Interview with Guoan coach Setien: Reasonable choice is more important than running

Reporter Liu Xiangyu reports As a representative of the Spanish coach and a believer in pass-and-control football, Setien showed his "power" as soon as he came to Guoan - he can play 75 minutes non-stop in the friendly match with the Haikou women's football team, he has good passing skills on his left and right feet, and he can even outflank the header in front of the goal...... Judging from the performance on the court, it is completely impossible to tell that Setien is 66 years old.

The second phase of Guoan's winter training took place in Haikou, and Setien arrived in Haikou on January 4, one day before the team. The weather here reminded him of his hometown of Santander, warm and humid, with sun, sand and football, all of which made Setien comfortable, especially at the training ground, where he quickly found the feeling of leading the team.

Before each training session, Setien's coaching staff arrives at the pitch half an hour early. Although the coaching staff had done a lot of preparation in the hotel conference room before he arrived, Setien would still have a small meeting with a few assistants on the pitch. Guoan's past few foreign coaches have not communicated much with the Chinese coaching staff, but Setien is different, he likes to communicate, especially with Tao Wei. Both are technical players, and the two of them will pass the ball to each other before training, shoot and compare their footwork.

Before training, everything looks easy; Once the training started, everything was different. Guoan in Haikou often practiced twice a day, interspersed with technical and tactical training and physical training, and usually a morning of training lasted more than 120 minutes, and the content was very rich, and the pace of confrontation was very fast. Chongqing Tonglianglong, who is also in Haikou winter training, is coached by the Spaniard Salvador, and the training on both sides has the same, but compared with Tonglianglong, Guoan seems to have pressed the fast-forward button, and the pace is several times faster.

Setien will be personally involved in training. When training against the sidelines, he pays more attention and reminds him on the sidelines; During the tactical drill, Setien will stand directly in the center of the court, let the ball change quickly, and the players on both sides of the attack and defense fight fiercely, Setien will not move, which makes the translator Fu Hao a little difficult - coaches usually stand on the sidelines to lead training, and it is rare to stand directly in the middle of the field like Setien. Fu Hao also had to risk being "kicked" and stood by his side.

Setien stood in the centre of the pitch to get a better look at the overall formation shift and the details of each player. When he sees a problem, the old man will personally go off the field, demonstrate the actions to the players, and also call out to the players. The most obvious change in the team's training is that in the past, it was moving one point at a time, but now it is gradually forming a "system", with each area driving the overall movement. Setien has a complex set of "football formulas" that the national players need to understand as soon as possible. Santander, Betis, Villarreal, and Barcelona, with their past coaching experience, allows Setien to face a variety of situations. "Don't be surprised by changes" is the first impression he brought to the people around him when he came to Guoan this time. During training, he said to the players the most, "don't worry", "think more", even if the players did not do a good job, they might be angry if they changed to other coaches, but Setien was very "light-hearted". "I have indeed seen a big scene, an old sect teacher." Said the people of the national security.

Setien's love for football led him to choose to leave his hometown at an old age and gladly accept unknown challenges. He's playing football, running every day and playing a friendly game every day. In addition to football, Setien also enjoys playing chess, which he has on his phone and plays online. On the way from the hotel to the stadium, Setien would pull out his phone and play a game. He is a chess player, both online and in real life, and he says his style of play is as aggressive as his style of play.

In Haikou, Setien's transformation of national security has just begun. He's changing the mindset of the players, telling them that choice is often more important than running; He is changing the formation of the team, trying to find a way for Zhang Yuning and Fabio to coexist; He is also embracing Chinese culture, "My door is always open to players. He said.

With the arrival of Setien, the new season of Guoan will have a huge change, perhaps, this time the selection of the coach will have a profound impact on Guoan in the next few years.

◆Football: What do you think of the weather in Haikou? Like Spain's coastal cities?

Setien: The climate in Haikou is more pleasant than in Beijing, and it's more suitable for training. The climate in my hometown of Santander is close to here, so I adapted well. The site conditions here are also good.

