Eric Krakauer sits down with MLS NEXT Pro side Crown Legacy FC Head Coach Jose Tavares and discusses Tavares’ transition to Charlotte, his career leading him to Crown Legacy FC, and why he chose this club for his next step.
Starting in 2023 Charlotte FC will have Its own MLS next pro team the man chosen To lead it is Who arrives in Charlotte after spending Over a decade at FC Porto where he Helped the Portuguese club win Silverware at both the academy and Professional levels welcome Jose the Portuguese contingent keeps growing here At Charlotte FC how are you doing Great thanks for having me Eric and uh It's a pleasure to be here you have Recently moved to Charlotte your family Has just moved in as well so you're Finally settling in how's the transition Been so far Very good very good in a very smooth way Are found in the North Carolina in Charlotte Very good people very friendly I was Receiving a very welcome way my kids the Same thing and my family as well so this Time before the competition is great Sitting great for us and yes I'm really Excited to to be here and to to work Alongside the club to do great things Here and this is not your first foreign Adventure you spend some time in England As well I'm assuming that's where you Perfected your English Uh yes after I finished my degree in Portugal I went for London in the UK to Do a master's degree and I lived there For three years and I really enjoyed to
Live there and I know so many countries I really like to travel and I like to Know the world how the world is built And the US is something that I was Dreaming for some while And uh it's a pleasure to be here and You finally made the jump so let's go And dig into your history a little bit You spent 14 years at FC Porto which is Arguably the biggest second biggest Club In Portugal it has one of the most famed Academies in the whole of Europe you Fulfilled various roles there you were a Coach at the Youth Level where you won National championships you were an Academy technical director you were an Assistant to the portal B team which is Essentially the bridge between the Academy and the first team you were also An assistant to the first team There's a rumor that you even had an Offer from the Premier League and yet You have chosen to join Charlotte FC What is it about this project which is In its infancy that attracted you I Spent 14 years in FC Porto and I grow so Much over there And uh I'm really grateful for the club For all the opportunities I've been on The first team second team technical Director head coach of the B team Already and the academy as well so Warning so many titles over there was Amazing for her for me and um
Yes it's true that they have an offer to To renew my contract over there but I Believe that in life we need to be where Our passion is and we cannot be afraid Of moving and challenging ourselves to New worlds to new projects and to find Ourselves in a different way and I was With a short FC in my mind for a long Period of time Even though Charlotte was Charlotte FC I Was already connected with a club Uh because I met the the general manager In Europe and uh was really exciting and I felt something over there I felt that The US was calling me the Queen City was Calling me and for some period of time I Was Taking care of that of that feeling Inside of me and um yes during my time Over there I received so many offers to Travel abroad in different countries and I always choose from my hearts and with My family and this moment was something Special here because Charlotte FCU is Starting to be a club starting to grow As something special and I felt the Connection since the beginning and uh For me it's about being in life with Passion with love and I felt it From the Queen City this is the very First moments and that's why I decided To come and I'm here to help the club to Achieve great things I believe that the Talent is amazing here
The American way of living is great the Sporting mentality is amazing in the World because I've been connected for With the US for some time I like to to Knowledge so many things in my life and Yes the opportunity to arise on the Proper moments I was at the end of my Contracts with another extension but I needed to make that call because my Heart was calling me to come here you Were grinning the entire time you Answered that question I feel like There's a sense of Destiny for you You've even mentioned as a joke that one Of your favorite bands is Queen Yeah it was like a joke but it's it's True I really love the queen and uh Since I had the first uh interview with The general manager so come here and I Have a lot of interviews and Um yes I really felt a great connection And uh was something that ages you need To go I like to I'm the type of guy that Like coincidences and uh The synchronicity that happens in life And during this time that I was there Working hard to achieve great things in FC portal I felt that something was Growing inside of me and yes I felt that I needed to come in and the proper offer Of uh happened on the perfect moments And when he's like that yes and it was Easy to choose you mentioned general Manager you're talking about general
Manager sporting director Zoran curnetta With whom you've met plenty of times There is a rumor In this office that in your first Meeting with Zoran you began unbuttoning Your shirt one like the one you're Wearing right now Um was a black one it was was it a black One to reveal underneath a Charlotte FC T-shirt but one that you had created Yourself because I don't believe at that Point in time there was a logo For the team yet It's not a rumor it's a it's a real Story and a risky move and it was a Risky movement but it was something that I believed I I mean work is I love what I do and uh was one of my strongest Sayings with Zoran to say We are building a club and the the People that needs to work for Charlotte I've seen is to add the shirt on and I Needed to prove to him that I can be I Could be that guy and for everybody here Everybody needs to have the shirt on and To be committed with the club with the Success of the club and to to grow Together to build something together to Build a culture here because we are new And uh I felt it that we're already Starting to do it the first years are Being great the first year on the MLS Was Above what we were expect were expecting
