Editorial:Talent Spotting

Interview:José Mourinho

Fast Growthof GrassrootscreatesChallenges forCoaches

Wordsof Wisdom

The Development of UEFA’sConvention

N EWS LET TE RF O R

COAC H ES

N O . 27JAN UARY 2005

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ANDY ROXBURGH

AND CESC FABREGAS.

CESC FABREGAS:

FROM THE SPANISH UNDER-17

TEAM TO ARSENAL.

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COVER● José Mourinho receivesa UEFA award from Bobby Robson.(PHOTO: EMPICS)

I M P R E S S U MPRODUCTIONAndré VieliAtema Communication SA Printed by Cavin SA

EDITORIAL GROUPAndy RoxburghGraham TurnerFrits Ahlstrøm

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Talent SpottingE D I T O R I A LBY ANDY ROXBURGH,UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

During the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Championship final in Helsinki, I saw a pass which astonished me.The precocious talent who dispatchedthe 50-metre diagonal ball over thehead of a bewildered Brazilian defenderwas Spain’s 16-year-old Cesc Fabregas.I can still picture in my mind the graceful way he moved and the bril-liant side-volley technique which he used to strike the ball. But therewas more than one great pass by theyoung Spaniard, because Fabregas wasvoted Player of the Tournament, and a professional career beckoned. Afterstarring in the 2004 European Under-17Championship, Cesc signed for ArsenalFC, and within three months of join-ing the London club he had played more than 20 first-team matches – a meteoric rise to stardom for the young man from Barcelona. But swiftprogress like this is not uncommon.

Many of the famous players who tookpart in EURO 2004 were graduates of UEFA youth competitions. ThierryHenry captained the French Under-18sto the European title in 1996 and then two years later won a FIFA WorldCup winners medal. At EURO 2004,Johan Vonlanthen of Switzerland andWayne Rooney of England became the youngest players ever to score in a European Championship final tour-nament. Both played in UEFA’s youthcompetitions – Wayne at Under-17level and Johan in the Under-19s.Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, ArjenRobben of the Netherlands, and PetrCech of the Czech Republic are otherrecent examples of UEFA youth playerswho have made the transition to thehighest level of club and national-teamfootball. One day, they are boys with

potential – the next, they are menstarring in the professional game.

We at UEFA are conscious of the part we play in the football educationof young players. Of course, the clubsidentify the talents and nurture themon a daily basis. But the nationalyouth teams offer an internationaldimension – competition against thebest players from other countries, asevere test of technical/tactical ability,and a life experience which can transform a youngster’s view of foot-ball and life. Our aim is to provide the best environment and the best-quality football. To achieve these aimswe are constantly upgrading the com-petitions through promotion, finance,organisation, implementation, andquality control; and we fully supportthe associations in their efforts tohave the best players released forinternational duty. For the clubs andthe associations, the long-term devel-opment of a player should alwaystake precedence over short-termneeds. To put it another way – whenyou work with youth, tomorrow ismore important than today.

For a young player, the journey acrossthe ‘bridge’ from youth level to the professional game can be hazardous. On the pitch, top-level football becomesmore technical, more tactical, moreprofessional, more competitive, andfaster in every way. Off the pitch, thereis more pressure (media), more influ-ences (agents), more money, moredemands (time), and more restraints.As Arsène Wenger says: “The speedhas increased, even the speed to makemoney.”

UEFA’s youth competitions contribute in a very special way to the develop-ment of Europe’s emerging talents. In 2005, UEFA will stage the Europeversus Africa Meridian Cup in Turkey,the European Under-17 Champion-ship finals in Italy, and the EuropeanUnder-19 Championship final tourna-ment in Northern Ireland. Many of the games will be screened live onEurosport, so keep your eyes open –you might see a wonder pass by abright new talent, just as I did whenyoung Cesc Fabregas produced a diagonal ball that even the Brazilianshad to admire.

Johan Vonlanthen, another talent who has progressed from youth football to elite level, playing these days for Switzerland and PSV Eindhoven.

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1 • What motivated you to become a coach?The biggest motivation was football, notthe coaching job. Every kid who lovesfootball wants to be a player. I thought I could be one, although maybe not atop one. At the same time my fatherwas a coach and football was a big part of my life. I studied at the sportsuniversity and therefore it was step bystep. You feel that you cannot be a topplayer, but you love to study football,sports science and methodology and,on reaching a certain age, you decidethat you would love to coach, to be in-volved in football. You lose the appetiteto be a player and you start to love theidea of being a coach. At this momentin time I can say I love to be a coachon the pitch. I like the direct involve-ment with the players, the method-

the youth sector I joined SportingLisbon as assistant to Bobby Robson.The first step was to study, the nextstep was to develop young players and the third step was to work along-side a big coach at pro level. I repeat,the process was step by step.

