One on One | Palhinha on returning to the Premier League with Tottenham and the art of tackling!

0:04Hello, I'm Juliette Ferrington. And I'm Jo Tomlinson. And welcome back to One on One from Sky Sports. It's the podcast that brings you exclusive interviews with some of the big names in the world of football. Coming up, Jules sits down with Spurs' tough tackling midfielder Joao Palhinha. But Jules, before we hear from Joao, I know you wanted to mention Matt Beard, who sadly passed away at the weekend. Yeah, just a couple of things. Firstly, thinking of everybody, his family as well, who knew and loved Matt and the players that he coached at this difficult time and everybody that he was associated with because he was associated with so many people.

0:42and also that he was a real trial blazer, such a huge figure in the women's game, winning back-to-back WSL titles with Liverpool in 2013 and 2014. That's talked about a lot, but he also had spells at Chelsea women, Millwall Lionesses, West Ham women, and most recently up in Burnley, which is where I went to see him just only last month to interview him for our Olivia Smith, our crazy Sky Sports special. I WhatsAppped him. He told me to come along. Went up there, had 10 minutes with him. He was just such a really approachable person, just a lovely human being and was always giving his time to whoever that person was when their paths crossed.

1:26So it was such sad news and a real loss to the football world over the weekend when that story and news of his passing on Saturday night started to go around. Yeah, well said, Jules. We're thinking of everybody who knew Matt and loved him at this time. Today's one-on-one and we're going to get to know the player many Spurs fans believe could be the missing piece to their season. Well, yeah, lots of people will recognise Gio Pelinia from his time with Fulham. A move to Bayern Munich in Germany last season didn't quite go to plan. So he's back in the Premier League on loan with Tottenham. Didn't really get much game time in Munich as well.

2:04And he was also sidelined for a part with injury. So you'll hear him talk about that, but also dissect exactly how he makes those tackles that he's become so famous for. He also talks about what it's like to play under Thomas Frank, who he knew from his time at Fulham, one distance whilst watching his work at Brentford. But I went to meet him a couple of weeks ago at Tottenham's training ground just after the international break. And it was the first one for Giao and the Portugal team under Roberto Martinez since the sad passing of Diogo Jota. and that's where we began. It was the first, as you said, the first meeting and the first appearance for everyone since this happened.

2:45It was not easy because when you are used to almost to find every single player in a dressing room and you feel that you miss someone like with the impact that Diogo had always in the national team it's for the reasons that happen it's always really tough for us but the only thing that we can do it now is try to honour as much as possible him to give everything on the pitch win for our country I think we try to honour on the best way his memories with the ceremony everything that we did after he left us And as I said, it's always hard for us to speak about this tragedy because it can happen to everyone, you know.

3:38And it's really hard when it happens to someone like it's on your side, you know. But the life, unfortunately, has these things and we need just to think, as I said before, try to honour as much as possible his image. Roberto Martinez did speak about keeping that spirit, that determination, the values that he has within you, within that team and within that squad of players. Yeah, I think it's one thing for sure will give us more determination, more effort. after what happened, probably pushed us even more, put the players more together as a family. We didn't guarantee yet the qualification for the World Cup, but we will fight for that for sure.

4:31And if we are in the World Cup, we will try to dedicate this cup to him and his whole family. I think is something that not just me, but all my teammates are thinking to do it for him. And we will fight for it. Breaking news all over the place this morning. Tottenham have agreed a deal with Bayern Munich for the loan signing of João Palinha. Spurs will also have the option to buy the midfielder for£27 million. Initially, this was expected to be just a straight loan, but it's believed that Bayern inserted the purchase option in fresh talks late yesterday. So, João Palinha looks like he's on his way back to the Premier League.

5:18Here at Tottenham, you've got a new family. How are you finding it? How are you finding the environment that you're back in and the Premier League that you're so used to playing in? It's always special, I always said. It's a great club, really nice environment in our stadium. even when we play away it's always grateful to feel the support from our crowd and I'm really glad to be here first of all, me and my family we have been enjoying this first month with this new jersey so I just want to keep enjoying the club, the Premier League now the Champions League and it's great for me to keep my history here in the new chapter on my life and I'm really happy.

