Julio Baptista sees friend Zinedine Zidane managing Manchester United
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Julio Baptista reveals what Arsene Wenger was really like and sees friend Zinedine Zidane managing Manchester United
- On Arsene Wenger: “He is one manager who doesn’t act superior. He’s able to do his job and be a nice person at the same time.”
- “He was never intimidating; he was so close to the players. He is very kind and doesn’t make players feel pressure.”
- “John Terry was the toughest player I have encountered. He was so strong, so fast, and he anticipated what the players would do next. He was an amazing defender.”
- “Zidane was the best player I have ever played with. Playing with him and sharing a dressing room with him was very special.”
- “I think he will be a Premier League manager someday. He is an incredible coach, with amazing experience having won the Champions League, so I can see that happening. I can see him going to Manchester United.”
Now that I am a coach, I try to reproduce what Wenger did and how he acted towards the players
Playing in the Premier League was an incredible experience. I wish I was there for longer. I had just started to learn English and then I left. Obviously, I played for one of the best clubs when I was there and I got to work with Arsene Wenger. Wenger for me is a superb, top manager. I learned a lot from him and he helped me a lot in improving my game and made me a stronger player. My first conversation with him, he spoke very very slowly and said it would be too hard to try and speak Spanish with me. He said you need to learn English and I will speak slow so you understand everything. The first instruction he gave me was “What position I would like to be in”, and he believed I could do an incredible job for him. He improved me a lot as a player. He is a very nice person, and he is one manager who doesn’t act superior. He’s able to do his job and be a nice person at the same time. He was never intimidating; he was so close to the players. He is very kind and doesn’t make players feel pressure. He has an incredible mind. Now that I am a coach, I try to reproduce what Wenger did and how he acted towards the players. He got more out of the players than anyone.
One of the biggest things I loved about Arsenal was the respect the fans had for the players
One of the biggest things I loved about Arsenal was the respect the fans had for the players. It was something else, and something I never felt at other clubs. Gilberto Silva was the person who really helped me settle at the club. He’s Brazilian too. Ljundberg was also great with me, we went out for breakfast a lot and I am so glad that we have remained friends.
Thierry Henry really helped me a lot, he was such a nice person, and we created incredible memories.
My favourite Arsenal player is Thierry Henry. He was the most important player in the club’s history and I was so glad I had the chance to play with him at the club. He really helped me a lot, he was such a nice person, and we created incredible memories. It was very nice to share a dressing room with him.
Playing with [Zidane] and sharing a dressing room with him was very special
John Terry was the toughest player I have encountered. He was so strong, so fast, and he anticipated what the players would do next. He was an amazing defender.
Zidane was the best player I have ever played with. Playing with him and sharing a dressing room with him was very special. He is one the best in the world. In training sessions, he would do crazy things, but he is a very good person. I see him often and we like to reminisce about our time together at Real Madrid. My best memory with him was actually his last game at Real Madrid against Villareal. We won 3-3 and I scored two goals. I was so glad to have played well and score to give him good memories of his last game.
I think he will be a Premier League manager someday. He is an incredible coach, with amazing experience having won the Champions League, so I can see that happening. I can see him going to Manchester United.
It was cultural change, people said it wasn’t a good place to live, but it was the opposite
I went to the states to finalise my career and played with Orlando FC but when the coach left morale was not good so I didn’t know what to do. Then the opportunity came to go to Romania and play with CFR Cluj, a team who were champions so I thought I would try it out and go there for six months. It was a different experience. I played in many leagues and every league has something to offer, and this one also had plenty of qualities and it was so competitive. It was cultural change, people said it wasn’t a good place to live, but it was the opposite. It was a very safe place to live and people were so kind, the cold weather was the downside.
