"I would like to be part of the Championship or Premier League as a coach."
Wednesday 17 June 2020 06:20, UK
Former Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo wants to follow in the footsteps of former boss Jose Mourinho and manage in the Premier League.
Crespo is currently manager of Defensa y Justicia in his native Argentina after ending a glittering playing career in 2012 that saw him score 273 times in 608 appearances for several top European sides.
Twenty-five of those goals came for Chelsea during a five-year stint between 2003 and 2008 in which he was not always the first-choice forward, especially when Mourinho was at Stamford Bridge.
It was a similar story when the pair were reunited a few years later at Inter Milan yet Crespo holds no grudges as he paid tribute to the Portuguese for demonstrating what it takes to become a first-rate manager.
"Jose showed me the way to be a top manager, it's not only about picking the first XI," Crespo said.
"It's understanding everything, 360 degrees, in terms of communication with journalists, governance, the players, the coaches. You are in the middle of all these groups."
Crespo, part of the new Soccer Aid World XI FC team playable in FIFA 20 on June 27 raising funds in the fight against coronavirus, says he would be open to returning to England in a coaching capacity in the future.
"The Premier League is better than before, it grows and grows," Crespo said. "Why not in the future? I want to come back to work there, I would like to be part of the Championship or Premier League as a coach."
