EXCLUSIVE: Vitor Pereira - 'Coaching in Ligue 1? I know it will happen!'

Vitor Pereira is much more than just a football enthusiast, he is just a true football fanatic. The Portuguese Pereira trained as a coach at Porto, where he was lucky enough to coach the first team from 2011 to 2013. He won the Portuguese championship both seasons, losing just one game. He spent his formative years at the Dragons' training centre, where he was able to try out one of his fundamental principles: dominating the ball.

A true "drug addict" - as he describes himself - Pereira has never been able to stop coaching. Football has taken him to every corner of the globe, like any self-respecting Portuguese. As the man currently coaching in Saudi Arabia admits, the Portuguese people are travellers, and when a challenge presents itself in one place, nothing can stop them.

As for the future, the Portuguese imagines it in one of Europe's five major leagues, where he had job opportunities in the past, but where the law of football applied and only postponed a deadline that will come. Ligue 1 appeals to him, as Pereira told Flashscore News.

Flashscore: Hello Vitor, it's a pleasure to talk to you. First of all, congratulations on last Thursday's 5-0 win over Abha. Is the work you've been doing week in, week out since you arrived bearing fruit?

Pereira: "Well, first of all, thank you for your words. I think that the team now has - at the moment - an identity close to what we wanted to put in place. Since we arrived, day after day, we've created a strong identity for our team, wanting them to be protagonists in their matches."

In the top four last season, you caught Al Shabab in a complicated period (currently, you are 9th, with nine wins, eight draws, 11 defeats). And yet you have quite an interesting squad with players like Carrasco, Rakitic, Saiss, Diallo and Vitinho. What measures did you take when you arrived to try and rectify the situation?

"As you know, the current league is completely different from last season. This year, four teams have invested a lot of money, which has created a big difference with the rest of the league.

"What has happened at our club is that there has been a change of president and four changes of coach during the year. These are things that have to be paid for. But we still have some quality players, as you said. 

"To find our way, what we tried to do when we arrived was to pass on some very clear ideas about how we wanted to play a style of football that would dominate when we had the ball and be aggressive when we lost it. These ideas have been worked on from day one. And naturally, these ideas are becoming more and more apparent on the pitch."

So this Friday's match against Al Ittihad is a good test, isn't it?

"We already played very well against Al Nassr. We played a great game with a lot of personality (we lost 3-2). They ended up winning with a late goal, that's the law of football. We also played a very good game against Al Hilal (losing 4-3). At the end, we had the chance to score a goal to level the score at 4-4.

"We like to play against teams with solid game plans because we know that the game will be more open. We want to play positive football. And now, against Al Ittihad, I think it will be another open game. We'll see what happens."

Q: What were the reasons that led you to (re)try the Saudi experience?

"The experience in Brazil wasn't easy because of the density of matches and the long journeys. After just over a year, I felt I needed to stop for a while. I took the opportunity to reflect, to create new ideas and new concepts and to study. 

"I also to spend time with my family and enjoy that together. Then the first offers came in to go back to work. And after studying, after learning new concepts and new exercises, I felt the need to apply them. 

"And for me, it was a good decision to come here and try out these concepts. I'm very happy with it. I'm also lucky enough to have a very good working group where I can try out these concepts and they accept these ideas. They give everything they need to make progress. That's why I'm so pleased to have been given this opportunity."

What you're telling me is very interesting. For a year you've been studying new concepts. Why did you do that? Because you felt that football was evolving towards a different type of game. That you needed to learn new things? What were your reasons for wanting to study? It's quite interesting. You're an example of someone who evolves over time despite experience...

"I study football every day. I used to tell my children that I studied a lot more than they did at university. Because I study concepts every day. Because the concepts that I had a few years ago and that I thought I'd acquired for life are no longer there. I can give you an example. I used to think that playing fast was the best thing. It was the best thing so that the opposing team didn't take the time to fall back and close down the space. Today, that concept has changed.

"Before, I used to train my lads with two touches of the ball, one, two touches, one, two touches... It's important to train with one or two touches of the ball. But for me today, it's important to alternate the rhythm with the ball. It's important to be able to slow down at the right moment. It's important to slow down and then accelerate. To find the space, to make the right decisions.

"And to create an attacking 'trigger' when we want to accelerate. It's a completely different concept to the one I had 11 years ago. And it comes from the fact that I study every day. For me, football is like creating, it's like painting a picture. For me, football is about creating an identity, like a work of art. It gives me the opportunity to express my personality, my creativity. For me, that's what football is all about. It's not closed, it's never closed. It's very important, even in life in general.