2 • How did leaving Portugal for Spainaffect your development as a coach?I joined Bobby in Barcelona and thiswas a big motivation – new country,new culture. Then Louis van Gaalarrived and I was exposed to anotherstyle, another philosophy. While Bobbyknew everything about me, I had toprove myself to Louis, to adapt to the Dutch School, to a new way oftraining. The Ajax School, the van Gaalway of seeing football, was a newadventure for me. After another four

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JOSÉ MOURINHO

I N T E R V I E WBY ANDY ROXBURGH,UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

ology, the exercises, the develop-ment of ideas, analysing the game,trying to improve the players andthe team. The English part of thejob which links you to other areasof the club, like the Youth Academyand the work of the Board, appealsto me. I love all aspects of the job,but I got to this point step by step. I started as U-16 coach in Portugaland when I finished my studies I went to Scotland in the late 80sto join you, and your methodsmade me think about methodologyin a different way. The way youused small-sided games to developtechnical, tactical and fitness ele-ments – a global view of training.After I came back from Scotland I felt I made a difference throughmy coaching work. After working in

THE STORY OF JOSÉ MOURINHO’S SUCCESS AS A COACH, AT FC PORTO AND NOW AT CHELSEA FC,

IS THE STUFF OF COMIC BOOKS AND MOVIES. BUT HIS RISE TO PROMINENCE DID NOT HAPPEN BY CHANCE –

IT WAS THE RESULT OF INTELLIGENCE, BURNING DESIRE AND A COMMITMENT, OVER MANY YEARS,

TO FOOTBALL EDUCATION AND TO GAINING PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE AT TOP PROFESSIONAL CLUBS.

AFTER HIS STUDIES AT A SPORTS UNIVERSITY, HE PACKED HIS BAGS AND CAME TO SCOTLAND TO ATTEND

THE FA’S COACHING COURSES (AT THE TIME I WAS SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL COACH AND DIRECTOR

OF THE COACHING PROGRAMME WHICH THE YOUNG, IMPRESSIONABLE JOSÉ PARTICIPATED IN).

AFTER A SPELL AS A YOUTH COACH IN PORTUGAL HE WORKED FOR MANY YEARS WITH

BOBBY ROBSON AT SPORTING LISBON, FC PORTO, AND FC BARCELONA. AT THE LATTER CLUB, HE ALSO HAD

FOUR YEARS AS ASSISTANT TO LOUIS VAN GAAL BEFORE EMBARKING ON A SOLO CAREER

AS HEAD COACH AT UD LEIRIA. JOSÉ MOVED TO FC PORTO AS HEAD COACH IN JANUARY 2002,

AND BEFORE DEPARTING IN THE SUMMER OF 2004 TO CHELSEA FC, HE HAD CAPTURED THE UEFA CUP,

THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, TWO PORTUGUESE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES,

PLUS THE PORTUGUESE CUP AND SUPER CUP. A REMARKABLE RECORD FOR AN OUTSTANDING COACH.

HE IS THE CURRENT CLUB CHAMPION OF EUROPE – HE IS...

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my mind some exercises I did with you in Scotland, but from these I triedto develop my own variations. Thesame with ideas from Bobby Robsonand Louis van Gaal. Even when I wasscouting for Bobby around the world I got ideas. I tell youngsters who aretrying to follow me, “don’t accept what I give you as the pure truth”. I havealways tried to learn, and people likeLouis challenged me. During my lastyear at Barça, for example, I was giventhe responsibility of taking the team in some friendlies or cup games andLouis would monitor the way I handledthings. I was prepared to take charge of a team – I had developed my know-how and my confidence. Confident yes– arrogant no. I am open to people,and my friends laugh when they readarticles which label me as arrogant –they know it is not true. I am focusedon my job and when I say I think wewill win I am only saying what mostcoaches think before a match. Whenthe players think you are strong andthat you trust them, it helps them tohave a good attitude.

4 • Was there one moment when you knew you were on the way to stardom?Yes. Portugal is like Scotland. You can be a king in your own country but people outside don’t recognise you and, of course, your countrymen wonder if you can be a success abroad. The important thing is to berecognised in Europe and the crucialmoment for me was when we wonaway to Panathinaikos FC in the quarter-finals of the 2003 UEFA Cup.We had lost at home and no Portu-guese team had ever earned a point in Greece. We won 2-0 and in thatmoment I felt I had gone from thedomestic level to the European stan-dard. Winning the final against Celticwas the second big step in my careerbecause I then felt I was a success

years at Barça and at 34 years old, I returned to Portugal. I may havelooked young, but I was prepared tobecome a head coach – my journeyhad been a long process, involvingmany important experiences.

