TMW
At school with Mourinho, then a globetrotting coaching career. Pedro Emanuel he was, as a footballer, one of Porto’s defensive pillars that surprised Europe. Today, after starting his career as a coach in Portugal and having also coached in Cyprus, Spain and Egypt, he leads Al-Fayha, a club in the Saudi top division. TMW caught up with him in Riyadh, to tell us about football developments in Saudi Arabia, but also to have his thoughts on his compatriot Rafael Leao: “How much is the definitive consecration of Rafael Leao awaited in Portugal? All Portuguese are waiting for the moment when he will become one of the best players in the world. He has fantastic qualities, he is a player who can make the difference in any team and against any opponent. He needs to be more continuous: I know he has had some injuries, but as a Portuguese fan and his specifically, I can say that we can’t wait. He is at the right age to become crucial for Milan and also for the national team: I think he will help Sergio to bring the Rossoneri back into the positions they want to reach. It has always been a great club and still is, it always has to fight for the top places in the table and so far this season that hasn’t happened.”
And what are the Portuguese fans’ expectations of Francisco Conceicao?
“It’s a different situation, he’s a promising young player. He has great qualities, different from those of Leao: he’s a one-on-one player, he puts more energy into the match. There are great expectations on him, especially now that he’s playing for Juventus after some good seasons at Porto. He’s a different player, maybe he’s not a first choice for the national team at the moment, but he’s always there. He’s passionate: he can make a difference in what he does, but he still has to grow and it should be given to him time”.
How much did José Mourinho influence your coaching career?“We have always talked about the Special One. He is a coach who has always inspired the people around him to become better and better, both the players and the coaches. I learned a lot from him, he was one of the reasons why I thought about becoming a coach. He made you understand the game, it was a central part of his job, and he made you think you could win a lot. Which he often achieved in his fantastic career, winning in many countries. Sometimes people forget what he did.”