Perhaps no one man has clashed as much with a club as Jose Mourinho has with Barcelona. For a time in football, he represented the antithesis of everything the Catalans stood for while manager of Real Madrid. Yet one of of his players, a La Masia product, has been singing his praises lately.
Carles Perez moved from Barcelona to Roma in the summer of 2020 and hasn’t quite won a place in the first team, but seems to be enjoying the experience all the same.
Recently, Mourinho praised Perez in a press conference, something the Spaniard was asked about in a recent interview.
“Words like those from a manager of that calibre are very motivating. When you’re a child you dream of being coached by people like him or [Pep] Guardiola, top managers.”
“And despite that, he is very personable. After a year working with him, I understand his philosophy, his demands, I know how he is and what he wants. He has made me better as a player and even though I’ve played less, he encourages me, he gives me advice and he has made me very strong mentally.”
Diario AS covered the interview, in which Perez was sincere about the struggles and benefits of moving abroad. Naturally, there was a process of adaptation on the football field too, coming from such an idiosyncratic style as is taught at La Masia.
“It’s true that I learnt to play in as a pure winger at Barca and since I arrived I’ve played much more central, with [Paulo] Fonseca too. But that’s football, you have to get used it and play where the manager wants you to. I love playing as pure winger but I have learn to play there [inside] and I feel comfortable.”
Perez has scored 3 goals this season and provided 1 assist, although they have come in just 800 minutes.
