CHAPTER 521: ASKING FOR NEW STAFF AND PLAYERS

"Oh, that’s right," Mourinho suddenly said.

"What’s wrong?" Ricahrd asked back.

"How long will the contract between us be?" Mourinho finally brought up the most crucial question.

O’Neill had signed a four-year contract with the club in his second term. If possible, Mourinho wanted the same too — so he would have enough time to fulfill and actualize everything he had envisioned. Managers are unlike players who can switch teams every year. A manager is the backbone of the team, and a manager who wants to succeed must have a long-term plan.

He must decide how the team should play, and buy or sell players according to the tactics he has in mind. He also has to think about the development of the youth academy, the performance of the reserve team, and how to improve the squad’s weaknesses. All of these require time. A temporary manager might achieve short-term results based on his personal ability, but if the club does not commit to him long-term, they can forget about consistent success in the future.

Mourinho’s experience as an assistant manager in the first half of the year had already taught him that lesson.

Hearing the question, Ricahrd was stunned. "Didn’t we already discuss this with Jorge Baideck?"

Jorge Baideck was Mourinho’s current agent — a former Brazilian professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Mourinho coughed. "I just wanted to make sure."

Hearing this, Ricahrd was amused. In most cases, managers of English football teams were much more fortunate than managers from other countries. The chances of English club managers being sacked were the lowest, and many of them even served the same club for 10 or 20 years or more.

Of course, this was also related to the differences in football culture between England and the European continent. In England, managers generally held greater authority, taking charge of both team affairs and club decisions. Meanwhile, on the continent, the so-called "head coach" merely took charge of training the team and leading them during matches — with very limited power.

They could easily become the chairman’s scapegoat, dragged into the power struggles among the club’s higher-ups, or be the first to leave if a conflict arose between coach and players.

This brings up an important question: what if a manager doesn’t actually deserve to be sacked? Poor results on the pitch do not always mean the coach is incapable.

Thanks to the Bosman Rule, once an employee has served an employer for two years, they have the right to make a claim against unfair dismissal. In theory, football managers also have this right — but unlike a "normal job," the nature of football, the massive salaries and public attention make it extremely rare for managers to challenge their dismissal through appeals.

Ricahrd, of course, understood those admirable traditions in English football. That was also why he had been very patient with O’Neill. However, the recent performances had changed his mind — he would rather not take any more risks. City’s statistics were a glaring warning.

"How many years do you want, Jose?" Richard chuckled, deciding to play along.

"Erm..." Mourinho wanted to say ’the longer, the better.’ But after giving it serious thought, he realized no one could predict the future.

Under uncertain circumstances, one should never make an absolute promise — always leave some leeway. So, he rolled his eyes and said, "Let’s go with three years. It’s beneficial for both of us."

"Hahaha!" Ricahrd laughed at this.

"Oh right — and I have a condition," Mourinho added. "And this condition must be written in the contract."

"What condition?"

"Mr. Richard, you are the chairman of the club, and I am the manager of the football team. You will handle all club operations, while I will handle everything related to the team — training, tactics, and matches. I will not comment on the club’s business activities, but you must also not interfere in team matters. I will have full authority over player transfers, squad decisions, and contract extensions for both players and coaches. Your only responsibility in that area is to provide the necessary funds. You must promise me this: you will not interfere in football matters. If you cannot agree, then I will not sign the contract."

Mourinho spoke resolutely and decisively.

For him, this was a matter of principle, leaving no room for compromise. If a manager could not control his own team and was merely a puppet or a spokesperson for the chairman, then what was the point of being a manager at all?

Whether as a football fan or a professional coach, Mourinho had always despised chairmen who meddled in team affairs. It had nothing to do with how much they knew about football. If a chairman believed he knew best, then why didn’t he step down from the VIP box and coach the team himself?

"If you choose me to be the manager, you must trust and respect my work. Otherwise, there’s no point in hiring me in the first place."

That was Mourinho’s firm belief. But he forgot one thing: if he were the future Mourinho—the "Special One" with trophies and global reputation—Richard might have considered it. Unfortunately, the current Mourinho was still a rookie!

The continuation of his contract would rely heavily on the results of the team under him. This reasoning seemed impeccable at first glance, but Richard’s confidence during their conversation made Mourinho think twice before submitting his proposal and other demands.

