The coach who is now his assistant was Gonzalo Feio’s assistant

Gonçalo Feio is a Portuguese man better known in Poland than in his own country. He left Lisbon in 2012 to do a six-month Erasmus exchange and never returned. Or rather, he did return, but only for holidays or to visit people he cares about.

However, he has become a media figure in Poland, due to his success – he was the first to win in England for a Polish team – but also because of the passion he exudes. In a story full of anecdotes , there’s even a role reversal with his former coach.

Was Gonçalo Feio the assistant to a Spaniard who is now his assistant?

Yes, Kiko Ramirez. I met him at Wisla Krakow when I returned to Poland to coordinate the academy’s youth levels, and four months later I was called to be the assistant to a new coach who was arriving. It was Kiko Ramirez, a Spaniard, and I was his assistant and at the same time his translator, because he only spoke Spanish. And from there our relationship developed.

And how did he become his deputy?

For me, in terms of managing a group of people and managing a spa, he was a benchmark. Because there are two different levels of leadership.

What are they?

There’s the first level, which is leadership by position. Someone decides you’re the boss, and people do what you want because you’re the boss. Someone decides you’re the teacher, and the students do what you want because you’re the teacher. Someone decides you’re the coach, and the players do what you want because you’re the coach. But if you don’t jump to a second level of leadership, you’ll end up losing those who are with you. And what is that second level? It’s the level where the players don’t do what you want because you’re the coach, but because they believe in you and want to follow you. This second level is fundamental, and taking this step, Kiko Ramirez was the best experience I’ve had.

And when does the role reversal occur?

We were together at Wisla Krakow, then we went to Greece together, with me still as his assistant. We developed an incredible relationship and then I went back to Poland alone, to Rakow. I stayed for two and a half years and left because I felt I was ready and wanted to start my career as a head coach. However, only now at Radomiak have I been able to do what I had tried before, which was to bring Kiko Ramirez onto my coaching staff.

So, only now has the possibility of them working together again arisen?

Yes, but as I said, I had already tried before, because I was always very clear that I wanted someone on the technical team who would have a mentoring role, balancing my vision of things, of the players, of the team’s state, of motivation, with his vision. Someone I could also talk to. I want to be inspired and discuss these things in detail, and Kiko Ramirez is the right person for that, because he sees things differently than I do, and that confrontation makes us grow.