World Cup 2018: Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio reveals he spied on Liverpool from £50-a-week-flat to learn trade before being given job at Manchester City by Kevin Keegan
Colombian's hard work and dedication in his younger days has helped him become the man who will lead the American side to Russia in the summer
OVER the last few days Juan Carlos Osorio has watched Chelsea against Barcelona.
He has kept an eye on Javier Hernandez for West Ham at Liverpool and was invited to the Carabao Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City to see his former player, David Ospina.
Osorio, 56, is used to having the best seat in the house.
And he will have an even better view of Germany’s opening match at the World Cup in Russia as he manages the reigning champions’ opponents, Mexico.
It has not always been nice seats high up in the stands of the world’s greatest football grounds, though.
Because the Colombian went to unprecedented lengths to watch Liverpool train when he was studying at the city’s university.
Two years of spying from a house overlooking the Melwood training ground — via binoculars — maintained his enthusiasm, and kept his dream alive, of one day becoming a top manager.
The pathway, which included being Manchester City’s conditioning coach, was always going to be unconventional but the hard work and the sacrifices have paid off spectacularly.
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Osorio said: “In the 1980s, there was a lot of money in Colombia with some big stars, so I could not play regularly.
“I stopped playing around 24 and planned to become a professional manager. I knew my way would be a long way.
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“I planned to be the best conditioning coach I could be and, by doing that, would end up getting my coaching badges.
“I graduated in exercise science and human performance from Southern Connecticut State University. I graduated in 1990. I worked from 1990 to 1997 in youth soccer in New York.
“I told my wife Julieth — and we are still together today — that I wanted to chase my dream to manage.
“So I sold everything, watches, a car, to pay for two years to go to John Moores University in Liverpool to study a masters in science and football. She stayed in the States.
“I went to Liverpool’s training ground at Melwood three days in a row but they did not let me in.
“I started walking around and found a small hole through the brick so I could look.
“I looked back and I saw this window overlooking the training ground. I approached the house, home of the McManus family.
“I spoke to the husband Tom and asked to rent the room over-looking the pitch.
“I told them I wanted to become a football coach and would pay them £50 a week. They said ‘what?’ But they let me. Still today, I am still in touch with that wonderful family.
“I could see everything. When it was raining, and it rained a lot, I looked through the window with binoculars.
“It was 1998. The only time they had two managers, Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans.
JUAN CARLOS OSORIO ON... DAVINSON SANCHEZ
IT’S great to see him at a big club like Tottenham.
I spotted him playing in Colombia in 2013, on pitches open to the public.
I was manager of Atletico Nacional in Medellin and although I was having a few rest days, I told my wife I was going to watch some football.
I said ‘You never know, I might find someone’. And I did!
He was 16, in the youth set-up at Cali but I brought him to Medellin.
Davinson was a midfielder. He was athletic, strong and fast.
I told him he’d a better chance in central defence.
In 2016, Barcelona and Ajax were interested in him.
I said, ‘You’ve a better chance going to a slightly smaller club and show everyone you can play.
Maybe then you will play in a better league’.
That is what happened.
“The players were Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman. They had a little forward called David Thompson. It was also the start of Steven Gerrard’s career. I used to watch the academy in the evening as they only had one pitch.
“I went back to the United States and got a job with New York MetroStars as a conditioning coach and started to build a reputation.
“I once went to watch Chicago Bulls basketball team train in 1984. I watched Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman train. Everything they did was game-related.
“After that, I told myself when I coached, everything, even fitness-wise, would be game-related.”
In an ironic twist, it was a few years later that Osorio returned to the north west — but this time in a working capacity in the blue half of Manchester.
He said: “In 2001, I answered the phone and they said it was Manchester City and I said ‘f**k off’ and hung up. I thought that it was not Manchester City.
And they called me back. Because it was.
“The flew me over for a trial. We did a training session with the reserves and youth which included Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kasper Schmeichel, Steve Ireland, Dickson Etuhu, Nedum Onuoha, Joey Barton, Daniel Sturridge. Joe Royle offered me the job.
"I was not sure to leave my wife again, so I turned it down.Two weeks later I got the same call from Kevin Keegan, who was now the manager.
“The first year was when they were relegated again, to what is now the Championship. It was fantastic working for Keegan.
“Because City were not in the Premier League, I asked Alex Ferguson to allow me to his training sessions at United. I watched them a lot.
JUAN CARLOS OSORIO ON... SIX-GAME FIFA BAN
WE were leading Portugal 1-0 with a minute to go of the third-place play-off at the Confederations Cup in Russia last year.
We did not defend a cross properly and Pepe equalised.
In extra-time, they got a penalty for 2-1 and then we should have had a penalty.
I went to the linesman and said: “That’s a f****** penalty’. It was not directed to him.
But he called me back and said, ‘f*** you’.
I went nuts. The first person I saw behind the dugout was my 14-year-old boy crying.
I went back and said to the linesman, ‘Tell the ref he is a f****** cheat’.
I apologised afterwards and I got a six-game ban.
When we qualified for the World Cup, against Panama, I was sat up in the stands.
“He made a huge impact on my career on rotation and he explained why all the players need to be involved.
“It is a way to make them feel important. I rotate my teams.
“I give opportunities to everyone. Rotation is not a football principle it is a life principle.
“If you want to make someone feel important, you give them a chance. You are inclusive. Not in easy games but good games. It is about trust.”
Osorio went on to manage club sides in Colombia, the United States and Mexico before landing the job as national boss in 2015.
Mexico topped their CONCACAF World Cup qualifying group, with the United States finishing fifth.
And now the man who spied on Liverpool training sessions 20 years ago will carry the hopes of 127 million people in this summer’s finals in Russia.
An engaging character with perfect English, Osorio added: “On the field, I put my work against anyone.
“The time I spent in England was extremely productive for me. I can never thank enough for having that chance.
“In 2015, I took over as Mexico manager. We only lost one game in qualifying — that was in the last match against Honduras but we had qualified.
“CONCACAF is difficult. The grass is long. It is dry, they throw balls on the field. People run up to the pitch to stop the game.
“The temperatures are above 35C. The stadiums are not very secure. It is a very difficult geographical zone. To play football there can just be unsafe. It can be dangerous, if I am being honest.
“We have had tough matches. Losing 7-0 to Chile in the Copa America was the worst — and we actually beat them 1-0 in a friendly 17 days earlier.”
JUAN CARLOS OSORIO ON... PANAMA
PLAYING England at the World Cup will be their biggest game — ever.
We qualified by beating them 1-0 at the Azteca but they still finished third in the CONCACAF group.
I know their manager really well. Hernan Gomez is also Colombian.
This will be his third World Cup with a different nation.
He will structure the team so it will be difficult for England.
He’ll probably play 4-1-4-1 and try to protect the central channel.
As for the future, this remains unclear. The priority is the World Cup, with Mexico’s preparations including a friendly at home to Scotland on June 2, before the group matches against Germany, South Korea and Sweden.
Osorio added: “I have turned down the possibility of extending my contract with the Mexican association. The reason being I want to be honest to my bosses.
“If we do well I would like to continue. But I have been contacted by other federations and I do have feelings for other places.
“My boys were born in the States, I would love to manage in England because the thing I miss the most is the day-to-day. The best thing in football is to make players better.
“Ultimately, I would love to be in the Premier League.”
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