Former Granada coach has immersed himself in the Premier League and Championship since leaving the Spanish club
“There were almost tears in my eyes, bloody hell,” Diego Martínez says. “Friday night, the first game I’d been at with fans for 18 months. Brentford-Arsenal, back in the top division after 70-something years. Everyone singing Hey Jude, a cappella. Just the walk to the ground, the tube. The people. That’s where it started. Tottenham – Totnúm, no? – Chelsea, West Ham, Watford. Fulham, taking photos of it all. Those wooden seats, by the river. Wonderful. Everton, Liverpool, Man City, United …”
Four months earlier, Martínez had taken Granada to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, leading them from the second division to a first appearance in Europe and reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League. But this time was different: this time the stadium was full and, having decided to take a step back in the summer, now he sat in the stands not on the bench. What does a manager actually do when he’s not working? A question starts a conversation but doesn’t necessarily end it, and if there’s something that emerges it is not just him, it is us. And, the Spaniard insists, there is still something about English football.
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