Latest News

Interview of the Week: Mário Rui

2019-12-12

There are people who have been accompanying IberCup for years. It's been more than 10 years of tournaments not only in Portugal but also in the world. But if you have a team that has been there since the first edition, this is Sport União Sintrense. Always commanded by its coordinator, Mário Rui, our interviewee of the week. 

1# How many years have you been a coach? What about this team?
A:
I've been a coach for 30 years, of the team of Initiates for 2 years.

2# Why did you choose to be a football coach? Why youth football?
A:
Because I like this sport very much, which I still embraced as a football player for 20 years. Youth Football because I love teaching and passing on moral, social and commitment values to young athletes.

3# What is your biggest dream as a coach?
A:
I don't have any particular dream, I would say that my desire is to see athletes growing up as serious, honest and respectful men.

4# What is most difficult for you: educating players or parents?
A:
I have no doubt that the most difficult thing is to educate fathers, because many of them portray in their children what they were not able to be. In addition to the financial mediatism of football that some people think they can achieve.

5# How important is it for you to reconcile your studies with your training? Does your club somehow help athletes in this sense?
A:
It is fundamental to reconcile studies with football, there was a time when those who wanted to be a football player left their studies, completely wrong: Today the academic training of athletes is extremely important for the future of each one of them. Sintrense has a multipurpose room that it makes available daily to athletes to study and do their homework. Because we know that the time is short and therefore the creation of an ATL (Free Time Activities) is under study, with qualified people to help the athletes in the school area.

#6 Which professional player would you like to introduce to your players? And why? 
A:
There are two players that I'd like to introduce to my players. The first one, Nelson Semedo, because he was a Sintrense's player and today he is in Barcelona. The other player is Cristiano Ronaldo. For the fact that he is a reference worldwide, and because of his life path, sacrifice and example for those who want to become a professional footballer one day.

7# What do you think of the competitive boards in the younger classes in Portugal? What would change?
A:
The competitive cadres are somehow out of touch with reality, essentially in the training classes (Benjamins and Children). What I was trying to do was to change the competitive boards, so that games with results of 10, 15 and 20 to zero don't happen, it doesn't make sense for the evolution of athletes.

8# How did you discover IberCup and in how many editions did you participate?
A:
I know and have participated in IberCup since its foundation, in fact I know and have participated since the first tournament still with the name of Lisbon Cup.

9# What did you enjoy most during the tournament and what do you think we can improve?
A:
What I like the most about the tournament is its internationalization, there are teams with quality that motivates the presence of our athletes, besides the coexistence, there will always be things to improve, such as refereeing.

10# Do you consider it a useful experience for young athletes to travel abroad and play against teams from all over the world?
A:
I consider it an unforgettable experience, they are experiences that stay for life.

11# What would you say to a coach who wants to come to IberCup?
A:
Come, it's a very good tournament for young football!

Today, IberCup opened the official registrations for 2023 tournaments and following the interest that has been enormous in the past few weeks, we got registrations from 23 different countries already.

Today, IberCup opened the official registrations for 2022 tournaments and following the interest that has been enormous in the past few weeks, we got registrations from 23 different countries already.

In 2022 we will organize 10 tournaments that will be held in Spain with IberCup Madrid (New), IberCup Andalucia World Sports Festival (New) and IberCup Barcelona, in Portugal with IberCup CascaisIberCup Estoril and IberCup Elite Girls Estoril, and in Brazil with IberCup Rio de Janeiro and IberCup São Paulo.

A coach 14 years ago, passionate about football and with an incredible dream: to become one day the coach of the National Team of Portugal. Meet Henrique Silva, the coach of the Under-15 Club Desportivo da Cova da Piedade. 

CAT A - 2010 ESCOLA FUTEBOL BENFICA ESTÁDIO
CAT B - 2009 CF OS BELENENSES B
CAT C - 2008 COMT COACHING CLUB
CAT D - 2007 PROMESAS DEL NORTE A
CAT E - 2006 PROMESAS DEL NORTE
CAT F - 2005 MERCEDARIOS
CAT H - 2003 MVP MADRID
CAT I - 2002 C. MARISTA DE CARCAVELOS
CAT J - 2001 PROMESAS DEL NORTE
CAT S - 2003F AIK FF
CAT U - 2001F VGA ST MAUR