6:09What happened in Germany? What happened at Bayern Munich? Because it's a move, it was a short time there, there was a change of coach too. Was it just something that whilst you wanted it to be successful, it just didn't work out that way? No, sometimes the things don't happen like the way that we wish, you know unfortunately I had the injury who took me off a bit more time than I expected I was out from three months and when I returned I had not too many opportunities to be honest when I when I returned after that injury and when you play for such a big club I have also a lot of competitive players in my position top players and it was not easy to get these opportunities and yeah at the end of the season I just tried to understand the plan for the club that had with me and after it came Tottenham you know it was a top club as well and I felt like the interest from Tottenham was higher than probably if I stayed in Bayern you know of course everyone who asked me if I really like it or not to be in Bayern I always said that yes, for sure.

7:32It's not because the things didn't happen the way that I wanted, but I really enjoyed to play there. I still have a contract with them. And it was a dream come true because for me, it's one of the biggest teams in the world. Top club really organized it. But yeah, after my injury, it was hard for me to get new opportunities and I was looking to get new in another chapter in my life. And I feel really grateful for Thomas and the rest of the people in Tottenham who gave me this opportunity to shine again in Premier League. And it's what I'm able to do it and it's what I want to do now. So when you get that call to come to a club like Tottenham, you talk about Thomas Frank, when you speak to him as well, Is it one of those decisions where you think, I'm in this place, it's not been a great place in this moment in time, I can go on to something else and continue to shine?

8:37Yeah, of course, to be fair, it was an easy decision for me. It was not too difficult to decide to come because when you felt that someone like Thomas, in this case, that wants you, it makes everything more easy. And, of course, the club that we are talking about, a club with a lot of history, with a lot of environment, top facilities. Great training ground. Yeah, top training ground. I think you have inside of the package everything for me to be successful again. And yeah, I just want to focus on my work to help the team to achieve their objectives this season. And it is where my focus are at the moment.

9:23What are those objectives or those targets? Can you give us a little bit of an insight to that? Or what kind of season are you and Tottenham hoping to have? fight for big things I think is the main thing I don't need and I can't guarantee that we will win trophies this season but what I can guarantee the effort the environment the passion, everything will be on the pitch to fight for that kind of things and I think we have a lot of potential inside of this team to do it not just inside When I mean inside of the team, I speak about the players, about the management, about the staff, the coach. I think we have everything to do with good things and achieve good things.

10:12But we also know that we are competing in the most competitive league in the world. And it's not easy because we need to be really consistent all the weeks. That's the hardest thing in football. And yeah, we will try to shine as a team and fight for every win, every single week. In towards the front post, flick towards the back. Jao Parinha may well have won it for Fulham. You would know about Thomas Frank though from when you were here at Fulham before you moved to Germany. You were an admirer of the work that he did at Brentford. So when he did move to Tottenham, it was a perfect solution. For me, I followed Thomas at that time from outside because I didn't know him.

11:06I never met him before. I just... Knew about his work. Yeah, I just played against him when I was in Fulham. But for what I'm looking, when I was looking to him, it will always look like a coach with the right human being, you know. And for me, after now that I'm sharing the pitch, these moments with him, for sure it's his best quality. Apart, of course, the other tactical, really good things that he has. But the main for me and the most important thing in the coach is to have a really woman being. You know, like to be a great person, I think is the main thing probably that coach needs to be, needs to be the best quality and make it easier for us, to players, to speak, not just with him, but each other, you know, the environment inside of the club.

12:02I think it's a really good thing that not just me, but also my teammates, we feel since year-round. As players, can that be quite hard to find when you talk about a coach, a manager being a human being, having those qualities? sometimes yeah it's not easy but i think always depend the the coach you know but i think it's the right mentality and on these days in football we can find all the type of the coach you know like the i sometimes i call the old school coach is the coach with more like with less patience with less communication you know and I think for me as a player what the best advice that I can give you what I like to feel from a coach is it can be a person who you can talk you know and you feel comfortable to talk and worries with you I think is the most important thing of course after it comes the tactical expect but sometimes it's more important for me this and yeah we are really glad to have this on the team with him and with the rest of the staff, the rest of the coaches.

13:13And yeah, I just enjoy. Passed out of it by Palinja. That's his game. Yeah, it was good from Palinja, really getting early and quick to Eriksen. So when you talk about the tactical aspect, about you, more importantly, one of the best tacklers in the Premier League, you have this reputation for being so good. how do you manage to do that with the timing with the skill that it takes to be one of the best tacklers in the Premier League it's one of my biggest characteristics in on my game I'm trying to put as well the focus where the things that I'm I'm pretty good we speak about the tackling and of course it's something that I I feel like it gives me pleasure on inside of the pitch you You know, and when you do the things with pleasure, it makes it easier the things.

