In 2009, Octavio Zambrano started a two-year stint as the then-Wizards assistant coach. As part of the coaching staff, Zambrano helped the team to within one goal of the MLS Cup final in 2011. In his two years in Kansas City, Zambrano saw the team transform into a serious MLS contender as well as the birth of Sporting KC. Zambrano recently came back to visit his old club and SportingKC.com caught up with him at training.
What have you been up to since you left the franchise and where are you coaching now?
I went to Pereira, Colombia. Pereira is a city in the coffee region of Colombia. I am with a team called Deportivo Pereira. It’s the city's team. I’ve been there for two years now. I was coaching the team for a year and a half. Now I am the General Manager.
How has your coaching career prepared you to be a General Manager?
I’ve worked in different areas and different fashions of soccer. With all the different clubs I’ve worked with, my responsibilities have ranged from youth coach, manager, to assistant coach and so on. I’ve been involved in all the different facets that it takes to put together a good team and a good franchise. For me, Sporting Kansas City is a model franchise. It’s the model organization. During the time that I was here I learned a lot. The way things are done here in Kansas City are very advanced in the area of managing. So in all the experience I’ve had coaching and I’ve had here in Kansas City, are all aspects that are true to make any organization successful.
How is being a General Manager different for you than being a coach?
From where I am now, I can influence the team in a much better way. Being a coach is one thing, but its somewhat limiting when you are dealing with so many things that need to be taken care of especially in a place like Colombia. So for me, being the GM gives me more latitude to operate and the scope and radius of my actions are not limited to the players and the field but rather to the club and the city.
How does the Colombian player compare to the American player?
After I took over the team, we became the highest scoring team and the least scored on in the league. In 2012 we made Colombian soccer history, as we broke the record of points obtained with 43 out of 54. The style that we played was the same as Sporting KC, 4-3-3 and a very direct type of soccer. That demonstrated to me that the Colombian players, even though they like to play slow, if they are put in an American system then they can produce as direct, fast, high scoring players. The Colombian player is extremely talented and I feel that you can do anything with them.
With all the places you’ve coached, how do the playing styles compare?
I have to say that when I was in Europe, the style was similar to the U.S. while South America is a different story. Over there, the soccer has a different feel to it. Where as in Europe and the U.S., things are done very fast and at a frantic pace. In Colombia things tend to be a little bit slower in the sense that the build up in the attack is a little bit more lateral where it’s much more direct in Europe.
Is it hard to switch back and forth between the different playing styles?
No. It wasn’t hard. I grew up playing that type of futbol until I was 18 and then I went to college and my whole life changed because I got an English coach. He was a British guy and he taught me a completely different set of ideas; playing more direct and defending. I already had my imprint as a South American player. So I incorporated all of these ideas into my game. I don’t think it’s difficult for someone who has had both of these schools to go from one style to the other.
What do you miss about Sporting Kansas City?
I miss the competitiveness that exists. Everyday here, the guys came with the idea that they want to be in the starting 11. Sometimes down south there is a pecking order and sometimes the guys are too respectful of the order and the day-to-day competition isn’t as strong. There is a pecking order that has been established and it’s been like that for a long time and I’ve had my time with the team to try and change that mentality and I did change it. Through this I found that the Colombian player can be just as competitive, but here it is just a natural thing. Here you don’t have to teach that to anybody because it is ingrained in the American athlete to be a winner and to be competitive no matter what. The Colombian player sometimes is too relaxed when it comes to competition. So I miss the natural competitive atmosphere here in Kansas City.
Do you still follow Sporting KC closely?
Sporting KC is my club. I watch all the games on the internet. I get online and read all the recaps and everything about the club. I’m in tune with who’s coming and who’s going and how everyone’s playing. I follow very closely and the internet gives me the ability to do that from Colombia.
What was your favorite moment from your time with Sporting KC?
My favorite moment was when we inaugurated the stadium. I saw the birth of my boy in Kansas City and the birth of this franchise of Sporting KC. These two events, obviously one is personal and one is sports related, but they are both things that you only can live once in your lifetime. My first son coming into the world at the same time as Sporting Kansas City was special. To see all the preparation that came into making it happen was just unbelievable. The ownership of this franchise is incredible because when I came the team was the Wizards so I went through that whole metamorphosis. All the different issues that came up with the name and with the colors and all of it was fascinating. So when the stadium was finally opened and we played that first game it was a “wow” moment.
What do you think of the team now?
The team is a much better team than when I was here and it has continued to improve since I left. That’s a tribute to the guys and the coaching staff. I can see that the staff is doing quality work. It all reflects on the field. When I came the Wizards were completely retooling and I was happy to be a part of that. To see the team on the field now, it’s much improved and it’s amazing. When I left we were one goal away from the final and we were so close, but now this team I think is even more dominant. It has transformed from being a team that was good and was a contender to a team that dominates. They play to dominate. It’s been a natural upwards move for this team. It’s the work that these guys do here everyday that reflects on the field. The team collectively plays much better now than it ever did.
