Many football managers, particularly those of the older school, tend to try and keep some emotional distance between themselves and their players. They are first and foremost their bosses after all, not their drinking companions. It’s hard to imagine Sir Alex or Arsène Wenger being snapped poolside, sipping cocktails with Wayne Rooney or Theo Walcott.
However, Villas-Boas is only 35 years old, and if some of the photos coming off Instagram are to be believed, he firmly considers himself ‘one of the boys’.
The young Portugese boss (seated middle) has been snapped catching a few rays in the Carribean with some of his players, including Jan Vertonghen, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Mousa Dembele.
Partly because I know from experience that sitting down is rarely the most flattering time to be photographed shirtless and partly because I’m not an asshole I won’t be going down the same route as the UK’s Daily Mirror and criticising Villas-Boas’ sloppy rig or his “pasty chest”.
It’s frankly quite refreshing to see a Premier League boss happy to fraternise with his players at the end of the season. Even if it does make the average Joe fairly envious to see a bunch of footballers lounging on a super yacht in the perennially warm climes of the Bahamas.
With Spurs set to play a glamour friendly against a Jamaican XI in the off season, perhaps AVB and his players were out there doing some homework, acclimatising as it were.
Maybe they’re all there to celebrate getting into the Europa League, the winner of which next season will earn automatic qualification into the Champions League or indeed all trying to drown their sorrows at having been pipped to fourth place in the Premier League last weekend by cross town rivals Arsenal.
Whatever the reasons for the trip, it’s fair to say that AVB and Jan Vertonghen look to have struck up a serious bromance in the last nine months or so.
Image: Daily Mirror
