Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is hoping his team cam draw upon the example set by Roger Federer heading into their Champions League tie on Thursday evening.
The Red Devils have travelled to Switzerland to play Bern-based Young Boys in the first leg of their clash. Leading up to the match, there has been questions raised about how Mourinho’s team will fair on the pitch. Held at the Stade de Suisse, the players will be playing on an plastic artificial surface. Something different to what Manchester united are used to. Raising speculation that their opponents might have an advantage.
“I don’t want to use that, especially before the match, as a possible excuse for a not very good performance,” Mourinho told reporters on Tuesday. “Everybody knows is different but what I had to say I told last week in Geneva in the Uefa [coaches’] meeting that we had and what can I say?”
Speaking about the potential challenge his team faces, Mourinho cited 20-time grand slam champion Federer as an example to follow. Somebody who he describes as ‘one of the best ever tennis players.’
“I can give as an example, we are in Switzerland, the home of one of the best ever tennis players (Roger Federer), and I’m pretty sure that the big man sometimes is not happy to play on such a surface but he has to play and has to win.” He said.
“He has a favourite surface but he has to win on the surfaces he is not in love with. We have to do it.”
Federer’s trophy collection on the tour currently stands at 98 titles. Out of that tally, 67 have been won on a hard court, 18 on grass, 11 on clay and two on carpet. Furthermore, 74 out of his 98 titles have been won outdoors.
It is not the first time that the 55-year-old football manager has used the world of tennis as an example for his footballers to follow. In 2015 he said he was a ‘big, big fan’ of the sport. Citing the mental strength of the top players as something footballers can learn from.
“I have a special respect for the players because I think it’s not enough that they are physical or technical, it’s maybe the most important thing the mental point of view.” FourFourTwo quoted him as saying.
“Lonely people competing is more difficult [than team sports].
“A lonely man or women on the court is responsible for their success, responsible for defeat, and I think this capacity to deal with huge pressure I think is something I try to learn with them and bring it to my job and my sport.”
Manchester United will take on Young Boys at 20:00 GMT on Wednesday.