3 • What was it like to come back to FC Porto as the head coach?The first six months were incredibly difficult because the club and the teamwere in a very bad situation. But thisperiod helped me to understand theclub and to prepare the next season. I changed players and reorganised the

team – it was a crucial period ofrebuilding. The next season was fan-tastic because we won the UEFA Cupand the treble in Portugal. That seasonprepared us for the next seasonbecause the level was not the same asin the Champions League. Confidencewas high because the players wereready to face trips to Manchester orMadrid. It was a great process – thisjust did not happen by chance. Alongthe way, I have been influenced bysome people, although I have neverbeen the type to just accept the truthof others. For example, I still have in

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PRESENTS JOSÉ MOURINHO

WITH A PHOTO OF THE

PORTUGUESE COACH

POSING BETWEEN THE TWO

EUROPEAN TROPHIES.

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in European terms and could move to higher things.

5 • What do you emphasise in yourtraining sessions?I have a plan at the beginning of theseason and I try not to waste any time– I concentrate on my tactical ideas for the team. I write down my ideasand give them to everyone in the club.The tactical aspects are at the core ofthe whole process. As I said to youbefore, I believe in the global method.My fitness coach, for example, workswith me on the tactical systems, advis-ing on time, distance and space. I wantto develop tactical aspects of the game:how to press, when to press, transitions,ball possession, positional play. Afterthat other things come – the physicaland psychological aspects are part ofthe exercises. The individual work isdone when we feel the players needthat. Often we need to separate theplayers into groups depending on theircondition and the amount of playingtime they have had. The emphasis of the work is always tactical.

6 • How would you describe your style as a coach?I think it has been an evolution – I amdifferent today than I was five years

ago. When it comes to games, I ammuch more analytical during the firsthalf because at half-time I need to helpmy team. It is difficult to communicatewith the players during a top match so I don’t shout too much but I do takenotes, but only in the first half. The second half I can analyse at home.During the half-time team talk, I try tocontrol my emotions and to be whatthe team needs me to be – this meansthat I can be very cool or I can be veryemotional because the team needs a certain response from me. There isalways a certain emotional componentas well as a tactical contribution. Thereis always something to tell the team at half-time, but after the match notone word, because the players are notready to be analytical at that moment.Overall, I would say that I have a flexi-ble management style, although I amvery demanding during training. I havealways been lucky to have more thanone pitch at my training centre, and I therefore prepare my sessions in sucha way that I can jump from one situa-tion to another with effective workingtime high and resting time very low. We go for quality and high intensityduring short periods. Players want towork, whether it is in Portugal, Englandor Spain, as long as the training is well

organised and serious, and they knowthe purpose of the exercise.

7 • Having won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League back-to-back, what is your view of these competitions?The ‘knock-out’ element of each topcompetition is fantastic. Every teammust be prepared to play for a resultaway from home. With Porto I tried to play away with exactly the samementality that we had at home. If youwant to win a competition, you cannotplay in a crazy way at home or try tokeep the score down when you areaway. In the UEFA Cup, our results withPorto were very similar home andaway. When I prepared my Porto teamfor the Champions League, I arrangedmatches during the pre-season whichexposed us to different systems, differ-ent approaches to the game. To winthe UEFA Champions League, you need to be a very strong team but atsome point you need luck, like the last-minute goal my Porto team scoredagainst Manchester United (although I think we deserved it). After that wewent on to win the cup, and I don’tremember any team winning at thislevel without such a moment – apenalty, a late winner, etc. At the high-est level there is often very little differ-ence when the first of the group has to play the second of another group. It means nothing because the runners-up can be Bayern Munich or RealMadrid. In addition, the away goals rulein extra time kills any advantage ofbeing the home team in the secondleg. The UEFA Champions League isthe ultimate club competition – eventhe European/South American Cup isnothing in comparison. I must say that,for me, the emotion was much greaterwhen winning the UEFA Cup againstCeltic than beating Monaco in the UEFAChampions League final because of the game of football. The match against

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Lennart Johansson and Lars-Christer Olsson present José Mourinho with his UEFA ChampionsLeague winner’s medal.

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ALWAYS SOMETHING

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Celtic was dramatic until the lastmoment – they even sent their goal-keeper into our penalty box to attack a corner in the dying seconds. But afterthe dust has settled, then the UEFAChampions League title is the greatestprize. On a personal level, the night we won it was difficult because I wasfull of conflicting emotions, knowing that I would be leaving the team – I didnot see my Porto players again untilthree months later when they came toStamford Bridge in this season’s UEFAChampions League competition.

8 • What was your impression of EURO 2004?I think Greece in EURO 2004 was likePorto in the UEFA Champions Leaguebecause the strength of the team andthe desire to be successful were deci-sive. For Greece, it was a step-by-stepprocess of gaining confidence and a victory for commitment, belief andorganisation. Like everyone else Ithought some top players were belowpar. Also, in countries where they canbuild around the players of one or

two clubs, like Greece, this can be anadvantage. In the big countries – that is those with the money – this cannothappen because the players are spreadaround various clubs. I must say thatPortugal, as a country, was fantastic withthe organisation, and the team did well.The image of Portugal was enhancedby EURO 2004. As we are talking about national teams, I can tell you that one day I would like to be thehead coach of Portugal, but not now. I would not like to retire without havingbeen the Portuguese manager.

