Spanish Football legend and Barcelona great, Guillermo Amor will be assisting the Reds for the next month.
Spanish Football legend and Barcelona great, Guillermo Amor will be assisting Head Coach Josep Gombau and his team for the next month.
Guillermo (far left), who arrived in Adelaide on last Thursday, will be observing trainings, and providing advice where possible so that the club and players can technically improve on what Josep instigated last season.
Guillermo has had an interest in Australia for a while, and his friendship with Josep has given him the opportunity to fulfil that desire. Adelaide United will certainly benefit from his professionalism and experience that he can provide over the next month and perhaps even longer.
Guillermo won several awards in his professional career with Barcelona, from whom we have adopted a similar style. He was capped 37 times for Spain during the 1990s, highlights include representing his country during the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 1996.
As the FC Barcelona Technical Director of Youth Football, Guillermo stressed the importance of maintaining a particular style of play and the philosophy throughout the clubs ranks.
“Youth football, as we have been managing it in recent years, must carry on in the same line, methodology, style and philosophy. We have to maintain this because it’s what has given us, and will give us, success.”
Amor shares the same passion as Gombau for developing young local players, stating that “when you give local players the chance, they respond and defend their team to the end.”
He has a very passionate love for Barcelona and the style of play it prompts once professing that “Barcelona… I am in the club of my heart.”
Guillermo was one of the first players to go through all the teams at Barcelona, from youth development to playing first team. Guillermo returned to Barcelona after completing his professional career, “to be appointed the Director of the Youth was a very amazing thing because it was familiar to me. It was where I started at the age of 11 and therefore when I finished my playing career I went back to youth development because it’s my passion.”
So why has he come to Adelaide United? Translating on behalf of Guillermo, Gombau explained how Amor wants to see the way we as a club are working particularly because we have the youth and also are implementing a style in which he played professionally. He wants to get to know another country, culture and language, particularly benefitting his English.
Guillermo explained, “I want to see how a style such as this is being implemented in a place where it is not common. But my main purpose is to also gain experience with senior football. For me it is a good experience to come here, because for a long time my job was not on the field. I was the coach of the coaches, whereas now I want to be on the pitch with the players.”
Amor arrived last Thursday night and since then has been at three training sessions. From what he has seen so far he likes the way the squad are working together with the coaching staff.
The players have so far responded well to his arrival, particularly the Spanish players who have spent the most time conversing with him and translating on behalf of the other players. The players are pleased that he is here with us. The reaction of the players when they first saw him was one of shock, surprise and excitement.
Amor will be present at all pre-season games, including the feature match against Málaga CF. He will also assist Gombau at the FOXTEL All Stars v Juventus match in Sydney in August.
To have a legend of football now with Adelaide United FC highlights that the club is doing the right thing to attract positive attention and is clearly moving in the right direction.
To be part of this exciting movement as a club and would like to join our family, the time is now!
Join us now by clicking here or call the Reds Membership Hotline on 1300 GO REDS (1300 467 337).