To be honest, even Richard himself felt that many chairmen of European football clubs could not be considered good leaders. Among them were AC Milan’s Berlusconi, Inter Milan’s Moratti, or Real Madrid’s future chairman Florentino Pérez. In comparison, most English club chairmen actually met Richard’s personal criteria for the title of "Most Outstanding Club Chairman."

And of all of them, the one he believed came closest to that title was Manchester United’s chairman—Martin Edwards.

This Englishman, whose name sounded rather unfamiliar to most people, never interfered with Ferguson’s decisions—even when the manager hurled a flying boot at the team captain and global superstar Beckham in the dressing room.

Edwards rarely appeared in public, and despite having supported Manchester United for more than 20 years while the club collected countless trophies and became the most profitable football club in the world, fans widely believed that none of this had anything to do with him. In fact, many supporters even resented this businessman, who they felt was constantly looking for a chance to sell the club.

"José, if it’s about player transfers, then it’s better if you coordinate with Marina first. It’s not that we refuse to buy the players you want. It’s just that we have a structure here, and we need to follow the proper process. You tell us who you want, and we’ll do everything we can to make it happen — but the paperwork and negotiations go through her. That’s how we keep things organized."

"I know—"

"But!" Richard suddenly cut him off.

"I promise you, I won’t interfere with your choices for the coaching staff. Whoever you want on the bench is entirely up to you — I’ll make it happen. You choose the people you trust."

"But Mr. Richard, it all depends on how you look at the club. I don’t care if you want to make money from this team. As long as you give me enough freedom, I can assure you — you’ll get everything you want."

Richard still shook his head. "Look, José. I’ve already said that we can coordinate very well. So this is not about making decisions on your own. You understand what I mean by coordinate, right?"

"..."

He paused, thinking for a moment. "So... let’s start with what was already discussed with your agent. Two years first. As long as you give me good results, I assure you — you’ll get everything you want later. But for now..." Richard shook his head and extended his hand.

Mourinho looked at Richard for a long moment before finally nodding. "Alright, I agree."

"You’re right, José," Richard said with a broad smile.

The two of them shook hands.

As for the coaching staff — with O’Neill’s departure came the exit of several key personnel, leaving Manchester City short-handed. The club desperately needed a new backroom team. And as Richard had promised, he would respect Mourinho’s choices without question.

The first name Mourinho requested was Baltemar Brito as his assistant manager. Brito was currently the head coach of the modest club CA Macedo de Cavaleiros.

The second name was even more surprising — Rui Faria. He had never played football at a high level; his background was simply in physical education. Richard was stunned.

’If this man wasn’t even from the professional football world... how did Mourinho know him?’

Only after asking did he understand — the two met years ago during a seminar at Camp Nou, when Mourinho was still Bobby Robson’s interpreter. Mourinho saw a like-minded thinker in Faria, someone who viewed football as deeply as he did. From that moment, he decided Faria must one day be part of his coaching team.

For the goalkeeping department, Mourinho wanted Silvino Louro, a respected veteran goalkeeper in Portugal who was nearing retirement at Salgueiros — a straightforward signing.

But the fourth request... that one gave Richard a headache.

Aurélio Pereira.

The Sporting Director of youth football — the mastermind behind Sporting CP’s world-renowned talent recruitment and academy system. It was said that every year, hundreds of boys were scouted and trained under his direct supervision.

And guess where the names Paulo Futre and Luís Figo came from?

Not to mention a future superstar named Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll tell Marina to start recruiting them immediately."

Richard made up his mind. He would try his best to bring in Aurélio Pereira — not just for Mourinho, but for himself and Manchester City. If they could replicate Sporting’s youth development model, wouldn’t City eventually become the next La Masia?

"As for the players I want..." Mourinho continued.

"You already have the names?" Richard was speechless.

"I do." Mourinho handed him a small piece of paper. "As you said we need t preparee

When Richard looked at it...

Vítor Baía, Ricardo Carvalho, Costinha, Dmitri Alenichev, Hélder Postiga, Nuno Valente, Derlei, Paulo Ferreira, César Peixoto, Pedro Emanuel, Edgaras Jankauskas, and Maniche.

Holy!

Thirteen players!

"Ah, I forgot to write one more name. It’s a bit difficult, but I hope you can get him for me," Mourinho said, grabbing another piece of paper to write.

When Richard saw the name, even he was tempted.

Christian Vieri.