Possession not everything, says new Dynamos coach
NEW DELHI: On Monday, Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Delhi Dynamos officially unveiled Miguel Angel Portugal as their new manager on a oneyear deal.
Portugal’s coaching abilities first came to the fore at Real Madrid’s ‘C’ and ‘B’ sides. Since then, he has managed La Liga side Racing Santander before moving to clubs in Brazil and Algeria.
Speaking mostly in Spanish, the excitement was clear as Portugal addressed the media .“I like being a part of new projects from their developmental stage. I expect the league to take off in popularity in a few years and I am excited to be a part of this football revolution in India”, he said on the decision to join the Dynamos.
His managerial style, like many of his com patriots, is based on keeping the ball. “I want to play to win, and to do so we must keep possession but also play intelligently. We mustn’t keep possession for possession’s sake”. This doesn’t mean the Dynamos will look to bring in a lot of Spanish players. “I prioritise talent over nationality”, was his reply when asked if he would look to use more Spanish players.
Given that Portugal worked extensively with Real Madrid’s youth sides, it should come as no surprise that he is looking forward to coaching Indian young- sters. “I intend using my experience from Real Madrid to teach young Indian players. Indian players are speedy and have a passion for the game,” he said.
However, he will have a lot more on his hands than just coaching. The Dynamos chose to retain none of their players going into this year’s player draft, which means the manager will have to build a squad from scratch.
But this didn’t seem to worry Portugal. “I have seen many I-League and ISL games before coming so I am wellprepared for the draft ,” said the manager, who was also unperturbed about how much the club would have to spend to get a new marquee player. “It is the president’s money, not mine”, he quipped when asked about the signing.
The long-term goal of the Dynamos is to build from the bottom up with an emphasis on bringing in young players.
This is why the club believes
Portugal is them an for the job; his football philosophy is based around winning and bringing in new talent.