La Liga boss clear on Benfica coach: Mourinho is my reference | OneFootball

Luís Castro, Levante’s coach, admits that José Mourinho - who is already preparing for the next match - has been his greatest reference since the start of his career, especially because of the European success achieved in the first half of the 21st century. His admiration for Benfica’s coach has shaped his view of football and stays with him in the difficult mission of keeping the team in the Spanish league.

“For me, as for many coaches of that time, it was José Mourinho. He is my reference because of his profile, his ideas and his path,” he said in an interview with Marca, recalling the impact the Portuguese coach had.

Despite financially more attractive offers from Saudi Arabia, the former coach of the Eagles’ youth teams decided to back Levante’s project: “I’m not a coach who only looks at himself. I like to do something for the clubs, for the fans and for the future.”

Levante have posted good results in recent weeks, taking eight points from a possible twelve even without two regular starters, Carlos Álvarez and Pablo Martínez: “It’s normal for people to think this isn’t possible without them, but the whole group is working at a very high level. The team is much better when everyone is focused.”

Meritocracy is another pillar of his work: “There is no player who is an undisputed starter. If you’re not at the right level, no matter how much money you earn, someone else will play. Yes, I would stay if the club went down. I don’t need to coach a Champions League team to be happy. I have the chance every day to do something I love, and I get paid for it.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.