What José Mourinho Told Me About 5-a-Side

5-a-side

I once travelled to Madrid to interview José Mourinho. On the way into Real Madrid’s training ground, the state-of-the-art facility designed by architect Carlos Lamela, I passed Rui Faria, Mourinho’s trusted fitness coach. I was ushered through the sparkly halls and into a room with the great man himself. I had been granted 15 minutes with Mourinho on one condition from his sponsor: we couldn’t talk about soccer.

This was a bittersweet moment. This was to be a ‘lifestlye’ interview and questions about the raging rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona were strictly off-limits. I asked what he eats for breakfast (tea, toast, fruit), about his gym routine (45 minutes in the morning – no more, no less), other professions he admires (people who save lives) and his preference for the sweetness of Portuguese red wines over French Bordeaux.

During the interview, a man walked in and whispered a question about Dutch midfielder Royston Drenthe in Mourinho’s ear, which he thought I couldn’t hear. Mourinho shrugged and nodded. Drenthe signed on loan for Everton later that day. This was a cool moment – Mourinho sanctioning a deal on transfer deadline day. But here I was asking one of the game’s great minds about which pop star he’d most love to play at his birthday party (Bryan Adams).

The press assistant was friendly though, and I sense I could still get his take on something useful about soccer if I framed it differently, so I asked him a question for the masses.

José, what’s the best formation to use for five-a-side?

“I played five-a-side a lot when I was young. The best way to play is not in a square, it’s a diamond. In a diamond you can build three lines when you are in possession. The more lines you build, the more chances you have for good ball possession. And when you defend, you can be very, very compact. That’s why it’s the best.”

So there you go. Away from the pitch, Mourinho also had some more general advice for people starting out in life:

“You have to prepare very well for a competitive world. But everybody needs a lucky moment in their life. Do what you like, prepare the best you can, and be honest with yourself. If you do that, I think the lucky moment will come.”