9 • Are there any laws, interpretationsor regulations which concern you?At Chelsea, I am frustrated becauseoften our counter-attacks are stoppedby ‘technical fouls’ and no yellow cards are given. Some teams are masters at this. Also, the interpretationof the offside law is very confusing and it must be very difficult for thematch officials to make decisions.

10 • What are the main qualities thatyou look for in a player?Once again, I take a global view. I haveproduced profiles for each position interms of personality, athletic qualities,technical skills, etc. And, of course, if aplayer lacks speed he has no chance in today’s top-level football. OK, youmay get a midfield player who is quickmentally and he can still perform

despite the high tempo. Also, in Englishfootball, full-backs who lack height canhave problems because of the long-balltactic employed by many teams.

11 • What tactical trends do you seeat the top level of the game?Transitions have become crucial. Whenthe opponent is organised defensively,it is very difficult to score. The momentthe opponent loses the ball can be thetime to exploit the opportunity of some-one being out of position. Similarlywhen we lose the ball we must reactimmediately. In training I sometimespractise keeping a minimum of fiveplayers behind the ball, so that whenwe lose it we can still keep a gooddefensive shape. The players must learnto read the game – when to press and when to return to their defensivepositions. Everybody says that set plays win most games, but I think it is more about transitions.

12 • What concerns you most aboutfootball today?On the field, the constant disruptionand the wasting of time bothers me. I would like us to consider actual playing time because some people are clever at manipulating the time.

13 • How has your meteoric rise to the top affected your life style andyou as a person?Nobody knew me, and then suddenlywithin two seasons I am known every-where. Of course, you live with thepressure and with the public attention.My life and that of my family haschanged. It is, of course, part of the job to deal with the various demands.However, a principle for me is that I never miss a training session due toother claims on my time. I stronglybelieve that professional duties alwayscome before external business requests.You will gather that, for me, football is my job but also my passion.

JOSÉ MOURINHO

AT WORK WITH CHELSEA,

COACHING AND

DURING A MATCH, WITH

DIDIER DROGBA.

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IN CONVERSATION WITH

JOSÉ MOURINHO.

STEVIE CLARK, JOSÉ

ASSISTANT, LOOKS ON.

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This led to discussion on the best waysof funding grassroots football and mak-ing the game available to as many sec-tors of society as possible by introduc-ing and promoting football for variouscategories of disabled persons. Therewas also very positive feedback onUEFA’s support of grassroots eventsstaged last summer as part of theorganisation’s Jubilee year, along withthe installation of mini-pitches in mem-ber territories – one of which was inau-gurated in Norway during the course.

One might be forgiven for thinking thatall this is far removed from the techni-cian. But, of course, it is not. Reportsfrom England indicate that holidaycourses represent the largest employersof coaches. A visit to Vålerenga IF’simpressive indoor pavilion emphasisedthat coaching the disabled requires special skills and, going back to England,one major sponsor has made anundertaking to help to train 8,000 newcoaches by 2006 via community pro-grammes. What’s more, the sheernumbers of people currently enjoyingyouth, amateur or veteran football are a clear indication that more and more

monitors, coordinators and coaches are required. And, as trotting on to afootball field doesn’t automatically con-vert all and sundry into healthy, well-balanced members of the community,social values also need to be coached.

Hence the feeling in Oslo that there is a ‘coaching curve’ at grassroots level.In the youngest age brackets, the best

THE 5TH UEFA GRASSROOTS COURSE, STAGED IN OSLO AT THE END OF OCTOBER, UNDERLINED

THE ENORMITY OF THE SUBJECT. AS THE ARTICLE IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF UEFA DIRECT REPORTED,

THERE WAS EMPHASIS ON RECOGNISING THE BASE OF THE FOOTBALLING PYRAMID

AS AN AREA WHERE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND BASIC SOCIAL VALUES CAN BE BRED AND NURTURED.

FAST GROWTH OF GRASSROOTSCREATES CHALLENGES

FOR COACHES

coaches are often the ones who knowmore about children than football. It isonly further up the scale that the ‘foot-ball knowledge’ component takes ongreater relevance. Coaching coursestherefore need to be carefully designedand, the technicians in Oslo insisted, itshould never be forgotten – no matterhow much social, political or commercialunderpinning can be detected – that

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The “models” greet the young players.

KAREN ESPELUND,

GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE

NORWEGIAN FA AND CHAIR-

WOMAN OF UEFA’S WOMEN’S

FOOTBALL COMMITTEE.

we are dealing with Football with a capital F. Specialisation, they warned,can lead to fragmentation if carried to extremes.