This is your second spell in the Saudi Pro League with Al Shabab. Ten years ago, you coached Al Ahli (2013-2014). As someone who has lived through two different eras, what is your assessment of the development of the league and football in Saudi Arabia?

"First of all, I found a different league, much more organised. The training pitches and structures are better. The pitches for matches are much better. I haven't found a single one that didn't offer the perfect conditions for playing. For me, that's a huge difference compared to 10 years ago. I've also found better players and better coaches. A league that is making huge efforts to develop and prepare for the World Cup."

You signed a five-month contract with Al Shabab, which runs until June 30th 2024. Do you see yourself extending your adventure in Saudi Arabia?

"At the moment, I'm concentrating on the upcoming matches. I'm also concentrating on improving the quality of our game. For me, it's not just about winning. I like winning, but with quality and a clear identity. That's what we do, what we try to do, day after day.

"Then when the time comes, we'll sit down and talk. I think they want me to stay here, but I need to see what options I have in Europe. After that, I'll see what I decide."

You're a coach with a wealth of experience who has coached in many countries (Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey, Germany in the second division, China, Brazil)... Nevertheless, you still haven't coached in one of Europe's big five leagues. Is that something you keep in the back of your mind? 

"Yes, it's something that will happen naturally. I've been a bit impatient waiting for the right time to go. In the past, I'd already had the opportunity to go to England, France and Spain.

"But for one reason or another, it didn't happen. Now I know it will happen one day. I have a lot of faith in the quality of my work. With a little more patience, like I have now, it will happen naturally."

You mentioned France. Do Ligue 1 and France appeal to you?

"Yes, it's a league that I follow. When I say I'm studying, I'm always studying teams and coaches who can give me something different. It makes me think. In fact, I think that's what all coaches do. Because that's how we analyse matches and encounters so we see how football evolves. Ligue 1 is a league that I continue to pay a lot of attention to. It also has a lot of good, quality players. 

"A coach always has to do some scouting, to understand his game. We also have a great Portuguese coach over there... Paulo (Fonseca), who's doing an excellent job. I follow him very closely. It's a competitive league with good coaches and good players and a well-structured organisation. Those are the reasons why it's a league that interests me for the future."

For those who know you the least in France, how would you define your approach to football? What philosophy do you adopt, what are your tactics (I've seen that you're currently using a three-man defence)... In short, how would you define yourself as a coach?

"Whatever the structure, whatever the form, I always try to find a tactic that allows the players to feel comfortable in their game. I've worked with a lot of tactical structures. That's why I'm comfortable in my work. Today, I'm trying to find a way to dominate the game and create possession. I was at FC Porto for eight years. Eight years at Porto... Which means five years in the academy. That says it all! I trained as a coach there, so I trained the best young players in the country. In each of my teams, I established this dominance, this possession, this pressure, a game with attacking quality, but also aggressiveness when losing the ball. And not hesitating to play in transition too.

"I'm a coach who has learnt to play with a certain complexity... But a quality complexity. I didn't train to avoid going down or to avoid losing. I trained for teams that play for titles. And that's the kind of football I like. Quality football. Pressure football. Possession football, but intentional possession. Possession with the intention of accelerating the game at the right moment.

"I also coach teams that know how to define or identify the defensive 'trigger'. Because for me, defence also has to have different rhythms. For example, I can be in a lower rhythm phase, closing off spaces in the middle. And once we've identified the opponent, we define our 'trigger'. I call it the moment when the team needs to be able to accelerate. That's my football. Football with intentions. You have to understand it collectively. Everyone has to understand it. But if they understand it here, in Saudi Arabia or China, they can understand it anywhere. Football has to convey your personality. The personality of the coach."

When I listen to you, I get the impression I'm hearing the same ideas as Paulo Fonseca at Lille... 

Paulo and I have a similar footballing DNA. You know, I was in charge of the first team at Porto for two years... And then Paulo replaced me (smiles)..."

There's a real love affair between France and Portugal. Many Portuguese play, have played, coach and have coached here (Vitinha, Goncalo Ramos, Danilo, Paulo Fonseca, Pauleta, Bernardo Silva, Moutinho, Guerreiro, Paulo Sousa, Jardim, Villas Boas, Artur Jorge... Does the fact that your compatriots have already left their mark on this championship motivate you to continue that legacy?

"We're a small country. But it's a country that travels the world. I'm an example of that. We are travellers, we like challenges. When a challenge presents itself to us, we go for it without thinking and we adapt easily - players and coaches are now spread all over the world. And I think that when it comes to coaches, Portugal has an extraordinary mark of competence. 

