“Didier was the first – Chelsea is like one big family and we just sat and ate in the canteen with the players and so we started a normal conversation while eating,” says Menon.
“He asked me what I could do for him, and I told him we could try this, and he asked me to try it right away. That’s when football opened up in front of me.
“After that Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, John Terry started coming to me to try.
“The medical department was great and made me part of their team, despite having a different discipline.”
Menon’s sessions involved meditation, strengthening the players’ mental approach and eliminating negative thoughts that can come with pressure and high-level scrutiny.
“I was a non-ranking person, teaching players how to take care of themselves and how to balance, spiritually, emotionally, and ultimately affect them physically,” says Menon.
“They are human beings and they need a friend to laugh with, shout with and then they will open up.
“You need to be happy in your mind in sports and business. That’s right – mind is everything.”
Menon was a regular at Chelsea for 13 years, working under managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and, finally, Thomas Tuchel.
“I had the chance to be a part of all the trophies that Chelsea won from 2010,” he says.
“What an experience, it was an amazing opportunity, I really miss it, to be honest.”
