winning promotion to the Spanish second tier in 1995 with then up-and-coming Levante. A year later his fledgling reputation grew tenfold, having taken CD Logrones into the Primera Division, an achievement that secured a move to Barcelona's B team, playing in the second tier of Spanish football.
At first glance, there is a comparison with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene W**ger and Jose Mourinho - players without a stellar playing career who seemingly took to management with ease, but Ramos is quick to point out that there is no correlation between playing ability and success as a coach.
"I should point out that I wasn't an unknown player in Spain," he quips, pointing to the four years he had with Elche in the Primera Division during the mid-Seventies. "But even so, management is a completely different job to playing, you simply cannot draw comparisons between the two. There are examples of top players who have made the transition comfortably, while others have not been so successful.
"The fact that Ferguson, Mourinho and W**ger have been successful here is because they are very good coaches. That is all that matters, and what they did or didn't do as players are simply coincidental."
His year at Barça proved to be the only defecit on an otherwise exemplary CV. Relegation to Spain's third division in 1997 ensured his stay at the Camp Nou was short-lived, yet he recalls it as one of the most poignant periods in his managerial career. "Success at Logrones came quickly, which opened other doors of opportunity for me, and when a club with Barcelona's stature wants you, then you take it," he says.
"It wasn't the best of seasons, I agree, but it was a fantastic experience and at that stage of my development it was important to be associated with such an institution. Coaching the B team doesn't mean you are in charge of the reserve side and therefore some big players, like you have in England. It is a completely different team, a young team, and one that gets to compete in the Second Division in Spain, so in that respect it was just like coaching any other team.
"But the association gave me a good insight into how a big club was run and it provided me with a burning desire to coach at that top level. At the time, Sir Bobby Robson was in charge and we spoke regularly. He was very influential on me; we shared similar views on how the game should be played and when someone like him gives you advice, then you take it.
"He is very well respected in Spain and throughout Europe, but I wouldn't single him out as the most important influence on my career. He is one of many coaches to whom I've listened and who I have observed."
Despite the setback, Juande's ethos stood firm. His 'offensivo' style of management continued at fellow Catalans UE Lleida, before he took Rayo Vallecano into the Primera Division in 1999 and UEFA Cup qualification the following season. His reputation had been further enhanced by the endearing football now being played.
"Depending on the quality of players you have at your disposal and who you are playing against, you have to adapt to any given situation, but I like to be playing an attacking style where possible," he explains.
"It's all about striking a balance between defence and attack, but if you can entertain and get positive results at the same time, then that is perfect football for me. That was the way I had my teams playing and that has never changed. I am more than aware that this is the way Tottenham have always approached their football and what the fans demand from the team, so it's nice that we have a shared outlook on the game."
Ramos completed his conversion from lower league scholar to established Primera Liga luminary with spells at Real Betis, Malaga and Espanyol, but it was during two seasons at Sevilla that he became one of the most lauded managers in world football.
His first season was capped by leading the Rojiblancos to a 4-0 UEFA Cup final success against Middlesbrough, before beating Champions League holders Barcelona to lift the UEFA Super Cup. Last season, the UEFA Cup was retained after Espanyol were overcome on penalties, while the Copa del Rey also arrived at the Ramón Pizjuán stadium with a 1-0 win over Getafe in the final.
But a truer yardstick of how high Sevilla's stock had risen came with last season's La Liga title race, in which the side was in contention with Barça and Real Madrid until the penultimate week of the season. Third place was still the club's highest league finish, ensuring Ramos a Champions League debut.
He picked up his fifth and latest piece of silverware earlier this season with a 6-3 aggregate win against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup and, inevitably, looks back on his time at the club with fond memories. "The mentality of the players at Sevilla was a key to our success," he says modestly.
"Technically, we knew they were all very good players but we had to convert them to thinking they could compete with the best teams and then, more importantly, that they could beat them.
"Once that happened, success seemed to follow. Our form in Europe was a reflection of what was happening in the league and an environment of winning had been created within the squad. While it would be wrong to single out individuals, we improved many of the players, and that extra few per cent had a big consequence.
"When a team works it's because everyone does their job properly, both on the pitch and behind the scenes. We had unity and kept everything low key. That is the way I work. We just went out in each game, in each competition, and tried to see how far it would take us."
The joy of Sevilla's newly-acquired status was put into sharp perspective following the tragic death of winger Antonio Puerta during a league game with Getafe in August. Ramos, like everyone at the club, was deeply affected by his passing. "It has affected me the same way it has affected everyone," he said at the time of the tragedy. "You don't expect a young sportsman to lose his life and it is so hard for all of us who have worked with him. There is nothing else you can do except carry on because life is full of situations like that."
Juande prefers not to expand on such a delicate subject and while Puerta will never be far from his thoughts, life does, indeed, move on. His appointment as Tottenham boss in October saw a lifetime ambition fulfilled. Where many foreign arrivals come up with standard quotes such as: 'I've always loved English football - it's where I've always wanted to be', Juande's love for the game here is clearly deep-rooted. "I've been an admirer of English football since the World Cup in 1966," he insists. "While I've looked on from some distance, I've watched the teams, the coaches and the players with interest.
"It was always an ambition to come here and coach at some stage. I never had a set plan in my head when that time would come - I don't think you can plan like that in football. But it's all about making the most of the opportunities when they come your way, and when Tottenham expressed an interest in me, then I knew the time was right.
"There was also this feeling that after the success we'd had at Sevilla and the indifference in results this season, a change was good for everybody. Not everybody was happy when I did leave but that's how football is. If you leave, people change their opinion and you go from hero to villain in seconds. But I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. There were other offers but it was always Tottenham for me."
Some observers in the Spanish media claimed that while Ramos was correct in joining a big club in Spurs, he was about to join an inferior league. There is, indeed, a perception on the continent that the Premier League - and English players in particular - lacks the necessary technical ability and finesse, yet you won't find Ramos echoing those sentiments. "Every single country has its style: France, Spain, Italy, England... and you have to respect the style of each. You have to implement that style into the workings of your team, but I have always admired the Premier League and the players within this league.
"But to say that the English players are no good technically is completely wrong. I believe English players to be very good technically and certainly the English players we have here at Tottenham are very accomplished footballers. If they were no good, they would not be in the Premier League and they would not be here."
