In the second part of our interview (you can read the first part here), Vicente del Bosque recounts some his time in charge of Real Madrid's famed 'Los Galácticos'.
Question: Let's talk about the Galacticos. I'm sure you remember it...
A: "No, no, no, let me just say, before you ask anything, I would like to be a good ex-boss - or I have tried to be! It's enough that Madrid lost 5-2 (in the derby against Atlético), but if I talk about Madrid, people will say "Oh, now he talks about Madrid (after losing)", so no, we are not going to talk about that match."
Q: We're not going to talk about that game, Don Vicente, don't worry! I would love to know what it was like to manage a young player, for example, Nicolas Anelka, because you had to manage some strong characters in your coaching career. What was it like to manage him?
A: "He was probably one of the players who was a bit like that, not more tenacious (than others), less emotional, although he didn't give us too many problems. He was a good guy, and despite the fact that he was sidelined for a week or two with a minor injury, helped us become European champions. We can't forget that. I'm also very fond of him, but well, we all have some flaws".
Q: Did anything change in the dressing room with the arrival of Figo from Barcelona?
A: "I think he was well-received. In football, there are things that seem impossible. A player from Barcelona, with the affection that people of Barcelona had for him, coming all of a sudden to Madrid, seems to be a bit of a shock. But you have to take it quite calmly. It has happened in both directions - Luis Enrique, shortly before him, also left Madrid. (Players that switched teams) before or after him, I don't remember right now, but there have been transfers that have happened both ways."
Q: Can you imagine these transfers right now in modern football? That a Barça player who goes to Madrid or the other way around?
A: "Yes, yes, I think so. It could happen, and I don't know, I don't have it fresh in my memory now, but I have the impression that at any moment a transfer like this could happen. Having experienced what happened with Figo, it wouldn't seem dramatic to us either."
Q: On a separate topic... Zidane the player and Zidane the coach, what do they have in common?
A: "I can only give my opinion of Zidane as a player. He was one of the club's greatest signings and a very good player. He was very demanding of himself, very demanding of his teammates, and I think in all honesty that at the beginning it was difficult for him to adapt. He came from Italy (Serie A) with a different style of play and other ways of understanding training. And I think at the beginning it was a bit difficult for him to adapt to us. But if we were to ask him now which team he was better at, Juventus or Real Madrid, I think he would say Real Madrid. I think so."
Q: Recently, we interviewed Rubén de la Red and he told us that Zidane, although it seems that he was a serious character, has a sense of humour, and that he was very happy in the dressing room. Did you have the same feeling?
A: "Yes, yes, well, he was thoughtful, quiet, was very expressive, and that also makes you understand players. We are all different. The most important thing is for them to perform as well as possible and for them to think about the team."
Q: Zidane had a different character than, for example, Ronaldo (Nazario), his former teammate. Ronaldo said that you were the coach who understood him the best. What does this mean to you?
A: "I understood him perfectly, yes, yes, yes. I think it's very important for a dressing room to be cordial, affectionate, and to get on well. A healthy working environment is important for us to get results. Why do we have to be shouting all day long, and why do we have to be angry with them all day long? No. I think we have to accept them as they are. And Ronaldo, for me, is one of the examples of players who needed to be happy to be able to play football well."
Q: I see the laughter on your face when you talk about him. I guess that dressing room was really happy when these players were there?
A: "Yes, yes, yes, of course it was. It didn't bother me at all because he was obedient, and he wanted to be happy playing football. (Footballers) also have the right to enjoy the game, and all coaches want to make them enjoy playing."