Why Coaches Should Update Their Knowledge – And Why Unemployment Can Be the Best Time

In football, knowledge is never static. The game evolves, tactics change, and methodologies shift. For a coach, standing still is falling behind. That’s why regularly updating one’s football knowledge is not just advisable — it’s essential.

Yet the question remains: when is the best time to do it? One of the most overlooked opportunities is during unemployment. Instead of treating those periods as wasted time, they can become seasons of renewal and growth.

Mourinho’s Example in Ferragudo

When José Mourinho left his assistant role at FC Barcelona and before becoming head coach at SL Benfica, he found himself unemployed for the first time. For many, it might have been a moment of uncertainty. For Mourinho, it became a turning point.

He retreated to Ferragudo and Setúbal, dedicating himself to three things: family, rest, and study. Away from the spotlight, he read every book on football he could find, explored new ideas online, and watched hundreds of videos and DVDs to broaden his tactical vision.

It was during this period that he created what he calls his “Bible” — a personal training dossier, never published, containing the principles, objectives, and exercises that defined his methodology. It wasn’t just a collection of drills; it was the systematic evolution of his concepts of training.

Mourinho himself noted:
“In 1990 I didn’t think about training the same way I did in 2000. My priorities changed. I always made notes — on training sessions, on reflections — and eventually those became the dossier that made me ready to coach.”

Lessons for All Coaches

Mourinho’s approach highlights an important truth: the best coaches never stop learning. Unemployment — far from being a setback — can be the perfect time to:

• Reflect: Step back and evaluate your methods and philosophy.

• Study: Read, watch, and absorb new tactical, physical, and psychological perspectives.

• Systematize: Write down your evolving ideas to create your own “training guide.”

• Renew: Return to coaching with clarity, conviction, and updated tools.

The Decade Review

Football doesn’t stand still, and neither should coaching methodologies. Just as Mourinho evolved from the 1990s to the 2000s, every coach should revisit their “Training Guide” every decade. Priorities shift, science advances, and new generations of players require adapted approaches.

Updating knowledge isn’t a luxury — it’s a responsibility. And unemployment, often seen as a void, can actually be the best possible space for reinvention.

Conclusion

José Mourinho’s time in Ferragudo reminds us that growth often comes in silence. By turning unemployment into study and reflection, he transformed himself from an assistant into a head coach ready for success.

For any coach, the message is clear: don’t waste the gaps in your career. Use them. Read, study, reflect, write. And every decade, revisit your philosophy to ensure it evolves with the game.

Because the coach who updates is the coach who endures.