14:07And it's what gives me also motivation for the game. You know, like when I start to recover one, two balls, it's what gives me sometimes like the petrol that I need to keep pushing me. The fuel? The fuel, yeah. Helped out by Kalimia. How good has his recovery tackling been in the first part of this game? Is it hard to do? It sounds ridiculous asking that, but is it hard to do the timing of it, the mental side of it? Because you've never been sent off, have you? I have, yeah. Not in the Premier League? Not in the Premier League, no. No, so you've never been sent off in the Premier League. Few yellow cards, but never been sent off in the Premier League.

14:46So how do you get that timing just right? I think, of course, sometimes it comes on the right. We talk on the right way. sometimes it's not but it's the kind of things that I always try to touch on the ball you know I always try to and the people who know me know that I'm an aggressive player but I'm not the kind of player that are with the bad thoughts you know like my aggressiveness it's always to try to play the ball sometimes I can't sometimes I'm not but it's always on the best way in my opinion with always with the respect for the opponent and yeah, I think I'm trying always to do it the right tackle.

15:34The right challenge. That's a fine tackle, wasn't it? By Pal Hina. And London life, you're happy to be back in the city, the big city. Yeah, really happy to join again, to be living again in London, a great city. Me and my family, we are really happy and it's not new for me and I'm really, really happy to be here again. Well, good stuff. Thank you for your time. Good luck this season. Thank you. And hopefully speak to you again soon. Yeah. Thank you so much. All the best. Jules, I absolutely, as a man who loves to go into 50-50 tackles at five-a-side, I particularly appreciate Joao breaking down how he makes those tackles.

16:14I mean, here as a person, it feels like he's made for that kind of role, made to be aggressive in the challenge. Yeah. And he talked about how that was him. That's what he's trained so hard to do. And he makes it look so easy. this art of tackling that so many people talk about when you look at data and stats and something that he does so well he says it gives him the petrol for the game and by that word he probably means what we would say fuel but he's never even been sent off in the Premier League and he also says it's never done with any bad intentions in mind so he's crafted this skill unbelievably so well and he's made such an immediate impact on the Spurs team as well because we all love a stat and we all like breaking down data and already he is one of the top tacklers in the Premier League this season with 19 so he's literally just picking up where he left off from his time at Fulham in the Premier League and he's back in England after what was a tough time in Germany 30 years old now but a fresh start for him under Thomas Frank at Tottenham and you feel as he says it's given him a chance to shine once again a new challenge in the Premier League and we all like to feel wanted we all like to feel loved we know that so much it's a really good feeling to have And it just seems to be that the two of them, Thomas Frank and Xiao, have clicked because you talked about how Frank is a great human being as well as a coach, which so many of the players who've worked with Thomas Frank talk about.

17:38And someone who you can actually go and talk to, not like the old school type of manager that we were so used to hearing about in the past. And as for Pelinia, that's almost as important as the tactics and, of course, his tackles. Okay, thank you very much for listening to One on One from Sky Sports. We'll of course be back next week with a very special podcast guest. Yeah, looking forward to that one. It's our second season as well of this show. So if you have missed any previous pods, and there are far too many names to mention that we've spoken to over the last season or so and where we are today, there's plenty in the back catalogue to catch up on.

18:19Just make sure you give us a follow wherever you're listening to us and you don't miss out on a future episode. and I think you'll quite like to hear the next one we have on the cards, won't they, Joe? They absolutely will, especially if you're a fan of Arsenal. Anyway, as well as listening to us, you can also watch our interviews too on Sky Sports News, on our YouTube channels and on the Sky Sports website and app. We'll talk to you next week, Joe. See you later, Jules.

18:49Not long now until the Ryder Cup gets underway at Bethpage Black in New York and the Sky Sports Golf podcast will be there. We'll be stateside to see if Team Europe can become the first away winners of the competition since the miracle of Medina back in 2012. As well as our big preview, we'll also have daily episodes once the action gets underway. And of course, we'll round up what happened on the Monday after the weekend before. So make sure you give us a follow. Just search for Sky Sports Golf whenever you get your podcasts.