Shortly after Jose Mourinho took over at Tottenham last week, it was announced he’d be assisted by Joao Sacramento and Nuno Santos.
The former would be assistant manager at Spurs and the latter the goalkeeping coach, with both being brought in from Lille.
Mourinho had been invited to Lille earlier this season where he spent time with Luis Campos and watching the club. Manager Christophe Galtier also gave time to the former Manchester United manager, and it was clear he then felt betrayed over what happened with Sacramento and Santos.
A couple of days later the Lille manager was quoted as saying: “Each has their way of doing things. He called Luis (Campos). I don’t know if it’s [a knife in the back], but (read in sarcastic tone) it’s very classy to do things like that… I was annoyed, frustrated because the timing isn’t good. Each will judge the way things are done. What’s most important is that I agree with the decision the president took.
“To be totally transparent, my president informed me of the situation and told me he would let Joao and Nuno go. After a long talk, I understand his decision. It’s a shame, the timing is very bad. That’s how football is these days but what can he do against two people who want to leave and exit the project for live something else? He gave them that possibility. He could’t do anything else.”
So, without the two coaches, Lille had to fill the gaps, and Jorge Maciel was taken from Benfica’s U23 side, while Carlos Pires came from Al-Fayha.
At his press conference today, Galtier was asked if ‘Lille has done like Tottenham taking deputies already in office’, and he refused to answer on the suggestion of hypocrisy, quoted by RMC as saying: “I can’t answer that question.”
To be fair to the Frenchman, the situations are somewhat different.