◆Now that the winter training has entered the second phase, can you briefly summarize the situation of the first and second phases?

It's too early to tell, and I don't want to judge the players in just one or two sentences because they haven't fully shown their overall ability, I've only seen a part of their ability, but I've seen it much more than I expected. The team was very committed to training, had a good attitude and the reality was much better than expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

◆Before coaching Guoan, did you watch a lot of Guoan's game videos?

I watched a lot of videos before I came here and recently watched seven or eight games from last year, which helped me get to know them better. But I value the recent performances of the players, I don't judge the players based on the past, the current stage and the future are what I value, and I believe that each of them will perform better in the new season and will get better and better.

◆Do you think the quality of these players has improved a lot through the winter training?

I see a lot of players with a lot of potential, in terms of physical fitness, speed, etc., and very importantly, they also have a strong desire to learn and improve, and that desire makes a player a good athlete. However, they do have some areas to improve, including tactical understanding, position on the pitch, etc., but we can't rush it. In Spain, many players have grown up in an environment that naturally teaches them what to do, but there is no doubt that the history of football in Spain is much older than here. Over time, the players will slowly understand these concepts.

◆Before coming to Guoan, did you know anything about Chinese football?

No, for me, I used to focus all my energy on the teams I coach and the league I was in, it's like when we go to the cinema and watch a movie, we will only choose what we like and understand, and the same is true for football.

◆Have you ever coached outside of Spain?

This was the first time I had been out of Spain and had only had a brief spell in Equatorial Guinea before that.

◆Football: You've coached beach soccer in Russia, is it true?

Setien: Exactly, you reminded me. I led a Russian beach soccer team and played beach soccer for five or six years. I had this experience before I retired and became a professional football coach. At the time, my friend was in charge of a project in Russia and asked me to help.

◆How do you perform when playing beach soccer?

It can be said that beach soccer and 11-a-side football are two sports entirely, just like tennis and squash. Playing beach soccer is a wonderful time because I grew up in an environment where there are beaches, and I also enjoy playing beach soccer, including when I play beach soccer, I go to different countries, such as Brazil, Monaco, etc., to different countries, constantly traveling, and playing football is also a very relaxing way, because beach soccer itself is a sport that people enjoy very much.

◆Ramiro, the assistant coach you brought to Guoan this time, has a high level of achievement in the field of beach soccer before, why did you choose him as an assistant?

When I first retired to play beach soccer he was my opponent and he was a young boy and he played very well and he had a lot of potential, and his dedication to his work made me interested in him and we became friends after that. When I was coaching Racing Santander, I asked him to be an assistant because the role of assistant was very important and he needed to be around me to see angles that I couldn't see. He is very daring to speak, he is a person who dares to tell the truth, many times the people around him only say what you want to hear, but he dares to tell me anything. What I like to hear, what I don't like to hear, he will tell me. This perspective has helped me a lot. He has been by my side for so many years and has been very helpful to me. I also want to have this young, energetic, committed and genuine person on my team, and he does it well.

◆Does he have a personality that is a bit like you? You also had a lot of personality when you were a player.

We have a lot in common, but he has his own role as an assistant. I've had 45 years of dressing room experience, from player to manager, and I can predict a lot of things. Before a lot of things happened, I already knew what the general direction would be, and it was all brought to me by these 45 years of experience. As a coach I have a very good insight into what the players are thinking, and that insight allows me to communicate with them better and teach them how to do it. Players also have different personalities, they are different individuals, and to be able to make a good team of these different individuals requires insight and specific guidance.

◆Is it true that there have been reports that when you were a player you would exchange tactical views with the manager and often come up with different opinions?

It's true, but the first lesson I taught the players as a manager was to tell them that my door is always open to them and that I always welcome them to share any ideas with me. When I was a player, I wanted to keep learning and talking to the manager, and if I didn't understand something and didn't let me say it, I might be sick. I like to express my thoughts and I want my players to express their thoughts as well. I received a message from a team member today asking if I could tell him about the specific problems he had in the video. It's very happy because he wants to get better, which is a good sign and I hope the players will have this will to improve.