And now yes let's build a club Square The Caroline has a lot of talent here People here love the sports love the Soccer game and we I feel that on the Bank of America Stadium it's really Exciting to be there and it's growing And it's growing and it's about being Committed with the efforts it's about Committed with a with a passion and with A love to grow something special here That's why it's not a rumor it's a true Story I was with a shirt on made of Myself to say yes uh I want to be there If you ask me to go and uh I want to Help build something special let's move On and actually talk about the job that You are taking here taking on uh you are The head coach the inaugural head coach For Charlotte FC's MLS next pro team and The primary functions of this team are Twofold professional Player Development And as I said before about Porto B the Team that you coached it is the bridge Between the academy here and the first Team now you have checked every box when It comes to being qualified and prepared For this job at one point you were Technical director of The Academy which Meant that you essentially set the Blueprint for Player Development if you Will and Player Development is a term That gets thrown out a lot so I'm going To ask you what does Player Development Mean to you the most important thing for
Me is that I consider myself a coach and Then I can play different roles on our Organization I can be the head coach I Was the assistant coach I was the Technical director I was the head of Individual development uh helped The Scouting Department to do a lot of Things over there so we need to be Knowledgeable about our our job and at The end of the day to play the game the Players are the most important thing and Uh The players they continue developing Their talents during their careers and The young players they need extra help Why because Talent is not enough and Proper coaching Is really important and the proper Coaching is about knowing the player not Just the technological abilities or the Physical aspects it's about knowing the Player by himself I always used to say that the player Tell us everything if you are ready to Uh Look at them so we need to understand Which type of player we get in front of Us to develop his talents and then we Can do it in the very different ways and The player will go through many Different pathways depending on his Commitment and his talents and on his Efforts but at the same time we need to Create a great context for Player
Development like an environment like an Environment like a culture one of the Strong aspects that in Europe they have Over there is the history And uh the clubs had so many histories And so many experiences that it's easier To to do that here in the US especially In Charlotte we are young so we need to Create this type of environment this Type of context to help the players to Understand what they need to do to Improve themselves so the basic thing is About do they have the talent yes or no Which type of talent so we can have so Many different type of talents The Defenders the forward the instant Players the real clever players the Technical players the goalkeepers so we Need to understand the type of talent That we have and then how we are going To do it so our major goal is about Developing first finding the players for The academy or for the pro team or for The first team already and then how we Are going to develop them to make it to The first team because I believe that The secret of each Club is about the Success that we can have on the first Team and humbly we need to accept that We are working for the success of the First team and one of my major jobs is To detail data that you are going to Have here on our protein so so my Commitment is to do that
How we are going to do it let's figure Out during the season what you know you Use the word that I think is really Important and I know that it's important To you too and that is culture it's much Easier to assimilate a player into an Already existing culture like an FC Portal right this is the culture of the Team it has been for decades over a Hundred years Um how do you do that with a blossoming Project For me culture is about a way of doing Things and we have so many clubs in the World and in the US as well all of them They are different but the same time All of the clubs and the players and the Coaches they fight for one thing it's About winning The way that we can do that can differ From The certain style the identity and the How we are going to build it so that's Why it's really important for child FC To build that culture and we are Listening a lot of people inside of the Club talking about identity and culture So we are continuously Deciding which path we are going to Follow but we need to be known as a Strong Club on MLS environment That knows how to build players to Develop players at the same time to win Things here so when you're talking about
The culture is about the way that we are Trying to do it and on the fields is Something that is really important so The players on the field the team that Is playing on the field represents the Club But then we need all the people that Works on the front office on the the Backstage that as well are so important To say hey this is how you work here This is how we believe in it this is our Core beliefs so culture is about which Values are you defending which values Are you developing inside of your Organization and those values have to Pervade the entire Club not just the Players and the sporting staff The team that is on the field is the the Spotlight Of all the culture that we are being on The club for us it's about not only what Happens on the film it's about on the Field and of the field to everybody to Be on the same page on the same Environment to have the same culture the Same identity but then The way that the team will play on the Game is about the coaches ideas and the Type of talent that we have there the Different profiles that we have there so We need to be aware everybody In the club How we are going to do things and that's Why we are working so hard to do that I