"We may be a small country, but we produce a lot of talent, both players and coaches. We also win titles in many countries. Portugal has invested heavily in the training of its coaches. And I think that year after year, quality coaches come out of there and then travel the world. In France, it's true that there's a legacy and the Portuguese who go there has to take on board the history and the existing relationship between the two countries. Paulo (Fonseca) represents us well because he's doing an excellent job at Lille."

Do you have a preference for a club in France, or are you considering a challenge in Ligue 1?

"No, not specifically. However, I know what I want and I know it will happen! I'd like a project that allows me to create an identity. I look a lot towards the training centre. It comes from my time at Porto. I have this bond with young people and I like to get them started. I like discovering, detecting and developing young talent and I like to create my own playing identity with the group I'm shaping..."

So it would be medium to long term? Because it takes time to put your ideas into practice, to get young players up and running... 

"Yes, but not really... The more experience you have, the quicker you can create an identity for the game. I usually call the players from the training centre every week. I often use the example of Arda Guler. He came to train with me at Fenerbahce when he was 16. For me, age doesn't matter. It's the quality of the boy that counts. If you have quality, you can stay with me.

"I'm looking for a project that allows me to win with quality, to create my own identity, with young players from the academy. When people look at my team, they'll know it's mine because it's my identity. Whether at home or away, the identity will be the same."

Let's talk a little about the Portuguese league, where you managed to become champion twice with Porto. Looking back, how do you see your career with the Dragons' first team?

"At FC Porto, I spent five years coaching in the youth academy. Then I decided to become head coach. The first time I left, I went to a third division club (AD Sanjoanense). Porto said to me: "Vitor, if you leave, you'll never come back"... After a year, they called me back (laughs). And I did, for personal reasons. Then, a year later, I asked to leave again, but for Santa Clara, in the second division. They told me: "Vitor, if you leave...". But I knew I'd be back.

And, once again, after a year, they asked me to come back. That's how I started working for the first team. It was with Andre (Villas-Boas). Andre was at Porto and the directors asked me to come and help him as an assistant.

"I accepted and that was the year we won everything, going unbeaten: the Europa League, the Super Cup, the league, the cup... We won everything! Andre then decided to move to Chelsea. He offered me the chance to go with him, but Porto asked me to stay. They insisted and said 'no, you're not leaving because you're going to be the head coach'. It's not easy for an assistant coach to become the head coach of a club like Porto.

"You know, when a team wins the Europa League, the players, the vast majority of them, expect to be playing in the big leagues. It hasn't been easy. The first year was even very, very difficult. Now, I'd like to stress one point: in two seasons, we, the team, in two seasons with me as head coach, we've only lost one match in the league. It was a match against Gil Vicente. In two years, we've lost one game in the league. Why did we do that? Because we had a team that dominated its matches, and we were able to work patiently.

"After my two-year contract, Porto wanted me to renew. They wanted me to continue, but I was very close to signing for Everton, in the Premier League... I wanted to go to the Premier League. So I decided not to renew my contract and instead of going to the Premier League - because I went there, to England, but it didn't materialise - I came to Saudi Arabia! That's how football works. From one day to the next, everything can change.

"Why did I accept this challenge at the time? Because, for me, football is a drug. When I left Porto, I didn't want to sit back and do nothing. I wanted to coach and I came to Al Ahli."

What a story! You mentioned your record with Porto, where you only lost one match in two years. To equal that would be very complicated, for Porto, for Benfica, for Sporting... 

"Yes, very complicated. I haven't seen any team do the same thing. I haven't seen any. And a lot of great coaches have been there..."

How do you see the current state of Portuguese football? 

"Portugal is a country capable of competing with the biggest teams in Europe with very few resources. Don't you see? It's something that's in our blood. Teams are competitive and with very little money they can create great teams. Today, the championship is a bit like in my day, with three or four teams fighting to become champions. And then, in the European competitions, they follow and do incredible things with the resources they have. So we have to constantly make the most of this work."

The next European Championships is fast approaching and Portugal are among the favourites. How do you rate the national team's chances in the competition compared to the other big favourites, France?

"My opinion is that we've never had so many quality players. Even when the time comes to choose the best players and draw up the list, some top quality players will be left out. And then you also have a coach who is brilliant at what he does and who has the ability to lead the group towards a single goal, which I think is possible.

"You know, this is a tournament where you have to have a bit of luck, the star line-up has to be right. If you win, you create a winning momentum... So I think anything can happen. Anything can happen, and even more so with the quality of players we have. And with the work of Roberto Martinez, who is excellent."

Would you like to become coach one day? Is that something you'd like to do and do you see it as a natural step in your development as a coach?

"Maybe one day. But right now, honestly, no! Not because football is a passion for me, but also because it's a drug. And when you take a drug, you need it every day to live. I can't live without it. To feel alive, I have to take it every day."