◆You played in the World Cup as a player but didn't play, is that the biggest regret of your career?

At that time, it was an honor to be selected for the national team and to participate in the world event with the best athletes in the country. As a player, I definitely want to play, that's the biggest affirmation, but in the end it's a pity that I didn't play, so it's a bit of a pity. I remember I was at Atletico and there were two months to go, and I was badly injured and my knee was so swollen that I couldn't continue playing, and I didn't know if the national team would call me up. Later I received a telegram that I was in the squad, and I shed tears in the locker room.

◆Are you still in good shape and still playing a lot?

I love playing so much, and even though I'm too old to score goals in front of goal like I used to, I prefer to organise and bring the team together. I have a football field at home, and I often invite friends to play games, as long as someone asks me to play, I will definitely be willing to go, although there are fewer physical confrontations now, but I will be anxious when I lose.

◆Football: Does it give you more satisfaction if the team can kick the beautiful football you ask for?

Setien: Yes, I'm going to teach the players all my philosophy and understanding and when they can play the beautiful football that I'm asking for, I can enjoy the wonderful process with the fans and that gives me a greater sense of satisfaction.

◆Looking back on your coaching experience, your team is known for their possession, do you think it was Aragonés (Setien's manager when he was at Atletico) or Cruyff or someone else who had the biggest influence on your coaching style?

I went from youth to professional with good technique on my feet, but a lot of the managers who took me didn't teach me how to play, they just put me on the pitch. I was just a player on the pitch but I didn't learn a lot and I didn't know how to read the game.

Later I knew when to run, to press, to get into the gaps, which I learned after meeting Cruyff. I found that when I wanted to press this player, his ball was already going elsewhere, I could never match his beat, and I found that the rhythm of possession can change the control you have of the game, and these little details add up to a completely different team. Of course, when you find that you can never get the ball, you start to wonder if there is something wrong with the way you play. Is there a problem with the understanding of football? From these reflections, I gradually learned more.

◆Do you think your coaching ability is a little bit of a gold medal and can take an ordinary team to the next level?

Every team I have to focus on possession, and if we have 70 minutes of possession for 90 minutes in a game, or more than 70 per cent of the possession, the pleasure of the game will increase exponentially, and the players will enjoy the game because nobody likes to run after the ball. I always tell the players that if we can keep the ball in possession, the opponent will run after our ball, they are tired and we are the ones who enjoy it. It's the biggest change I've made to every team. On that day, a veteran member of our team (Guoan) told me that it was a pity that I came a little late, otherwise he would have been able to study for a few more years. In fact, when he said this to me, I could feel a great sense of satisfaction. Because they've also seen the difference the coaching staff can make.

◆You emphasize the style of play on the ball, and even the most advanced football concepts need to be implemented by the players, do the Guoan players have the ability to reflect your tactical concepts?

I think they have it, but I don't know how long it will take for them to meet my requirements. At the moment, they have not mastered the rhythm of the game, they are often too anxious when handling the ball, and they have not learned when to pause, organize, and control the ball at their feet. I remember very much when I was a football player, I was a good runner, I was there in almost every corner of the field, but my coach told me you have to stop. The field is huge, and you can never keep up with the speed of the ball. When I really stopped and used my brain to think, instead of using the rest of my body to think for me, I found that I was playing better, and I knew when to stop and when to run. I'm sure they'll be able to meet my requirements over time.

◆I'll give you an inappropriate example, from the description just now, it feels like you are a university professor, but Guoan is more like a middle school student at the moment. Are you going to adapt to the current national security, or are you going to ask them to adapt to you?

Actually, I don't agree with you that they are "middle school students", because Beijing Guoan has a lot of outstanding players. Their biggest problem right now is not knowing when to stop, not knowing when to go and make a more reasonable choice. Because football is a very well-rounded sport, it's not what we think, let's say I can run, and then we can solve all the problems. When a player may be running less, but he knows how to choose the right time to run, that player is actually better, because on the football pitch you have to make all kinds of decisions, so what I'm really trying to help them now is to make better decisions every time.

