Abraham Garcia - Current Manager of Kitchee (Hong Kong) and Former Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid Academy Coach
Christopher KL Lau
Current manager of Kitchee (Hong Kong) Abraham García has had a long and distinguished coaching career and developed and mentored a whole host of future stars at both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid including global names such as David de Gea and Juan Mata at Manchester United, as well as Fernando Torres and many, many more who players who are gracing leagues all around the world.
Garcia is hoping to bring his distinctive brand of football and management to Hong Kong champions Kitchee as they battle on both the domestic front and the early stages of the Asian Champions League.
Garcia kindly took time out to speak to Christopher KL Lau about his coaching experience at both Madrid giants and football in both China and Hong Kong.
You had a successful coaching career in Spain especially at Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and many of the players that you coached went onto become top professionals. These include Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, David De Gea and many, many more. Did you always know that these players would make it to the top?
In my years at both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, I coached many, many players. Some of them are top players now in the best leagues and, of course, they have quality and talent. Sometimes as a coach, we say that we should not trouble the players, perhaps to help, but not to trouble them and thus let them express their talent.
As a coach, you are only like a guide, like a teacher. I like to help the players to improve and to become a better person. All these players have the same point of view and quality. They are strong minded and players who listen and know that you are trying to help them be successful. They are people who are smart about who can stay around them and they are mature.
When I was in the academies, I sometimes coached players who were more skillful (than the ones who are playing at the top level) but to stay in professional football, you need a strong personality and as you play football from such a young age, you have to sacrifice things that other people your age do everyday.
You cannot go to parties, you can sometimes go but not all the time; as a sixteen or seventeen year old player, you have to do decide if you want to go to the next level. Sometimes you have a player who you think will be a top player but sometimes, they decide not to listen or they don't have a good 'atmosphere' around them. Players like Juan Mata, Fernando Torres and De Gea, I was lucky to be in their life for a stage and I tried to help them like I do with all the players I coach.
How can coaching standards be improved in Hong Kong and China?
In my opinion, Spain has the best qualified coaches in the entire world. This is my humble opinion. This is because every coach at every moment tries to improve, improve, improve with more courses and licenses. You can say for example, all schools can have mandatory football but who will be the teacher? I have a small company in Spain and this focuses on extra curricular activities; we give kids the chance to do different sports such as judo and basketball. In my experience, the most important person is a good coach.
Ten years ago, all the Spanish coaches who moved abroad had to because in our country, we did not have opportunities at home so many went overseas and the doors were open. To improve as a coach, you have to do courses and you have to do clinics and get more information. In Hong Kong, as many people can speak English then more ideas can be swapped. There are many coaches who have moved here and there are lots of changes going on; at Eastern there is now a female coach and this is progress.
Do you think in the future that more Chinese or Hong Kong players can move to Europe?
I would like to see a Hong Kong player make it and there are many good players in Hong Kong and life is comfortable here. To move abroad, you need to be brave and sometimes take risks. Players don't have to move to Europe but can also move around in China.
Chinese players have good skills and fitness; but they have to break the cultural differences. There is one guy (Zhang Chengdong) at Rayo Vallecano who has played a few times and Wanda Madrid Investment, a subsidiary of Dalian Wanda Group have brought a stake in Club Atlético de Madrid and Chinese players will have some training opportunities there.
How Do You Think Gary Neville Will Do as a Coach at Valencia?
It was a surprise but not too much of a surprise as he had a great coach in Sir Alex Ferguson who also thought Neville would be a good coach. You never know as you have cases where players finish and start to coach.
He started with a draw with Barcelona. One thing I know for sure is that Valencia is not an easy place as they expect the best; for example previous manager Nuno Espirito Santo was seen as the best last season and this season was seen as the worst and Neville, he has a difficult job but he was an incredible player and will be a good coach. I would like to to see things go well and sometimes it is not easy but this is sport and things do not go as you want.
Thank you!
© Chris Lau & Soccerphile.com