|
| Trophies, cups and victories don’t make great clubs – Mourinho |
5/31/2007 |
|
Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho is all too pleased with the clubs charity work in Ghana with the Right To Play.
He sees the humanitarian angle to his job more as a human face of great value to the football club, and says great football clubs cannot be borne out of only trophies, cups and big wins on the field of play.
On Wednesday afternoon he was at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra with members of the Chelsea delegation in Ghana holding coaching clinics for young players bubbling and ready to explode unto the world scene ‘just like Michael Essien.’
Earlier in the day, he had said of Michael Essien; “Even though many people describe Michael Essien as a great footballer, for me he is a great man.”
This was at a press conference where Mourinho expressed his desire and eagerness to make the best of his five-day stay in Ghana where he would be working with Ghanaian kids and help develop their skills.
He told the news conference that the measure of a football club lies not only in the number of trophies they win but also by how much it gives back to society.
Philosophical Mourinho
Mourinho is mobbed by the sporting media practitioners, Kojo Frempong of All Sports and Kuuku Yankah of Joy Sports.
The hugely successful coach was hoping to use his image to help the kids realize their ambitions of becoming international football stars, but also sounded biblical in how important it was to give.
“Chelsea in my opinion is in the right direction because to be a big club you don’t need just trophies and cups and victories. You need also to go and do very important things like this project with Right To Play. It is very important for Chelsea; important for a great institution like Right To Play, more important for the countries where we go and for the kids that we touch and for the kids that we give some happiness and some dreams. I’m especially happy to be in an African country because I have a big feeling with Africa. My wife is African and my relation with Africa is deep and if I want to make somebody smile, somebody feel good, African children are a part of it.”
Mourinho addressed the press with former Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly as well as the club''s Academy Manager, Neil Bath. Black Stars midfielder Michael Essien was expected in Accra on Wednesday evening.
Other members of the delegation at the conference included goalkeeping coach, Silvino Louro, and players Eddie Newton, Michael Mancienne, Jack Corck and Ghanaian-born Seth Nana Twumasi.
The delegation''s ultimate objective is to partner Right To Play to create awareness of the Sport for Development and Peace Movement to the Ghanaian public and the world.
The Movement evolved out of the growing evidence that strengthening the right of children to play enhances their healthy development and builds stronger communities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