◆You've coached a lot of big names in the past, including Messi, Joaquín, etc., do you allow privileged players to show up in the team?

There is no doubt that there are players with different abilities in a team. But in the team, the team is always above all else. It is impossible to win the game alone on the football field, it depends on the strength of the team. Sometimes we can win a game by relying on individual ability, but if you want to keep winning, you have to have the strength of the team. When you score, it's the whole team that helps you score; When you concede a goal, the whole team has to face the result. There is a saying in Spain: "No individual is better than the collective".

◆You're particularly good at developing midfield attackers and bringing out their potential, such as Fabian Ruiz and Lo Celso in Paris, and Baena in the Yellow Submarine, all of whom have produced some of the best numbers of their careers under your tutelage.

There may be some coincidences as well (laughs). In fact, when I first took them, maybe they still had some deficiencies, and there were still some things that did not meet the requirements, but I can already see what level they will reach in the future as long as they do these things well. Fabian is a great example of this, when I first arrived at Betis, the club wanted to sell him. Then I said to the club, don't sell it, I said I think he can be a very good player. Later he grew up, was sold to Napoli and then moved to Paris Saint-Germain for 28 million euros. You know, when the club wanted to sell him, they only wanted to sell it for 1 million euros.

◆Do you see a player with similar potential among the Guoan players?

There are some young players who have different qualities, but I can't tell you right now.

◆Football: Guoan was fourth in the league last season, which is already the best result in recent seasons, what do you think Guoan needs to be strengthened?

Setien: I'll need more time to answer your question. It is not possible to give an exact answer yet, because many players have gone to the national team, and the overall number has decreased, so our run-in process will take more time. But I saw a lot of interesting traits in the team's training and I didn't understand why they weren't reflected on the pitch and why they were more than 20 points away from first and second place last season, which I really didn't understand. I don't think that gap last year was reasonable, and I won't allow it to happen again.

◆The recruitment is still in progress, and the goal of national security is to compete for the championship, according to this goal, what is the position that needs to be strengthened next?

No matter who comes to us in the future, we will try to do our best to get the best results. It's not certain whether we'll win the title for sure, but I don't think there's going to be a point gap like last year's.

◆You've been to Beijing and Gongti, what is your first impression of the city and the stadium?

Beijing is very big, the city is wonderful, unlike many big cities in Spain, there are many interesting places here, the driving style is relaxed, the quality of the restaurants etc is very good, and the life is wonderful.

◆You've published an autobiography, right?

Yes, I authorized a good friend of mine in Santander, a good journalist friend, to write my whole career, if only there was a Chinese version.

◆Was coming to Beijing Guoan your first contact with a Chinese team? There was news before that Dalian also looked for you a few years ago.

No, that's a rumor.

◆We know that you are a chess grandmaster, with a score of 2055 in the International Chess Federation, and you have played against world champions Kasparov and Karpov, do you think chess helps to understand football?

Not long ago I was in Spain in a world-class league and I played nine games and got a 3.5 points, which is already a very high score. Chess and football are interconnected, and the teams on the football field also have to move as a whole, and both offense and defense are related to the whole, which is similar to the idea of chess. My football philosophy is the same as my style of playing chess, which is more attacking.

◆You coached Vieira during your time at Las Palmas and he was successful at Nacional as well, do you have a chance to continue in the future?

I like Vieira a lot, he's a good friend of mine, but I have to think about the team, and now the team has a lot of people in the attacking position, so it's very unlikely that he'll come.

◆It's a pleasure for you to be able to speak with us.

I feel very honored to be able to accept this interview. As someone who has been in the football industry for many years, football has always been my passion, whether it was as a player or as a coach. The world of football is amazing and it was a wonderful experience as a coach to get a deeper understanding of the mentality of the players and to have a lot in common with them.