There was also debate about how farcompetitive elements should beallowed to intrude into grassroots foot-ball. The English FA, for example, chan-nel resources into six national teamswithin the disability-football framework,with the view that success creates rolemodels who can be vital for futuredevelopment. In Oslo, practical sessionswere so ably spearheaded by SergeiAleinikov, Zvonimir Boban, GabrielCalderón and Hansi Müller that therewas a call for UEFA to help nationalassociations in establishing links withtop players who could play the role of ambassadors at grassroots level.

The Norwegian hosts, hailed as one ofthe pacesetters in grassroots develop-ment, revealed, via Stig Ove Sandnes,that they have held 1,894 courses forcoaches and currently count on 23,285

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male and 5,228 female coaches. In2003, they monitored 25,719 standardskill tests at two different levels. His colleague, Karen Espelund, urgedcoaches to exercise maximum discre-tion about the extent to which mixedteams can be productive. The risk, she stressed, is that, if they have tocompete with the boys, only the tough-est girls will be willing to persevere infootball and the rest will drop out.

Piet Hubers explained how the coachingfoundations are being laid in the Nether-lands via kick-off meetings and coursesat the start of each new season. A typi-cal course consists of four three-hourmeetings directed at parents who arepotential youth coaches. The content isa mixture of theory and practice andeach participant goes away with a pack-age that includes basic information inbook and CD ROM form. The coursesare part of the job for 50 part-timeregional coaches who dedicate some20 hours a week to football and reportregularly to 20 full-time district coaches.

THE GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL

AMBASSADORS TAKE TO THE FIELD.

LEFT TO RIGHT: DARIUS DZIEKANOWSKI,

HANSI MÜLLER, GABRIEL CALDERÓN,

SERGEI ALEINIKOV AND ZVONIMIR BOBAN.

STIG OVE SANDNES,

HEAD OF THE

NORWEGIAN FA’S

AMATEUR FOOTBALL

DEPARTMENT.

Other national associations admittedthat they are working within differentfinancial and operational parameters.This is why the team in Oslo askedUEFA to become the educational reference point; for educational toolsto be provided via websites or DVDs;for grassroots elements to be includedin coaching licences; and for UEFA to promote partnerships between thenational associations who make upthe European footballing family. But, above all, there was a unanimousfeeling that, despite the undeniableboom in grassroots football, coachingstandards must not be allowed todrop and that quality is the key to ahealthy future.

Andy Roxburgh shelters UEFA Vice-President Per Ravn Omdal at the mini-pitch inauguration.

Girls generally make better progress in single-sex teams than in mixed teams.

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UEF

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Sven-Göran Eriksson (Head Coach of England)“I think we should always try to haveone month between the league finish-ing and the start of a major tourna-ment. We need that amount of prepa-ration. We could maybe give the players one week off, followed by three weeks of preparation. One of the reasons for us going out in thequarter-finals of the World Cup and theEuropean Championship is that the fitness level was not good enough. If they have played 60 or 70 games

it’s too much. You start to preparethem but you really don’t know whereto start or stop. If you work too hard,you kill them. If you work too little, it’s also a problem. All countries shouldhave one month to prepare, and I think FIFA should make a rule to takecare of that. Talking about football in general, it’s sad that, at a World Cupor a European Championship, youhave so many stars who don’t performas well as they can. The French players – especially those in thePremier League – were tired.

“I tried to play friendly games with 11 substitutes because the problemswith the clubs are mostly to do withfriendly games – not the double-header qualifiers. Manchester United or Chelsea might have a game on aSunday; then we play on the Wednes-day and on the Saturday at 12.00, they might have another league or cupgame. Club coaches are very worried,and I therefore thought that to changeall 11 was a great idea, but FIFA tookthat privilege away. It was somethingthat helped the clubs a lot and ithelped me as well because I could see my ‘best’ team for 45 minutes and then look at other players. I think it was a pity that the idea was notaccepted because it helped the clubs.The idea of playing double-headers on Friday/Saturday and Tuesday is nota problem for us and I think it wouldhelp the clubs a lot.”

Marcello Lippi(Head Coach of Italy)“We have to examine the loads beingimposed on elite players and try to findways of helping them to produce theirbest form at major tournaments as well as with their clubs. Technically, wesaw a lot of emphasis on compact playat EURO 2004 and I think that what I call ‘external’ factors were very impor-tant, if not decisive. I’m referring to psy-

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DURING THIS SEASON’S UEFA NATIONAL COACHES CONFERENCE IN STOCKHOLM, MANY INTERESTING

VIEWS WERE EXPRESSED, SOME OF WHICH PROVOKED INTENSE DEBATE. SOME EXAMPLES:

WORDS OF WISDOM

Sven-Göran Eriksson has a word with Michael Owen.

