Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas signs on the ‘Wall of Fame’ during his visit to Aspire Academy last week. The 35-year-old former Chelsea coach met with Aspire Academy students following a visit of the world’s largest indoor sports facility.
BY RIZWAN REHMAT
DOHA: Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas, commonly referred to as AVB, is convinced Qatar’s ambitious plans to develop football in the country will lead to a ‘great’ World Cup in less than a decade.
After visiting the state-of-the-art Aspire Academy, the 35-year-old former Chelsea manager was quick to predict a resounding success for the hosts of the World Cup in 2022.
“Aspire’s ambitions and projects are for the future. The infrastructure here is the best in the world. It is important (to be have a sound infrastructure) for you to make your vision work,” Villas-Boas said in a television interview broadcast by Al Kass Sports Channel yesterday.
“The players need to have access to all this infrastructure because development of young players depends on this,” the Portuguese added. “It is great to come here and see all this,” he said
“Qatar is trying to give more attention to football now and I think they can do it (host the FIFA World Cup),” he said. “They have the resources. This is a beautiful country,” the Porto-born explained.
“Regarding infrastructure and (the) quality of organisation, I think I have absolutely no doubt that Qatar are going to be able to do a great job, to be a great example for the future,” the Spurs boss said.
Villas-Boas said Aspire Academy was going about the right way to harness young talent trying to make it to the national teams.
“I know that Aspire is willing to help the young athletes in this regard (to become part of the national squad),” Villas-Boas said when asked about the Academy’s overall agenda.
“I think the most important task (for) Aspire is to convince the young Qatari athletes that representing their country is the maximum honour (that one could aspire to achieve). To achieve that, it takes sweat, hard work.
“Through sports you learn great human values. Sports gives you the ability to transcend yourself into achieving your goals. You can achieve that through the ambition of representing your country.
“I think the way Aspire is trying to provoke those values is something that is very humble and full of dignity towards the job that they are doing. It makes my visit even more honourable,” Villas-Boas added.
When asked about Spurs’ run in the on-going English season, Villas-Boas said: “We’ve had tough matches but I am delighted that we have shown ambition while competing against top sides. We want to win trophies. We have the strength and the quality to do well.”
He added: “We are in the final stages of the season. How we end depends on how we play from here on. Our biggest target is to qualify for next year’s Champions League. That’s what everyone at the club wants. We all dream about this. We are determined to do that.”
The Spurs manager explained in his interview: “You know that the task of the coach is to make players enjoy their performance on the field, and in the present time, we have reached the right balance in the team in addition to (getting) the good results.”
Villas-Boas said any one of the three EPL sides - Chelsea, Newcastle United and Spurs - could win the Europa League title this season.
“There is a strong likelihood that any one of the three English sides could win the title. But all the sides face difficult opponents,” Villas-Boas said ahead of Spurs’ game against Basel on April 4.
“Our game is going to be tough too,” he said. “It feels that one of the (English) sides will be there in the final though we will see tough quarter-finals.”
The Portuguese - who was picked up Chelsea by paying Porto a €15m (£13.3m) compensation to get him released in 2011 - said the English Premier League (EPL) remained the toughest football competition.
“I think EPL is the best league in the world,” he said during his TV interview.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm and excitement in the EPL games and it attracts the best players in the world,” he added.
“The clubs have the financial power to get the players. It is different from any other league in the world. All these factors make the league as the most exciting in the world,” he said.
“There’s huge fan following as well,” he added.
When asked about his time at Chelsea, Villas-Boas said his departure from Stamford Bridge was ‘difficult’.
“It was a hard time because when you commit to a club, you seek success. So I wanted to achieve a lot with Chelsea because we shared the same vision.
“So the departure was difficult,” he said.
“After the departure, I spent time with my family, regrouped and started gradually. I talked to players at different clubs so that the next time I avoid such situations (of leaving a club),” he said.
“Chelsea has won many titles in the last 10 years or so - English titles, Champions League and they have had European success. So they are always trying to succeed. I cannot criticise them for their actions (on sacking coaches),” he said.
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