words Roger Hughes pictures James Davies
Swansea City manager Paulo Sousa
is a believer. He believes in God
and the Catholic religion, but he
also believes in himself and his
own ability.
Sousa calls himself special, but you sense The culmination of his time there came Sousa`s dismissal is currently in the hands
talking and listening to him that it is a when the club was crowned European of his solicitors, so he would only say,
different breed of special to his good champions. His last act was to lift the “What hurts is the lack of respect, this
friend and former Chelsea manager Jose European Cup before moving to Borussia is what hurts. I don`t want to touch the
Mourinho. Dortmund in Germany. past. I am one hundred percent with
Swansea.”
Having played 50 odd times for Portugal, He won the European Cup again with
represented some of Europe’s greatest Borussia, so was part of a European “I love the club and I love the city.
football clubs and worked under some championship side in successive The way they introduced themselves,
of the best known names in European seasons with two different clubs. Fame especially the chairman and the people
football, the 39-year-old believes it is the accompanied him but he says he dealt around him, their way of thinking is like
experience he has gained which makes with it as he deals with it today. mine. When you go to some new place
him special and which he can now impart you can feel a feeling and I feel this about
to his players. “Everyday it is an important place to grow the city and the club.
and for that we need to be focused in
In his early days Sousa would help his everything around us. “From the fi rst moment when I spoke to
father cultivate the plot of land where the Chairman Huw Jenkins by phone we
they grew food. “I was a very shy kid, “From the moment I left home I put started to get a good feeling about each
but always trying to fi nd a way to in my mind that I want to be the best other. And then when I came everything
know everything. I was curious about professional footballer I can. For that you became clear from his side and from my
everything,” he continued. need to be dedicated and be focused on side. This is the best way to start a good
everything which happens around you.” relationship.
“We played football everywhere, often in
the roads and the streets and when a car During his time at Borussia, Sousa started “It is important to have vision and to
came along we had to stop. I learnt a lot to pick up injuries which were to plague create philosophy to build an identity as a
from that.” him for the remainder of his career. He team. I know what to do and I know how
fi nished with spells in Greece and Spain to do it. I have the knowledge. We talk in
He wanted to become of the best. before hanging up his boots in 2002 and the club about my ideas and everyone has
From the roads and streets of Viseu in embarking on a managerial career which tried to help me and support me to put all
Northern Portugal, his journey was to would take him from the Portugal under my knowledge into achieving this success.
take him across Europe and he became a 15 side, assistant manager of the full I do not feel so much pressure. I am very
member of Portugal’s Golden Generation. National side to his latest appointment, confi dent in myself.”
“Something in my destiny. It is what the Swansea City.
life give me;” he refl ects in his broken, but It might be easy to confuse his confi dence
very acceptable, English. One of Sousa`s previous contacts was for arrogance. That would be a mistake.
the former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe He is also grateful for the skills God has
By the time he was aged 15 he was playing Scolari who recommended him to the given him and how those have shaped his
for Benfi ca, based in Lisbon about 300 co-owner of Queens Park Rangers Flavio life. “Life has given me the opportunity
kilometers from Viseu. For someone so Briatore. Sousa was appointed manager in to play football, to get money and to get
attached to his family and friends it was a November last year. success. I am always proud to be part of
long way from home. football, at the moment as a manager, but
His tenure was a short one even by more than a manager as a person. I give
After Benfi ca and a year at the other football managerial standards, just twenty all of my knowledge to everyone because
Lisbon team, Sporting, came a move to six games before he was sacked - accused I am like that. In that way I feel very, very
Italian giants Juventus and during his two of divulging sensitive information, that a special.”
years in the country, Sousa gulped in the player had been loaned out without his
language and the culture. permission.
football
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issue9twothousand&nine
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