Former Porto and Chelsea FC defender Paulo Ferreira and AC Milan legend Mauro Tassotti both were in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Thursday to help promote the International Champions Cup match. Northern Pitch was given a brief but exclusive interview with the two players.
Paulo Ferreira is now 37-years-old and retired from football in 2013 after a respected career playing for both Porto and Chelsea. He played 307 club matches and 62 games for Portugal. He currently works for Chelsea as both a youth coach and ambassador.
Having played in the Premier League for the majority of your career, what do you think MLS needs to do in order to join the elite leagues of the world?
PF: You can see MLS getting better every year. With quality players, as well. To be able to bring in some big names to MLS, I think it’s really important with these players, they’re experienced players. They can help the younger players with their experience. I think, like you said, it’s a question of the clubs – to invest more in the academies, to try to build elite players to play for the first teams. We know that, in the US – you know, like football – they don’t have the same things that the NFL has or other sports with scholarships and other things, where some of them or some of their parents would want to their kids to have a scholarship to help have them at a university and also follow sports. In Europe, we don’t have that. If you love football, and the soccer is the main sport, you follow soccer, you try to become professional. You try to play for a big club and play for a national team. I think if kids went out there and if clubs invest more to build more players to play for the first teams, it would help.
You played for Porto and Chelsea and therefore spent a lot of time under Jose Mourinho. What do you think his strongest attribute is as a coach?
PF: The way he prepared for games. His relationship with the players. He’s a wonderful person. Really intelligent, and he’s a winner. He wants the win, which makes the players want to follow him. We know with a manager like him, we have a good chance to succeed and win titles for him.
What sets a great fullback apart from the rest of the pack?
PF: First of all – you have to defend well. Of course, if you’re able to attack as well and support your attacking players, it’s even better because it’s a position that demands a lot of a player, physically, because you have to attack and have to defend as well. It’s not easy, but you need to have good physical attributes, physically able to make runs going forward and backwards.
What was the greatest moment in your career? Is there any one moment or a season that you look at as the highlight or the pinnacle for you?
PF: As a young boy, I had so many good moments. I have to say that my first title as a young boy [at age-21], when I won the league in Portugal – that was something where I was just watching these guys on a television.And for me to move from a small club to a big club, to Porto, was a really important moment for me because it was a dream. As a young boy, to one day play for a big team and win the league. I think that was really important for me.
Mauro Tassotti is a legend for AC Milan fans. The 56-year-old is now a scout for his old team where he played 420 matches over a 17-year span.
Who were the toughest opponents for you to match up with?
MT: Diego Maradona. At the end of the 1980’s, when we played against Napoli, he was the most difficult player to stop.
Gigi Buffon just broke the Serie A record for minutes without allowing a goal, breaking your former teammate Sebastien Rossi’s record. Whose streak impressed you more, and will the new record ever be broken?
MT: Any record can be broken. They should be broken – someone will. It was too bad for us that someone broke it, but it’s normal that a record is broken. They’re unbeatable with Buffon, a current record of 56 games without a loss. They should feel honored to have it, but one day that too will be broken.
Is there a fullback playing today that reminds you of yourself as a player, or is the game so different now that it’s hard to say?
MT: I tell you, no. (laughs) It’s hard to say right now. It’s hard to speak of ourselves – of the things we’ve done. There probably are better players now.
Interpreter: The way he [Mauro] could go up and down the line was truly unique.
As a scout, what do you look for in players at a young age?
MT: When I go and see a player, I don’t look for something outrageous. I look for specific, small things. Yes, they have to do something memorable. It’s a lucky moment that you can catch that player on that specific skill. If I see it one time, it’s difficult to pick out. If I see it many times over the course of a few games, it’s easier for it to stand out. I’ll see one game – only 90 minutes – and players will showcase many games within those 90 minutes.
Brian Quarstad contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply