Itâs natural for me to think we can go all the way
Tottenham Hotspurâs manager, Andre Villas-Boas, 35, talks about the man who inspired him, and living up to fansâ expectations
The alarm on my BlackBerry wakes me up at 6.30. Itâs half an hour before my wife, Joana, and our kids â Carolina and Benedita â get up. Theyâre only two and three years old and it means I can get dressed and leave without them knowing, which is probably best.
We live in central London and it takes me about 50 minutes to get to Tottenhamâs training ground in Enfield. Iâll have breakfast there â something like a yoghurt and an orange juice, and occasionally a bit of white toast and butter. In Portugal, where I come from, I might have three or four espressos a day, but here itâs just a white coffee with lots of sugar.
After breakfast Iâll meet with my coaching staff to plan training. The players have to arrive half an hour before training starts, but most of them will come in earlier for treatments and a pre warm-up. Training begins at 10.30 and we work with the ball all the time. Itâs intense for all of us.
We like our sessions to last a good 90 minutes. All the players work hard and their commitment this season has been great. Weâre in a good position in the league table and we want to keep moving forward. A European trophy means a lot to any club, and to be one of eight teams left in the Europa League gives us huge motivation.
In Portugal, every kid dreams about becoming a footballer. I was no exception
We finish about midday, then Iâll go back to my office, reflect on the morningâs session, and talk to the coaches about who did well and who didnât do well. Iâll also speak to the medics to see if there have been any new injuries. Once training finishes, players are free to either have lunch at the canteen or go. I usually stay and have a bite to eat â maybe pasta with a pesto or bolognese sauce.
In Portugal, every kid dreams about becoming a footballer. I was no exception. My first memories of football are of the club my family supported, my local team â FC Porto. Iâve been going to see them from the age of four. Then, when I was 17, I met Sir Bobby Robson and my life changed. At the time, he was manager of Porto and lived in my block. We got talking one day so I quizzed him about tactics and players and he invited me to come and watch the team in training.
I spent a lot of time with Sir Bobby. He inspired me. From then on, my dream was to manage my own team. I went on to coach Portoâs youth players, and years later Porto invited me back to be their manager. In one season we won the Portuguese league, the Portuguese cup, and the Europa League.
Today itâs a privilege to be the manager of Tottenham, and this season there are definitely a few expectations for us to live up to. Of course, the Premier League can be unpredictable; it changes from one week to the next. But we want to finish in the top four⦠we want to qualify for the Champions League.
As a manager, one of the things Iâve realised over the years is you not only learn a lot about yourself, but you learn a lot about others, too. One of the charities Iâve been working with is the Laureus Foundation. It focuses on kids from difficult social backgrounds all over the world, and its aim is to inspire them, show them the kind of things they can do with their lives.
I like to leave the ground by 5pm, and when I get home Iâll unwind by playing with the kids. In Portugal, dinner isnât served until at least 8 and Joana and I keep to that tradition. Weâll have a lot of Portuguese dishes, such as chicken and beer stew, but we also like things like feijoada, which is a Brazilian dish of pork and black-bean stew, or another one called picanha, which is rump of beef.
Unless thereâs a game on TV I wonât watch anything, as the girls usually take over both televisions in the house. Around 10pm weâll put them to bed, which is always a big, big fight. Weâll go to bed straight after. The last thing Iâll do is set my alarm to wake me up at 6.30 â really, Iâm no different from any other person in any other job.
Tottenham Hotspurâs manager, Andre Villas-Boas, 35, talks about the man who inspired him, and living up to fansâ expectations
The alarm on my BlackBerry wakes me up at 6.30. Itâs half an hour before my wife, Joana, and our kids â Carolina and Benedita â get up. Theyâre only two and three years old and it means I can get dressed and leave without them knowing, which is probably best.
We live in central London and it takes me about 50 minutes to get to Tottenhamâs training ground in Enfield. Iâll have breakfast there â something like a yoghurt and an orange juice, and occasionally a bit of white toast and butter. In Portugal, where I come from, I might have three or four espressos a day, but here itâs just a white coffee with lots of sugar.
After breakfast Iâll meet with my coaching staff to plan training. The players have to arrive half an hour before training starts, but most of them will come in earlier for treatments and a pre warm-up. Training begins at 10.30 and we work with the ball all the time. Itâs intense for all of us.
We like our sessions to last a good 90 minutes. All the players work hard and their commitment this season has been great. Weâre in a good position in the league table and we want to keep moving forward. A European trophy means a lot to any club, and to be one of eight teams left in the Europa League gives us huge motivation.
In Portugal, every kid dreams about becoming a footballer. I was no exception
We finish about midday, then Iâll go back to my office, reflect on the morningâs session, and talk to the coaches about who did well and who didnât do well. Iâll also speak to the medics to see if there have been any new injuries. Once training finishes, players are free to either have lunch at the canteen or go. I usually stay and have a bite to eat â maybe pasta with a pesto or bolognese sauce.
In Portugal, every kid dreams about becoming a footballer. I was no exception. My first memories of football are of the club my family supported, my local team â FC Porto. Iâve been going to see them from the age of four. Then, when I was 17, I met Sir Bobby Robson and my life changed. At the time, he was manager of Porto and lived in my block. We got talking one day so I quizzed him about tactics and players and he invited me to come and watch the team in training.
I spent a lot of time with Sir Bobby. He inspired me. From then on, my dream was to manage my own team. I went on to coach Portoâs youth players, and years later Porto invited me back to be their manager. In one season we won the Portuguese league, the Portuguese cup, and the Europa League.
Today itâs a privilege to be the manager of Tottenham, and this season there are definitely a few expectations for us to live up to. Of course, the Premier League can be unpredictable; it changes from one week to the next. But we want to finish in the top four⦠we want to qualify for the Champions League.
As a manager, one of the things Iâve realised over the years is you not only learn a lot about yourself, but you learn a lot about others, too. One of the charities Iâve been working with is the Laureus Foundation. It focuses on kids from difficult social backgrounds all over the world, and its aim is to inspire them, show them the kind of things they can do with their lives.
I like to leave the ground by 5pm, and when I get home Iâll unwind by playing with the kids. In Portugal, dinner isnât served until at least 8 and Joana and I keep to that tradition. Weâll have a lot of Portuguese dishes, such as chicken and beer stew, but we also like things like feijoada, which is a Brazilian dish of pork and black-bean stew, or another one called picanha, which is rump of beef.
Unless thereâs a game on TV I wonât watch anything, as the girls usually take over both televisions in the house. Around 10pm weâll put them to bed, which is always a big, big fight. Weâll go to bed straight after. The last thing Iâll do is set my alarm to wake me up at 6.30 â really, Iâm no different from any other person in any other job.
