Pep Clotet: “Bellingham has things that only great champions have”

Pep Clotet (April 28, 1977) was Bellingham’s first manager in professional football. The Catalan coach is the one who decided to give the English midfielder an alternative to Birmingham City of Championship when Jude was only 16 years old. He knows him like few others, and he talked about Bellingham and more to Mundo Deportivo.

In 2001, he started training when he was only 24 years old, so being young isn’t very common, right?

Yes, I started training almost on the rebound. First helping the team from my hometown, in Igualada, and from there I decided to get the titles to do things well. Then came Cornellá, Spanish and then I went abroad.

As a coach, being an elite player is a disadvantage compared to those who have been?

Components of a diverse experience. The professional locker room environment is different from a rookie one. Having an elite player I think it helps, especially in the beginning. I wish I could, I think it helped me.

His first international experience was in Sweden. How did that happen?

I was in Espanyol B, we went from Third to Second B and the club was in the transition stage. I am closely connected with Manel Casanova and in talking with him I thought that the time had come to look for new challenges. The possibility of becoming an assistant coach in Malmö arose. I understood that this was a step to enter professional football. Sweden is a country that attracts me and its football is very passionate. I’m not ruling out going back to work in Scandinavia.

He trained in England and Italy. Have you noticed a big difference?

I realized what football was like in England when I was at Swansea. There the public pushes the player to achieve everything. It is very competitive football, very dignified and at the same time there is a culture that allows you to work well. As for Italy, it is very tactical football, make no mistake, and for a foreign coach sometimes it is difficult. I see Spanish football between Italian and English.

Is the figure of the second coach undervalued?

Yes a lot. I think two heads think more than one and the second coach is an important part. It contributes a lot. I think it should be appreciated more. The coach is the visible leader of a work group and ultimately all parties have their importance.

Let’s talk about Jude Bellingham. What do you remember about the first time you saw him practice/play?

He is 15 years old and in Birmingham City’s Under-16s. I remembered that he was above the level of others. Not only because he is more physically developed, but because he thought and did things that others did not. He has full control of the game and it is too easy for him. We had a meeting and we decided to let him train with us and send him to the Under-21s.

And what about the transition to the first team?

This is when they gave me the position of coach of the first team (in the summer of 2019). I spoke to Dong Ren (then CEO of Birmingham City) and the club’s strategy is to try to achieve something big this season. We decided to bet on Bellingham and the rest is history. The idea is to do the preseason with the first team and then see. And nothing to see. He played, scored goals and stayed. I remember that Paco Herrera, who helped me, said to me, ‘hey, this kid is a cannon’. And it is true.

Now he is a superstar. where is your ceiling Is your best version yet to come?

I always say it has no roof. He played 42 Championship games with us at the age of 16 and you can see what he is like. Back then we fought for it to go directly to the England Under-21s and not the Under-17s. It doesn’t make sense. He is a player with a lot of character. He has things that only great champions have. Currently it is for a team that is fighting for all the titles.

They talk about Real Madrid, Liverpool…

I want him to play in Spain. I think that if Madrid goes to him it will be difficult for him to go wrong.

But he has to leave Dortmund next summer, yes or yes…

I don’t talk to him about what he should do. I’m very careful with that. But I was thinking ‘what else is there to do?’. The next step should be to go to a club where in a bad year you will play in the semifinal of the Champions League.

Will he win the Ballon d’Or?

I do not know. He plays in a position that sometimes does not pass the eye like others. If it were up to me, I think so because there aren’t many footballers like him. I hope it’s possible.

Returning to his figure as a coach. What is it for Pep Clotet to play ‘good’ football?

This creates the biggest problem for the opponent at all times, having the ball to attack as much as possible and when you don’t have it, it makes it difficult for the opponent. I like teams that push up and surprises that come from behind. Possession is important in attack.

When will we see him train again in Spain?

I don’t know, but I want to. Despite the fact that there is talk that the Premier League is on another level, I see a level of quality here that is hard to find abroad.