Coach Vicente Moreno (Masanasa, Valencia; 47 years old) moves with ease in the remodeled and more professionalized Ciudad Deportiva del Espanyol. The results endorse him. He surprised Madrid in Cornellà and adds the same points (17) in the League as Barcelona, his rival this Saturday at the Camp Nou (21.00). He is cordial, but prudent. It is defined as a worker type.
Not in vain is the King Midas of promotions. If a club wants to upgrade, it seems like they have to knock on Vicente Moreno’s door. He got it with Nàstic (first to Second B and later to Second A); He made Mallorca jump from Second B to First, and last season he returned Espanyol to the gold category. No promotion, probably, marked him as much as the one he achieved in 2009 with Xerez to First when he played as a midfielder.
Question. Will the evolution of the industry make clubs like Xerez disappear?
Answer. If we look at everything that football has changed in recent years, it seems that more time has passed than it really did. Same sport, same things, but from a completely different society. At Xerez, a club that habitually struggled to get to the First Division, there were many financial problems. You could go eight or nine months without getting paid. Nowadays, in more amateur football that can happen, but in professional football it is very difficult. However, it seems to me that the necessary importance is not given to that football. Everything is focused on the First.
P. Are you talking about the media?
R. No. That football is what nurtures the First. They are categories that are needed. Not everyone is lucky enough to play in the First Division. We should take care of them so that they can survive.
P. In a difficult situation at Xerez, you went from player to coach in the 2011-2012 season. Is it similar to Xavi’s at Barcelona?
R. I do not think it is similar. I went on to train 90% of my former teammates.
P. How was your case?
R. Without anesthesia, I went to training. It was very difficult. I was two months of second. It was a learning process in which I was even too green to be an assistant. I’m not even talking to him to be the first coach. But, because of that ethical and moral obligation that I have with that club, I felt a bit obliged to take the step forward. Now with perspective, I don’t know if I would. I was very daring.
P. He says he was very green and there is a lot of talk about the importance of experience, but nevertheless in the League there are only two coaches over 60: Ancelotti (62) and Pellegrini (68).
R. It has an explanation. There is a very great professional and personal attrition. I would say that even physical. In a short time, I have gray hair, wrinkles and I have even lost hair. I enjoy it a lot, I don’t know what to do if I’m not doing this, but the wear is brutal. In addition, it is very difficult to maintain. And, when you look at the media, it seems that everyone knows more than the technician about what to do.
P. It bothers?
R. Not at all. Nor is it something that I am very aware of. I also understand that everything that football has is thanks to that repercussion.
P. Is the burnout of the speaker suffered by the coaches who are more interventionists or those who are more managers?
R. Regarding interventionist coaches and managers, this is something I agree on in theory. In practice, to be at the first level, the coach has capacity in all areas. In some it will shine more and in others less.
P. Do you feel closer to the manager or the interventionist?
R. I feel close to everything. If we talk about positional play, we all like Guardiola. But when we do the transitions, there is Mourinho. And on defense, Simeone.
P. And in group management?
R. There is a lot of difference between what is seen from the outside and what actually happens.
P. Do you manage well?
R. I try.
P. Is Raúl de Tomás an example?
R. The credit goes to him. He has taken what he has and I think he still has a lot of margin. So, I must not finish managing it well because all that margin has not appeared. Raúl is a fantastic boy, with tremendous humility. He focuses a lot on him and everything he does has an impact.
P. Is that good or bad for the technician?
R. I prefer it to be calm. When it is focused it is because it attracts, but it cannot be passed either. It is not his place to carry that backpack.
P. Are your teams recognizable?
R. I am convincent that is yes. There will be days when it is clearer and others when it is less. But the intention, which is the most important thing, shows. Then there is a rival, who can determine that that intention can be shown more or less forcefully. There’s also your team’s ability to win when you can’t get the idea across.
P. How against Barcelona?
R. For instance. With the difficulty that it has, we do not know exactly what we are going to find. From the outset, there are no references to the rival’s positioning. We can look at Al-Sadd [anterior equipo de Xavi], but they are not the same players nor is it the same team.
P. So how do you prepare for a match like this?
R. Looking at everything. There is nothing random here. You don’t flip a coin. People may think that a decision has no explanation and I can assure you that everything that is done is well thought out.
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