José Gomes introduces his trusted backroom lieutenants
The Portuguese UD Almería head coach counts on five assistant coaches and a physiologist to ensure that players are at their peak going into each and every fixture
José Gomes, head coach of UD Almería, is the face of the work that goes on behind the scenes at Juegos Mediterraneos and now introduces the fully trusted lieutenants of his backroom team who have been working with him at certain stages of his football career. All of them worked alongside Jose Gomes the previous season at UD Almeria, when they were in charge of the Rojiblanco first-team over the course of the final stretch of the competition.
Jaime Alberto Barbosa is the physiologist, who is also a specialist in high-performance medicine. He has got an excellent eye for many details that have to do with the footballers’ performance, regardless of the physical, technical and tactical aspects.
The second coach is Jorge Mendoça. As José Gomes explains, he has teamed up with him since 1991 and they studied together at University.
Joao Penedo and André Bikey are also coach assistants. The first, in addition, is an analyst who takes into account, above all, the opposing teams ahead of a game, reporting to the head coach about how the sides that they’re about to play like to set-up; while the latter, who has been a professional player until recently, focuses more on working the defensive methods and strategies. ‘He has been a top centre-back’, says José Gomes.
Jorge Baptista is the goalkeeper coach and has also been a renowned keeper in Portuguese football. He considers that goalkeepers, in modern football, are just another player and having the ability to control the ball with their feet is vital.
Claudio Lopes completes the coaching staff, an analyst who according to José Gomes ‘is a key figure’. He not only analyses the competitors and Almería, both during games and training sessions, which are recorded daily.
There are also two in-house coaching staff employees, Ricardo Molina, a former Almería goalkeeper who effectively plans, delivers and evaluates goalkeeper coaching sessions as well as fitness coach Víctor Mañas, who tailors each individual player's training and fitness plans.