Think that you would say the two of the Ingredients to a successful culture Heart and science At the end of the day it's about people And which values people defends and our Actions and the players are so important The coaches are so important because They represent everybody on the fields They represent the the supporters the Fans they really like us they come to See us and they want to see what And playing in the US environment is one Thing playing Europe it's completely Different not completely it's about the Feeling is different or if you go to South America the feeling is different But go into a game and we want to create Something special here for the Carolinas For the club for the our sports for our Friends and to do that it's about Developing all players within an Identity and we are working together as A club to do that to create this type of Culture and identity that we can be Proud of that the world when we think on Child FC it's oh these guys are doing Something differently their own way of Doing things and let's do it you Mentioned differences in cultures Based on continents in the the history Of a league and the history of a team I Think that most people would agree that With the explosion of soccer in this Country it is evident that there's a lot
Of But maybe the one area where the United States is still catching up and this is Really the source of a lot of debates is In player education How do you bring the principles from Porto and apply them here first I Believe that's We don't need to bring something from Europe here because the American culture Is amazing on sporting wise The issue that the the continent is Really big and here you can find so many Different sports that people can play Soccer or basketball or baseball or uh Hockey And they don't focus on one game only so In Europe The majority of people over there they Play the game they play soccer here you Can have a lot of kids playing different Sports and this is something that is not Helping On the fast way the development of the Soccer game here why because it's huge But the challenge is already here I've Seen so many Talent players here and They are young the coaches American as Great coaches here as well but the same Time this is so big so many Opportunities so many football clubs so Many soccer clubs sorry or so many Different profiles and talents here and They are spread out if you think that
The the pool of talent in Europe or South America they are in specific Places why because they are more small Than the US they're more concentrated so And the the talent players they need to Be together why because the talent they Will not be developed only on games the Games are really important but the Effort on trainings and where more Trainings than game on a season it will Make all the difference so we need to Have the best players together more time And why in the US will find it out and Now Here we are building more the academies They are getting the place to be more Together more talented players a lot of Good coachings are coming here as well And the ones that were here they're Doing a great job to develop the talents Because now Europe is looking for the U.S markets for the young players and They are botting them so this is Starting to grow so it means that it's Already here and the ones that are Already been on getting to the first Teams they are being well developed the Question is that what am I going to do Next for the next 10 10 years 15 years 20 years to have this type of 10 that Are already here To develop in a very good way because we Used to say that in Europe that they're Real good ones they will make it with
Good coaching or bad coaching because They are really good the question is That all the other ones that are not so Great they'll actually they need a lot Of help not just from the coaching but The supporting staff that they have Worked around What we are going to do with those and With those we have a big probability of Making them go to the highest level or Just to a normal level but we're talking About level because to be talented is About showing a lot of things but then To which level you can play you can play Champions League level Regular level second division level or District level right so it's about You are going to use your talent to play Where we are going to develop our Talents to each level and this is Something that is really challenging and We need to have a lot of things aligned Here and we want to do it here you've Said that you've seen a lot of talent Here what's the recruiting been like for You I know that you've traveled even Within the region you've actually had Players that you've plucked from other Places to come in and try out tell me About that experience It's been good it's been really Interesting to know the different Profiles the different culture that we Have here and
You have here so many different Organizations and clubs and Competitions that we can have sometimes A good player is not on the Right level right because and it needs More opportunities but one of the things That I found out is that we need to give Young players time but it's not related With the US it's related with everywhere So the young players some of them they Will mature a bit later some of them Will mature faster and younger and we Need to be aware that we need to know The player and give him the right Opportunities and to give the right Opportunities not about giving 12 of Them the same opportunities some of them Deserve different things and different Opportunities and that's why being Experiencing so many countries and with So many different types of talents it Will help to say those ones are really Special and those ones who need more our Attention right need more not not Sometimes not coaching need more our Awareness and to give them the right Opportunity it's like differentiated Instruction for always for for different Players you said that you're not Necessarily going to bring anything from Europe But I would argue that you're going to Bring a particular methodology with you Right you have a style of play you have
