Exclusive interview with Portuguese footballer Tiago Mendes-Lyon’s dream is to win the European Championship League |27 July 2006

He chose the Northolme Hotel and Spa at Glacis to recharge his batteries for the forthcoming season with Olympique Lyonnaise (Lyon) in the French Ligue 1.

Playmaker Tiago started his career with Sporting Braga before transferring to Benfica in December 2001. He led Benfica to victory over Jose Mourinho's Porto in the 2004 Portuguese Cup final and the coach took him to Chelsea in the summer of 2004 for £8 million.

In August 2005, he transferred to Lyon for £6.82 million a fortnight after Michael Essien had moved the other way.

A former member of Portugal's Under-21 squad before making his full international debut in 2002, Tiago, who excels as either a deep-lying attacker or a midfield anchor, spoke to Sports Nation before leaving on Monday July 24.

He said that he will come back again as he loves Seychelles and would like to see the country’s national team in action.

Sports Nation: You’ve played football at the highest level in England, France and Portugal. How can you compare the difference of the game in those three countries?

Tiago: In Portugal, people don’t go a lot to the stadiums like in France and England. Portuguese and French football are almost the same. It relies a lot on techniques. In England, it’s a different kind of football. It is more physical and the play does not stop. The people there (in England) always support their teams.

Sports Nation: Was it easy to leave Chelsea to join Lyon?

Tiago: No. It was a difficult decision. No one at Chelsea, not even José Mourinho (the Chelsea manager) wanted me to leave. But with the arrival of Micheal Essien from Lyon, I knew it was not going to be hard for me to be involved in many matches. I chose to join Lyon because after talking to manager Gérard Houiller he told me that I would fit in his playing strategy and play occasionally.

Sports Nation: After helping Lyon win a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 championship last season, what are your personal aims and those of Lyon for the forthcoming season?

Tiago: I won the Ligue 1 title in my first season with Lyon after having done the same with Chelsea in England. No other French Club have won the Ligue 1 title for five years in a row and we want to win a sixth championship. The club’s dream is to win the European Championship League. We’ve reached the quarterfinals three times and I believe it is time we go past this stage of the competition. Winning the Champions League will make the dream of club president Jean-Michel Aulas and that of the fans come true.

Sports Nation: Mr Aulas wants Franck Ribery to leave Marseille to play for Lyon. Do you think Ribery’s arrival at Lyon would bring a new dimension to the team’s play?

Tiago: Ribery is a young and fantastic player. He is quick. It will be good if he joins Lyon. But if Marseille do not want him to leave it won’t be a problem for us at Lyon because we have a great team and some great players.

Sports Nation: During the Portugal-France semifinal match-up at the recent World Cup you came across some of your Lyon clubmates like Malouda, Wiltord and Abidal. How was it like to play against them?

Tiago: Before the match, we joked. But although I didn’t play a part in the match as I was on the bench, I know that on the pitch it was a different story. I was happy that they reached the final, but it was a sad moment for us. Reaching the World Cup final would have helped write a piece of Portuguese football history.

Sports Nation: Eliminating England in the quarterfinal at the World Cup was the second time Portugal had beaten England at this stage in a big competition after achieving the same feat at Euro-2004. Ricardo must have been the hero for he was very good in the penalty shoot-out?

Tiago: It was a difficult game which ended 0-0 like during Euro-2004. We went into the penalty shoot-out and we trusted goalkeeper Ricardo to perform well like he did during Euro-2004. After we missed two penalties, I thought England would win, but Ricardo was unbelievable with two saves.

Sports Nation: How was the reception back home after the World Cup?

It was unbelievable to see 10,000 people waiting for us at the airport even though we had lost our last two games against France and hosts Germany.

Sports Nation: In Germany, Portugal reached the World Cup semifinal for the second time, 40 years after the first. Coach Felipe Scolari must have done a great job with the team?

Tiago: Each time Portugal has reached the semifinal of the World Cup it has been under the guidance of a Brazilian coach. Coach Scolari did a great job with the team. During Euro-2004 which Portugal hosted, we reached the final but lost to Greece. We did a good job at the World Cup in Germany and reached the semifinals. It’s hard for me explain how we did that. For a small country like Portugal to go this far in the World Cup, it was very good.

Sports Nation: Coach Scolari once said that you never give more than 90% and not less than 70% of your ability on the field. Do you agree with him?

Tiago: Scolari is an intelligent man. He says this because he wants his players to give their best and he knows that it is not possible for any player to give a 100% on the field. When Scolari chooses a group of players to work with he doesn’t make a lot of changes. Even if a player who is not in the national team is playing well in his club, Scolari does not call him up. He has been criticized for his approach but he takes things calmly.

Sports Nation: Figo came out to international retirement to lead Portugal to the semifinal of the World Cup in Germany and he has said that he is going to retire from the national team. Do you think that he can still help the team?

Tiago: Figo is a fantastic player with a fantastic mentality. We will miss him. No one on the Portugal team wants him to stop, but it’s his choice and we have to respect it. I think he can still perform well with the Portugal national team.

Sports Nation: Who according to you is the best player in the world at the moment?

Tiago: I’ll go for Brazilian Ronaldinho although he did not play well at the World Cup. I also like Kaka of Brazil and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo who is fantastic with the ball.

Sports Nation: What is your impression of the head-butting incident during the World Cup final?

Tiago: It is a shame. It was Zinedine Zidane’s last game and I was sad to see him go out like this. Zidane is a fantastic player and a model for the youths. It’s football and sometimes things like that happen on the field.