Pedro Martins exclusive interview: Ederson's game-changing goalkeeping and Raphinha's anarchic play

In this exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Portuguese coach Pedro Martins shares his memories of working with Brazil internationals Ederson and Raphinha, beating Mikel Arteta's Arsenal in Europe, and reports linking him with jobs in England...

By Adam Bate, Comment and Analysis @ghostgoal

Image: Pedro Martins discusses his career in football including coaching Ederson and Raphinha

Pedro Martins is smiling at the memory of Ederson's kicking and how it shocked even the best opponents when the pair were together at Rio Ave. "I remember there was a goal-kick against Benfica and they were trying to press us," Martins tells Sky Sports.

"Their defence was very high so our strategy was to put the striker really far away behind the defensive line from the goal-kicks because there is no offside. Nobody expected Ederson could put the ball there but he put the ball there and we scored.

"After that, Benfica changed their game because they could not press as they had expected. It was really good for us. We created a lot of problems for them through one Ederson ball. It showed that this is the kind of goalkeeper who can change the game."

Martins knew Ederson would not stick around for long. He was sold to Benfica that summer. "The big teams were waiting for this kind of goalkeeper, someone not afraid to leave their six-yard box, who can control situations and solve a lot of problems."

Image: Ederson's extraordinary kicking ability was apparent even at Rio Ave

While Ederson has gone on to win the Champions League with Manchester City, Martins' career has taken him to Olympiakos, where he won the Greek title three seasons in a row, and now Qatar with Al Gharafa, recently winning the manager-of-the-year award.

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A Portugal international, football is still his life. "I never finished with football, not even a holiday. I wanted to be a professional and then, after I stopped playing, I wanted to be a coach, never a sporting director. The ball was always my favourite toy."

His ideas about the game have evolved over the years. "Do not forget, I came from the third division in Portugal." But he credits Carlos Queiroz as a major influence. "He changed Portuguese football a lot. He was different. He made it more professional."

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The game is always changing, he points out. "You need to be alert. You cannot sleep. New coaches introduce something special. The tactical game. How we recover. Faster players. I study formations, but also I have developed as a coach through experience."

Today, he cites Ederson's City as the model but is drawn to Liverpool's ability to win in different ways. "Sometimes with possession, sometimes in transition. I want to control the ball but sometimes the opponent is strong and our own game must change."

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Another player who had an impact on Martins as a coach, teaching him to embrace the maverick, was Barcelona winger Raphinha. He had been in Vitoria Guimaraes' B team in Portugal when Martins spotted him in pre-season. "I said, 'He is staying with me.'"

They were together for two seasons, Raphinha scoring 15 goals in the second of those, by far the best of his career, earning a move to Sporting and setting him on the path to the top. "I am proud he is now at one of the best clubs in the world," says Martins.

"He had big potential and we were sure we could sell him to one of the big Portuguese clubs. Raphinha was different. These kind of players, they change the game totally because they do things differently. Sometimes it can create chaos in the game.

"My question was whether he would improve and develop his game for the team or he would remain this anarchic player." Raphinha would move on to Rennes in France, before playing in the Premier League with Leeds United and being capped by Brazil.

"I think France was very good for his game understanding. And now at Barcelona, you need to adapt to their philosophy because if you do not adapt then you cannot play there. So he has adapted and I understand he is more mature and playing for the team."

There was never anything wrong with his attitude. "His commitment was amazing. All the time, he was fighting to win balls, not just waiting for it, really showing solidarity with the other players. He has a big heart." And besides, you want to keep that wild side.

"His game, it will always be anarchic, but you need that bit of anarchy in a team. This kind of fire you cannot put out. It is a better to play a little bit more for the team, but we cannot take this out of them."

Image: Raphinha is now at Barcelona but made his breakthrough under Martins

Martins found the right balance at Olympiakos, taking a team that had finished third prior to his appointment and restoring them to the top in Greece. "I was able to manage the pressure there well. All the time at Olympiakos, they just want to win."

He explains: "It was a really good four years. We won nothing in the first season but we created a big team with young players and everybody understood the philosophy. It was a completely new team. They needed a refresh so we changed everything."

Trophies - and big European nights - followed. Knocking Mikel Arteta's Arsenal out of Europe in 2020 was a highlight but the pandemic hit and they were beaten in the next round. "We had to stop. My team was in fantastic shape. After that, it wasn't the same."

Image: Martins got the better of Mikel Arteta in the Europa League with Olympiakos

He is now in charge at Al Gharafa and trying to build again. "I am a coach for the projects," he says. "Since 2010, we have won nothing. But we are changing this now. The gap is not as big as when I arrived. We are fighting in all competitions. This is a big step."

After a third-place finish last season, earning him the coach of the year award in Qatar, hopes are high. "We changed all the departments. They are more professional now. And we changed the mentality in the dressing room. Now, everybody is unhappy if we lose. When I arrived, it was not like that."

Martins points to the growth of football in Qatar. "Marco Verratti, for instance, he is 29 so he has not finished his career." But a move back to Europe and, in particular, England remains something that interests him. There have been offers but not the right one.

"I had some propositions but I did not want to leave Olympiakos. After I left, I received offers from the Championship but I did not believe in those projects. But England is the nation of football, the best of the best. One day I must go because I love it there."

At least he will not be caught out by those Ederson goal-kicks.

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