Interview with Flamengo's trainer Júlio César Leal
Written by Mari , 23.01.2005
Samba Foot was granted an exclusive interview with new Flamengo’s coach Júlio César Leal. Discover his opinions about the 2005 carioca championship and his objectives for the most popular club in Brazil for this season.
Samba Foot
What did you do before becoming trainer of Vasco in 1983?
J.C Leal
I began my football career in 1972 in Olaria after having done courses in physical education to become physical preparer then trainer.
I worked between 1972 and 1975 in the professional team of Olaria as a sporting preparer then I became trainer assistant.
My first experience as trainer was in 1976 in Flamengo where I directed the youth team between 1976 and 1978.
In 1979, I was promoted trainer of the juniors until 1982.
Thereafter, I coached the U 20 team of Vasco de Gama until 1983.
In the second six-month period of the same year, I made manager of the first team at Vasco.
Samba Foot
Analyzing your first experiences as coach, Did you have a formative and enriching experiment...?
J.C Leal
During my journey to Flamengo, I considered that the most interesting was to work in a competitive and victorious team. 1977 were a year key for “Fla”: During this period, the club gained several Carioca’s championships, 5 Brazilian championships, Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 1981.
I was trainer of the youth team of the club and many of players who worked with me became professional and have even advanced in national team as it was the case with Carlos Mozer for example.
Even if the titles are significant, these are not the only objectives that a coach responsible for the young players must have. For a coach (in the first team), only the titles count. In the youth teams, the greatest pleasure for a coach is to see his players progressing and reaching the first team
Samba Foot
What do you like in your job?
J.C Leal
What I like the most is the opportunity which is given to us to know new people, new places and different cultures.
Football offers these possibilities to us because we progressively become years after years true "nomads".
The fact of meeting people in various countries of the world represents a true richness, in spite of the barrier of the language. The knowledge of different cultures brings a more complete view to us which can always help us when we are in the search of new and modern ideas, different from that which we can have in our own country.
The magic of our job, is the possibility of dividing with the players moments of relaxation, conversation and in certain cases circumstances winning, when the victories are coming.
In these moments, people can easily forgets the difficult moments of the life to live great moments of joy.
Samba Foot
That must be very gratifying for you...
J.C Leal
It is really very gratifying indeed... Here in Brazil, our people suffer much and constantly encounter difficulties in the life.
But when we support a nation, like the Flamengo one, formed by more than 30 million of people, we forget during 90 minutes the daily difficulties of life. That enables us to exceed our own limits and problems because we have this to perpetuate the victories, even if in football it is very difficult to develop them.
Samba Foot
Your career is rather typical: you trained the USA national team, Trinidad and Tobago and the Brazil U20 with which you became champion of the world in 1993. Your last club was Kazma Club in Kuwait. How do you explain this exoticism? Is this a personal choice?
J.C Leal
Since my childhood, I knew that I wanted to become a football coach. What impassioned me, was the fact of being able to travel, constantly to move.
At the beginning of my career, I worked 5 years in Olaria, 6 years and half in Flamengo and 2 years and half in Vasco.
To the United Arab Emirates, I trained during 3 years a local club before joining the Seleção as coach of the juniors and as an assistant to Parreira then of Zagallo in the principal role between 1991 and 1993.
It is as from this moment that the diversity and the originality of my course started.
I did not succeed in remaining more than one year in the same club, but I was always conscious that that belonged to the culture and the practices of the Brazilian football.
The job of trainer is very complicated in Brazil. I recall of my passage to the Sport Recife. I had a one year contract and we had been unbeaten during 5 months without losing games
A small problem with the direction caused the cancellation of my contract.
With Coritiba, in the state of Parana, I carried out my mission in good manners. After more than 4 months of competition and a poor start, we went up the slope, to win many matches of which the "classico" against Atlético and we regain the first places.
Suddenly, without never knowing the true reason, The club announced to me that they did not need me any more.
Thereafter, after one period of stability, I started to travel what enabled me to be what I am today, to know to communicate with people, to have a different vision from professional football and my country in particular.
I think that it was my mission after having worked so much years at the same places.
However, to change clubs one, two or three times per year was never a personal decision.
Samba Foot
However it is what happened?
J.C Leal
Yes. In my opinion, it is preferable to remain in the same club during several years.
I see there are much more advantages for the club and me too.
However, it is the reality of the modern football.
What we must do, it is to respect it and plant the seeds which will germinate later. Sometimes, the future will be between the hands of other people, but it is not a problem. Us orderlies with humility seeds that someone else will collect.
If nobody had sown anything before me in Fla, I will not be able today with the club to collect the fruits planted by other people.
