Jimu News reporter Chen Yangyang
Correspondent: Lu Lu Hao Bo
25 years of coaching career, 8 years of youth training experience for Chinese players, and countless tactical drills...... Unknowingly, Portuguese coach Suarez, who is in his 50s, has spent three years in China. He is cheerful and talkative in life, and he incarnates as an unsmiling "general" on the court, directing the players to attack, defend, and cooperate......
Suarez (photo by Jimu News reporter Chen Yangyang)
As in previous years, Suarez took advantage of the Spring Festival, one of the few breaks of the year, to meet up with friends and have a drink, which is the greatest happiness for him.
From player to coach, identity has changed, love has changed
Portugal is a veritable European powerhouse in football. Suarez played football for 16 years before retiring in his 30s before becoming a coach.
The change of identity is no small challenge for Suarez.
"I started leading teams in the third division of Portugal and then I went to the second division of Portugal, and over the years you can really feel the modern transformation of the way football is played. "When I was a player, the whole team was very demanding of individual ability, physical confrontation, dribbling and so on, and some players could just turn the game around with their individual ability. But now it's completely different, modern football relies on teams, without a good cooperation, it is difficult to score goals on an individual alone. ”
Suarez gives tactical guidance on the pitch (photo provided by the interviewee)
With the popularization of modern football concepts, Suarez's eyes have gradually shifted from official league teams to youth teams. He believes that some young players, such as 17 or 18-year-olds, although they are particularly talented, are not well developed and do not open their horizons, and eventually "disappear from the crowd". This needs to be continuously improved through youth training and competitions.
As a result, the Portuguese resolutely transformed into a tactical coach of the youth team, and taught for more than a decade. Although his identity has changed from player to coach, Suarez's love for football has not changed, in his own words, "I don't know what I can do other than football." ”
He became attached to China and decided to come to China to teach
In 2016, when more and more Chinese players began to stay abroad. There are also many Asian faces in the Portuguese academy. Out of curiosity, Suarez began to gradually learn about the youth training program of Chinese football.
Through one game after another, he found that in fact, these Chinese children who stayed abroad are not bad in terms of personal ability, no less than European players, but they have not played results.
Suarez believes that Chinese players need to implement modern football concepts. Coincidentally, Chinese youth football also needs a "foreign coach", so that players can really learn from studying abroad and improve their level.
Later, Suarez signed a contract with the Chinese side to officially coach Hubei Youth Star Football Club.
Suarez (first from right) and team interpreter Hao Bo (second from right) (photo provided by the interviewee)
According to the club's assistant coach, more than 90% of the club's players are 17 or 18 years old, very young, and are currently training in the Chinese Second League, and will also participate in the Greater Bay Area U19 competition later. Many of the players are also international players or candidates for the current national youth Under-19 team.
It was in such a particularly young team that Suarez embarked on a new "challenge".
In 2021, a large number of Chinese players have returned to China one after another, and Suarez also came to China with the players, opening another chapter in his life.
When I came to China, I found that it was completely different from what I thought
"It's different, it's very different. Talking about the first feeling of coming to China, Suarez told reporters again and again, "Only when you come to the field for an in-depth understanding will you find that China is really completely different from what you think." ”
Before arriving in China, Suarez believed that the Chinese in Portugal were "cold" and did not like to be disturbed. But after coming to China, because of his long-term residence in Wuhan, Suarez began to contact more Chinese, and he found that the so-called "coldness" was completely "stereotype".
"My neighbors often greet me, put Spring Festival couplets on my door during the Spring Festival, and invite me to Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. The enthusiastic Chinese made the Portuguese in a foreign land "uncomfortable". As a result, Suarez often "returned the favor", inviting neighbors and friends to watch football games, give jerseys, play table tennis, parties, and so on. The Chinese tradition of "courtesy and exchange" has been well understood by Suarez.
Suarez (first from right) studies tactics in the team's dressing room (photo courtesy of the interviewee)
Of course, Suarez's biggest shock was the mobile payment. "I really envy the Chinese and only take their phones with them when they go out. Europe still uses a lot of banknotes and coins, and although mobile payment is also popular, it still feels difficult to go out without banknotes. China is a different story. Grocery shopping, drinking, cycling, everything is operated by mobile phones, it's incredible. ”
However, there is one thing that Suarez has not been able to get used to so far, and that is the diet. In the three years he came to Han, Suarez has been to many cities and tasted the food of various places, but he has not had a good appetite. He felt that these meals were too spicy, and only "fried beef river" was the favorite of this European diner.
Emptying yourself during the Spring Festival and drinking a little wine is the greatest happiness
For Suarez, the team's suspension is one of the few breaks he has, and the multi-day Spring Festival holiday is really rare.
The Portuguese also gave himself a holiday this year to take a good rest and go around Wuhan. Walking, drinking coffee and having a drink have become Suarez's "celebrations" this year.
Director of Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau (middle) and Suarez (first from left) (photo provided by the interviewee)
"During training, I also rode a shared bike every night, but most of the time I was analysing tactics, how to communicate with the players, how to make the team's attack more fluid, how to improve the players' ability to read the game...... My mind is full of football and now I finally have time to leave it behind. Emptying myself and having a drink is the best way for me to celebrate. Suarez smiled and talked to reporters about the arrangements for this year's Spring Festival.
"And I do need to go around a lot and see for myself the traditional Chinese culture, which I'm still a beginner in. He added, "I also hope to be able to bring the team better after the break." ”
At the end of the interview, Suarez also sent blessings to netizens through a video: "Happy New Year, Happy Year of the Dragon!"
(Source: Jimu News)
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