A preferred system even formation of Course these things are Dynamic and Adaptable a question for you is how Closely aligned is your methodology is Your game model to that of the first Team and what Krishna tanzio ultimately Aims to implement I want to work and so the first part of The question and then the second half my Issue that when we are coming from Europe it's about sharing the knowledge That we have here It's not about to bring something new It's about adapting ourselves to how we Are going to create A better environment for our players and For our club When I believe that we are the Connections between people will make all The difference and the experience and The knowledge it will make all the Difference so it's not about Worst or better or bringing something New is about how we can work together on This environment Okay and uh the next part of the Question is about Yes I have the different backgrounds I Have um my my password was built on a Winning culture mentality and based on a Great methodology coming from Portugal And I was really a pleasure to work Alongside one of the the best coaches Ever in Portugal that taught me a lot in
The faculty and in FC portal and it was All is one of the secrets of the Portuguese coaching and it's Victor the Creator of tactical prioritization that Was really knowledgeable and helped so Many coaches around the club and around The country and uh I put a lot of effort on knowledging a Lot of things trapping on my career When I'm looking about the Neuroscience The physiology the psychology the the Trade methodology that we have how we Are going to do it in practice it's About how we can work together with the People here and with the players here And having my these experiences how we Can connect and going to the second part Of the question One of our commitments within the club Is to work together with everybody and It's been great to work with Crystal Lotanzio and um We want to build something together here Within the club and with all the people Around the club so we can have the Similarity on the identities on the Values on the game model so the Commitment is to have the same values For the club and the values it's about Working hard so it's about being strong It's about to play with high intensity It's about having the ball so it's about The thing that Chris already told and I Strongly believe that this is our
Pathway but then The way or the system or the structures That we need to have in place for our Teams can be different in some different Way based on the play that we have right Right so it's about the talents and the Players that we are going to have on the Pro team and on the first team and on The academies so the identity for sure Is going to be the same the model is Going to be with the big principles Aligned but then it's going to be Related with the characteristics of our Different play that we have so it's Normal so yes it's great to work with Christian with all the club with other People here at the club and we want to To build something together you and Christian latanjo actually have very Similar backgrounds in the way that you Have progressed through the coaching Ranks one of the things that you have in Common is that you have managed to Develop players who have reached the Very elite of this game And you've actually Crossed paths with Christian latanzio in The past you actually played against him He was the assistant to Patrick Vieira At Manchester City's Elite Development Club and you were with one of the youth Teams at airport to tell me about that Was a great experience was The final of the international Premier
League Cup that was an organization or a Competition organized by the Premier League and they invited the best English Clubs and the best European clubs to Play among and to help develop talents And we reached the final it was a great Game was really a funny game and uh that Was a great experience and yes Christian Was on the other side I was then and we Spoke on my interview we spoke about That and it was the first moment that we Had some uh chat over there and it's Really funny When we go through the years and we find That we always Need to behave in a proper way so I Believe that if we are good human beings We spread out our energy and our our Flow and the thing that we like to share And uh every now and then we find out Another people the same people again and We can connect and after some years While working here together and uh was Really interesting that we met in England and now we are working together It's amazing soccer is the global game But it is a small world well Rosetta Vars we're very happy to have you here I Want to wish you all the luck next Season and Beyond thank you very much For your time thank you
Charlotte North Carolina – A Great Place to Live
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Charlotte North Carolina – A Great Place to Live
Charlotte is one of the nation’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. A recent WalletHub report ranks it as the 22nd most diverse city in the U.S.
Charlotte is a bustling, modern city that is known for its warm Southern hospitality. It is also a major wholesale distribution center for the southeastern United States. The area is a popular place for those who want to retire.
Charlotte has a population of approximately 700,000 people. The population is estimated to grow by about 47% from 2010 to 2030.
Charlotte has a wide variety of museums and historical sites. Some of the major museums include the Museum of the Old South, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design, and the Carolina Aviation Museum.
There are many festivals in Charlotte throughout the year. Charlotte has a growing food scene and offers outdoor recreation for the whole family.
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Several colleges and universities are located in Charlotte, including Queens University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Johnson & Wales University, and Central Piedmont Community College.
Charlotte is a great place to live, with an abundance of natural and cultural attractions. Visitors can explore the city’s historic districts, take a walk through the South End, or visit the Carolina Thread Trail.
Charlotte has a mild, humid climate. During the summer, the city’s average temperature is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. During the winter, the weather is cool and pleasant.