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ANDY ROXBURGH

MAKES A PRESENTATON

ABOUT EURO 2004.

chological factors. It will be interestingto see whether last season’s successesby the ‘underdogs’ were simply an acci-dent, and if the top club and nationalsides will come back to the top.

“You have to bear in mind that thenational team represents the football of the country. I mean, Italian nationalfootball is not represented by its clubs.Not by Juventus or Milan or Roma, inthe same way that German footballisn’t really represented by FC Bayern orDortmund or Bremen. Even less so inSpain, where there are so many foreignplayers in the championship. Nationalpride and characteristics come to thefore in the national team. At a club, youcan’t claim that a squad that contains17 or 18 imported players representsnational identity. It’s only the nationalteam that can claim that. So far, I haveto say that it has been a positive experi-ence for me to work with an all-Italiangroup and to feel responsible for thenational identity. It’s nothing new to talk about the possibilities of conflictsbetween national-team and club inter-ests and, of course, the idea is to avoid

or to minimise these conflicts. AfterJuventus, I have moved to the otherside and I see things a bit differently.But I am already convinced that com-mitment to the cause is the crucial factor. If you look at the big teams whoare involved in Europe and who arecompeting in a 20-team championshipand cup competitions, you can see that they basically get one free Wednes-day during the season – and that’s inJanuary. As a club coach, it’s obviouswhat your way of thinking is whenyou’ve got Juventus v Inter on Sunday,a Champions League game onWednesday, another league game onSaturday and a national-team friendlyon the following Wednesday. You don’thave to be a genius to understand why a player is tempted to wonder ifhe wouldn’t be better staying at home to recover physically and to relax a bit.That doesn’t signify that the playerdoesn’t want to be part of the nationalteam. It’s simply a professional responseto a situation where the player drawsup a list of mental priorities and wantsto do the best for himself as a personand as an athlete. He sometimesneeds some time and space to himself.Mentally, the players are very commit-ted. But you have to examine theirneeds. If you have players comingthrough from the Under-21s, they willneed to gain international experience atsenior level by playing friendlies. Butthe same doesn’t apply to the top stars.

“If a player reaches 30 and says he no longer wants to play in the nationalteam, I think that’s a great mistake. A great example is Zinedine Zidane,who was one of my most importantplayers at Juventus. I can understandthat players sometimes get exasperatedbecause people always want – or evendemand – more from them, to theextent that they no longer have timefor their family. On the other hand,football in the country shouldn’t bedeprived of talent just because a playerhas reached the age of 30. Maybe we

need a new approach from thecoaches, whereby the players don’ttake part in every game. It means redefining the role of each player so that we don’t have cases of topplayers dropping out.”

Köbi Kuhn (Head Coach of Switzerland)“I’ve worked for six years in youthfootball for the Swiss FA and I knowall the young players. I took aboutseven players from the Under-21s

into our squad for EURO 2004 with a view to the future, of course. Butyou also have to think about moreimmediate success. So we sat downwith the FA and with club officials andtried to devise a strategy for bringingthrough young talent. Being able to bring through six or seven playersgives us quite a lot of confidence. I think that a large part of this young

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Marcello Lippi.

Köbi Kuhn.

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team will still be with us at EURO 2008 and will give us a chance to dosomething for the reputation of Swissfootball.”

Luiz Felipe Scolari (Head coach of Portugal)“In the World Cup there are big differ-ences in standards and personalitybetween the competing teams, where-as a European Championship is con-tested by sides of a similar level. Wehave equality in Europe. We sometimesencounter teams at the World Cup who can be beaten with relative ease.However, coaching in the EuropeanChampionship is much more difficult,especially when you take into accountthe cultural elements.

“It is the Brazilian culture not to putplayers on the posts at corners against.If we put two players on the goal-line,we don’t have enough up the field.This is important because we want tocounter-attack and we always try tohave three players up front. The otherteam is usually attacking with three orfour and has three or four at the back,

decisive pass and the player capableof making it is sometimes moreimportant than the player who canscore goals. So this is something thatwe’re trying to instil in the minds ofour young players. We have to con-vince them that the game is aboutscoring goals, not just about producingbeautiful manoeuvres. We have to go for goal. Beautiful football is fantas-tic if it can be married to results. Butresults count and no one can criticisea winner. The team that won had anumber of favourable factors thatother teams just didn’t have or didn’thave enough of.”

Iñaki Sáez (Head Coach of Spainat EURO 2004)“The pressure is higher with thenational team. Basically, the media arenot interested in Under-21 football. It means you can work at ease – andI find it very enjoyable to work withthe youngsters. Suddenly you moveup to the senior team and you are inthe limelight. You have to perform all the time. Then you appreciate thatin the younger teams you have thebest possible working conditions andcan get on with developing the bestyoung talent and groups of playerswho are motivated and eager to learnand to progress. Once you’re at thetop, everything changes – for thecoach and the players. Spain mustlook closely at this if we want toimprove in the future. We must try tocreate an environment where thecoach and the players can get on withthe job in a calm way. We’re talkingabout a country that has competed inseventeen finals in lower age groupsand has won ten of them. This meansthat we have good players comingthrough and the challenge is to makethem successful at the top level. That is the area we have to study and to improve.

