When Jose Mourinho speaks, the soccer world listens.
That's especially true for coach Ted Lasso, who was plucked from the ranks of American college football to lead AFC Richmond through the rigours of England's top soccer league. Lasso is a neophyte to the beauitful game in every sense, so the ability to pick Mourinho's brain about the ins-and-outs of one of the world's biggest leagues is invaluable.
As Mourinho mentioned in a recent call between the two managers, "there are no shortcuts" at the top level of the sport.
Among the pearls of wisdom Mourinho imparted upon Lasso were:
- "You must identify players who can rely on."
- "If the opposition cannot score, you cannot lose."
- "You must learn how to handle the English press."
It was the final point that Mourinho emphasized, as he has plenty of experience dealing with the over-the-top media coverage given to the Premier League in the United Kingdom. As someone who has handled the English press for years — to varying degrees of success — Mourinho is in a unique position to dole out knowledge on the subject.
What's his best advice to Lasso when facing the cameras?
"I prefer not to speak," Mourinho said.
A confused Lasso first thought Mourinho was shunning him, but the Tottenham manager cleared things up for his counterpart.
"No, no, that's what you say to the press," Mourinho explained. "I prefer not to speak."
Despite Lasso's indication that he understood, the American's love for inane chatter seems to belie the point. It remains to be seen whether Lasso can fight his own predisposition for talking and keep quiet when the time is right.
You can catch full episodes of "Ted Lasso" on Apple TV+.