Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has revealed the secrets behind some of the psychological tricks he claims have helped him to be so successful. Mourinho spoke to 150 coaches from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), at an event held at UCLA during the Spanish club's pre-season tour of the US. He told the group that he sometimes had to assume a negative image for the good of the team.
"The image you send outside is the bad part of assuming responsibility," the Portuguese coach said, according to the Spanish sports daily
Marca.
"You need to know that, when you do not behave like everyone else, you create negative feelings among people but positive feelings among your own people.
"When you are the leader, you cannot forget that. I take that on myself. I do not care what other people think, only my own."
Mourinho said it was important that coaches helped their players deal with the pressure of playing for a leading club by building close personal bonds.
"In these clubs, there is always pressure and I teach them to live with it and learn from it, as they have it on and off the pitch," he said. "And it is not a problem for me to share emotions - to kiss a player, cry with him, criticise him ... that is all part of being a family."
Debate was healthy but having everyone pulling in the same direction within the club was an important factor in success, Mourinho said.
"The group is something you can control, but I do not want to say that I want to control the club, not at all," he said. "I always say I do not control my house - my wife does that - and similarly it is not my dream to control the club.
"But when you see that you are influencing the philosophy of the club, you see we are all going in the same direction.
"I am not saying I am always right. I am open to people who tell me I am wrong, I like that - that they make me think or reconsider. But everything is easier when your ideas have an impact on the club."
This created an unbreakable connection between coaches and players which lasted even when they no longer worked together, Mourinho claimed.
"We are open in a positive way to share experiences, criticisms and ideas to create connections," he said. "When I say forever I mean forever, because all the players we have had at Chelsea, Porto and Inter are not our ex-players, they still remain our players. And they do not talk of their ex-boss, they say: 'You are my boss.' They are everlasting ties."
Mourinho, who last year became the first manager to win all three major European leagues - English, Italian and Spanish - said his own thirst for more trophies helped drive his players on to success.
"People ask me how I motivate my players," he said. "I do it with my own motivation. This is the motor, nothing more. It is key that you always show this motivation to others."
