Baltemar Brito had provided Mourinho with a detailed report from Monday night's match against Chelsea, noting that the plan to mold Gattuso was progressing smoothly. The feedback was encouraging—but before delving further into the more support, Mourinho knew he needed an in-depth conversation with Richard, then.
So he reached out.
And coincidentally, when he did, Richard was there with André Villas-Boas and Ramm Mylvalgam—both watching the conversation and skepticism was palpable in the room Even Richard himself had been taken aback by the focus on Gattuso instead of the likes of Pirlo, Zidane, or Makalele.
"Are you sure it's Gennaro?" he asked, a note of disbelief in his voice. Mourinho had anticipated the reaction. When he explained the reasoning, Richard's skepticism slowly gave way to understanding.