“We have a certain number ofendemic problems in Spain. We are

plus the keeper. We regard a cornerfor the opposition as an excellentoccasion for a counter-attack. Wehave a culture in Brazil and we don’tnecessarily do what they do inEurope or in Portugal. OK, Greecescored in the EURO 2004 final andwe had no one on the near post. It can happen. And it can happenagain. I prefer to have people cover-ing the short corner and defendersto cover the far-post corner – not to have people standing in the goal.

“At EURO 2004 Greece had certainqualities that the others didn’t haveand Otto was a great winner. Hedeserves our applause because heassessed his players perfectly and got100% out of his players’ qualities.He deserved to be the championbecause in Portugal we obviously fella bit short of getting 100% out ofthe team. In Portugal, we have asmall problem with the young play-ers. It’s important to know who iscapable of delivering the decisivepass. If you score a goal, it’s OK. But,to score a goal, you usually need a

UEF

A

Luiz Felipe Scolari instructs his playmaker Deco.

IÑAKI SÁEZ.

SOME FAMOUS COACHES

TAKE PART IN THE QUESTION-

AND-ANSWER SESSION.

13

one of the importing countries and,amazingly, the imported players haveusually been given preference over thehome-grown ones because the clubswere unwilling to invest in or rely onhome-grown talent. The situation ischanging because money is runningshort and teams like Sevilla are leadinga trend back towards home-grown play-ers. This is going to be an advantagebecause, in the past, the youngsterswho have won titles for Spain in age-limit tournaments have not been ableto get much regular first-team footballwith their clubs. If this changes and theyounger players can get more experi-ence in league football, we might beable to bridge that gap between suc-cess at Under-21 and senior levels.”

Otto Rehhagel (Head Coach of Greece)“People keep reminding me of thecomment I made about being a ‘demo-cratic dictator’. I tried to instil somepride into the players and I made somefundamental changes. I know that youwant the directors, the sponsors, themedia and so on to be happy, but theessential thing is to follow your ownpath. You have to be prepared to takedecisions that are not always welcomedby everybody. Winning the EURO quali-fying matches meant that there weremore and more decisions to be takenand it was important to be convinced

that we were on the right path. Some-times, as a coach, your instinct is to try to please everybody. But you can’t.Let’s face it, if you have 100,000 people in a stadium, the only one who knows nothing is the coach. So it’svital to take decisions and base themon facts that are plausible and accept-able. Some of the teams in Portugalseemed to have an army of peoplewith them. But there were only two of us – my assistant coach and myself.The number of officials was kept to an absolute minimum and I made itclear to the players that, no matter howmuch we discussed certain subjects, I would have the final word.

“You need good fortune. You can’tblame Sven-Göran Eriksson if a penaltyis missed by David Beckham – a playerwho can shoot out the eye of an antfrom 200 metres. But you have to laythe foundations by getting working con-ditions that are as near perfect as pos-sible. You can get political pressures –people telling you to pick players fromcertain clubs or certain regions. So youhave to be strong. Sometimes I sawthe players smile because I had takena decision that was ‘politically impossi-ble’. When you go to a tournament you have ideas, visions and plans. Butthings can work out in a different way.

“EURO 2004 was an excellent tourna-ment with a high level. But there was

also a high level of Fair Play. I wouldcite the example of the way thePortuguese reacted to their defeat inthe final. Scolari! What a great man! I think there was a tremendous spirit of fairness. As for the negativeaspects, I would look beyond thetime-frame of EURO. During the tour-nament in Portugal, Dick Advocaatwas being heavily criticised in Hollandby players and even coaches – somuch so, that he left the CoachesAssociation. If I have to talk about afellow coach, I prefer to keep mymouth shut unless I can find some-thing positive to say. I find it difficult to swallow that coaches will criticise a colleague in a destructive mannervia TV. Coaches are lonely. We’relonesome cowboys and, when we’resuccessful, we’re surrounded by a bunch of friends. When we start losing, they’re gone. Please be fair to colleagues and never criticisethe way a colleague is working. We need to assist each other.”

OTTO REHHAGEL.

K E Y Q U E S T I O N SWhat do you think?a) Should a red card be issued for a so-called professional foul in the

penalty box (i.e. the infringement is caused by the last defender), or should the referee have the option of giving a yellow card?

b) Beautiful football is of no value unless it is linked to results?

c) Should the teams have at least four weeks free for recovery andpreparation before the World Cup or European Championship?

d) What can be done to keep the star players, like Zidane, playing forthe national team after they reach the age of 30?

