Golden generation

Fascinating new chapter.

Known affectionately as El Minico, his ability to construct cohesive, high-energy tactical units that thrive under immense psychological pressure makes him the absolute ideal profile to lead Ecuador's burgeoning Golden Generation.

the timing of Gallardo's arrival could not be more critical.

La Tri currently boasts one of the most talented, athletic, and technically gifted player pools in their history, featuring elite European-based stars spanning every department of the pitch.

In an ideal world, you want an English coach.

I'm surrounded by the golden generation on the training pitch in Germany, basically saying to me, what are you going to do? to control the behaviors of absolutely everybody.

When I assumed the managing director role, the wives and girlfriends never traveled anymore.

Everywhere David Beckham went, it was just unrelenting.

Everyone agrees.

So how delighted was I at midnight or whatever in Germany when the angle was exactly that angle that Frank had set down.

And there's a picture I've got at home in my office where I'm surrounded by half a dozen, maybe more, of the golden generation on the training pitch in Germany basically saying to me, what are you going to do? and putting it on me not unfairly saying if you you know and if you your job is to protect us and help us which is perfectly reasonable i then had to call all the reporters who were the sunday guys a lot of them i knew really really well like some of them like still friends to this day they're on the day off because it's gone on a sunday the following week and um saying now you got to come back i'm on the golf you need to come back now so if you don't come back now I said I've got to address this with you and by the way I need to be seen to be addressing this with you as well because otherwise the players who in the main most of the players were really good to deal with and they found it stressful at times some of them but people like Frank was a really you see him now with Coventry he's just a he's such a competent communicator he's a class guy yeah I can honestly say that a lot of the football guys that I work with as well don't underestimate at times they can be really helpful as well and they can you know they've marked my card to help players and to help agents and it's important to get that across because it's just not fair to have a one-dimensional approach to it it's like everyone in the football industry there's people that you trust and like better than others and there's some really great guys amongst them too

I've got to ask you about 2006.