EMP

ICS

BO

NG

AR

TS

14

UEF

A

Coach qualificationsThe development

of UEFA’s Convention

ROY MILLAR,

HEAD OF COACH EDUCATION

IN NORTHERN IRELAND.

Numerous other countries have since signed up to the Convention,which is based on a three-level training course: the B licence, requir-ing at least 120 hours of tuition, the A licence, also requiring at least120 hours of tuition, and the Pro licence, comprising at least 240instruction units. The B licence allowsthe holder to coach youngsters and adults at the lower levels of ama-teur football, while the A licence covers the highest levels of youth and adult amateur football, and semi-professional football, and the Prolicence is essential for anyone wantingto work in professional football.

Following ratification in December by Northern Ireland, Romania andUkraine at Pro level, and by Albaniaand Moldova at B level, over 143,000coaches from all over Europe are nowcovered by the Convention at onelevel or another. So far, 38 of UEFA’s52 UEFA member associations havesigned the Convention, including 24 as full members. Full membership(B, A and Pro levels) is not the onlyoption available; an association maybe admitted as a limited member and given the possibility to graduallydevelop its coach education systemwhile already being accepted into the Convention in a partial capacity.

ON 17 JANUARY 1998, THE “UEFA CONVENTION ON THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION

OF COACHING QUALIFICATIONS” WAS RATIFIED IN GHENT BY SIX COUNTRIES REGARDED AS LEADERS

IN COACH EDUCATION AT THE TIME, NAMELY, DENMARK, FRANCE, GERMANY,

ITALY, THE NETHERLANDS, AND SPAIN.

Currently, the applications of 19 nationalassociations are being processed. Their training courses are being evalu-ated on the spot and they are beingencouraged to develop coach educa-tion schemes that meet UEFA’s criteria.Their efforts are supported by mem-bers of the Jira Panel, which meets several times a year to steer the devel-opment of the training schemes, discuss training structures and content,and to decide on applications fromcandidate associations.

Next year, the signatories to theConvention will be re-evaluated for the first time, in accordance with theExecutive Committee’s decision toensure continuous quality control ofthe national coach education schemesand thus to reinforce the credibility of the Convention. Thereafter, theirmembership will be reassessed everythree years.

The Convention’s declared aim is toupgrade coach education within thenational associations. To this end, minimum criteria have been definedfor the three training levels (B, A andPro). If it meets these criteria, any UEFAmember association can accede to theConvention. However, the standardisa-tion of the minimum criteria should not result in a loss of national identity;

on the contrary, variety in styles of play represents the very essence of the game and should certainly not be sacrificed. In addition to themandatory criteria, each associationcan integrate its own ideas into itscoach education scheme.

At the same time, the Convention is intended to protect the coachingprofession and smooth the way for the free movement of qualified coaches within Europe, in harmonywith European legislation. UEFA collects educational material from individual associations and shares it with the other associations.

The Convention also reflects the desire to persuade the associations tomake coaching licences compulsory.All teams – and professional teams in particular – should employ onlycoaches who have undergone coacheducation and hold an appropriatelicence. This is not yet the case in all UEFA member associations. Suchsteps will take on particular significancein connection with the introduction of the UEFA club licensing scheme, in which coach qualifications are clearly defined and constitute an absolute requirement.

Frank Ludolph

MIRCEA RADULESCU,

ROMANIA’S COACH

EDUCATION DIRECTOR.

15

A G E N D AJanuary 27

UEFA Disabled Football Panel

Nyon

February 4-11

UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup

(U-17 tournament) • Turkey

February 9

Meridian Gala Match

(Turkey v Tunisia)

February 14-20

European Futsal Championship

Final Tournament

Czech Republic

February 22-23

UEFA Champions League

4th Round (1st leg)

March 8-9

UEFA Champions League

4th Round (2nd leg)

2 0 0 5T R A I N I N GU

EFA

EMP

ICS

Aim● High-tempo possession play, with

forward runs and switching of play

Numbers● 8 v 8 or 9 v 9

Duration● 6-minute units (x 3 – depending

on intensity required)

Rules● Two-touch (can also be played as

an ‘all-in’ game)● A goal is scored when the ball is

first passed through one of the corner goals, is controlled by anothermember of the attacking team, and is passed successfully to a team-mate (i.e. a goal is scored on the completion of a three-man passingmovement, with the first pass in thesequence going through the goal).

Coaching ● Emphasis on

reading the game, supporting runs from behind the ball, switching play, and maintaining high-tempo passing movements.

PAR CARLOS QUEIROZAssistant Manager of Manchester United FC

High-tempopassing movements

UEFARoute de Genève 46CH-1260 NyonSuisseTéléphone +41 22 994 44 44Téléfax +41 22 994 37 34uefa.com

Union des associationseuropéennes de football