Editorial:

Puskás Power

Interview:
Roy Hodgson

The Barcelona
Experience

Supply
and Demand

René Hüssy –
A Tribute

Including

N EWS LET TE R
F O R COAC H ES
NO. 36
J U N E 2 0 07
 MANCH ESTER U N ITED’S
CRISTIANO RONALDO
AN D AC M ILAN’S KAKÁ (BELOW)
I NSPI RE YOU NGSTERS.

PA Wire/PA Photos

UEFA-pjwoods.ch
TH E U EFA PRESI DENT,
M ICH EL PLATI NI, WITH M RS
ELIZABETH PUSKÁS.

IMPRESSUM
EDITORIAL GROUP
Andy Roxburgh
Graham Turner
Frits Ahlstrøm

PRODUCTION
André Vieli
Dominique Maurer
Atema Communication SA
Printed by Cavin SA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hélène Fors

COVER
Sir Alex Ferguson
of Manchester United
(winner of the
English Premiership
title for the ninth
time) living up
to the suggestion
that managers
“kick every ball”.
(Photo: Getty Images)
EMPICS

2
PUSKÁS POWER
EDITORIAL a record – a distant, tantalising target being inspired only ‘lights the fire’.
for today’s elite finishers. Ferenc Puskás had his own role models
BY ANDY ROXBURGH, for coaching. He once said: “You can’t
UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Charismatic characters who can be strong without good coaches. We
inspire others to perform, or to follow had them – foremostly my father was
the steep route to the top, are pre- unforgettable. Without them we would
cious. Puskás is in this category, and not have been successful.” And in the
to emphasise this ongoing power, his aftermath of his playing career, the
Four and a half months after the pass- enduring influence, the entrance to captain of the ‘Magical Magyars’ proved
ing of Hungarian footballing icon Ferenc the new academy has a top step with he also had the ability to coach a team
Puskás, a new football academy bear- the footprints and signature of the when he led the unheralded Panathi-
ing his name was opened in Felcsút, great man embedded in concrete. naikos to the 1971 European Cup final.
some 40 km west of Budapest. A heart- Hopefully, the symbolism will not be Very few, like Ferenc, have taken part
felt message from the UEFA president, lost on the young football apprentices in a European Cup final as a player
Michel Platini, another illustrious No. 10 who dream of great victories, of won- and as a coach. Indeed, only five have
in the annals of European football, was derful goals, of a hero’s adulation. won it in both capacities – Miguel
read out at the inauguration ceremony: Muñoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff,
“Ferenc was truly a great among greats. Great coaches not only motivate Frank Rijkaard and Carlo Ancelotti.
He was one of the most talented foot- players to perform, but often inspire
ballers ever and a devoted and caring others to follow in their career path. In addition to front-line participants,
man. A true legend.” Special words from How many coaches at grassroots level those involved in coach education also
the president for an exceptional man would love to emulate Sir Alex Fergu- have a key role to play in influencing
who inspired a generation of young son of Manchester United? Some, the future of the game. As the old
footballers during the 1950s and 1960s I’m sure, in the professional game also saying goes: “I teach; therefore I touch
with his exploits for Hungary and Real harbour such ambitions. But dreaming the future.” Inspiring the next genera-
Madrid. And few people need to be is one thing, replicating those who tion of coaches to be creative, to have
reminded that his four goals for Real in are successful is another. It takes talent, their own philosophy, to be curious,
a 7-3 victory in the 1960 European Cup dedication and intelligence to reach to be obsessed by details, and to have
final against Eintracht Frankfurt remains the top of the coaching profession – managerial class is a noble cause, one
which will have an important influence
on the game’s development.

In the age of wall-to-wall TV coverage

of football, the impact of star players
like Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaká, can’t be
overemphasised. The elite, whether they
are performers, coaches or educators,
will never know the effect they have
on those who look up to them, but they
must be aware of the influence they
have and their responsibility. Ferenc
Puskás, with his humility, humour and
genius, not only collected cups and
medals, but, more significantly, he won
the hearts and minds of countless
fans and ambitious young footballers.
Now with the opening of the football
academy in his name, the power of
FLASH PRESS

Puskás lives on. In a football world of

spiralling salaries and transfer fees, those
Ferenc Puskás, in his Hungarian colours, between his Real Madrid team-mates with the aura and ability to inspire the
Raymond Kopa and Alfredo Di Stefano. next generation are priceless treasures.

3
INTERVIEW
BY ANDY ROXBURGH,
UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

EMPICS
Empics Sport/PA Photos
ROY HODGSON, THE CURRENT MANAGER OF FINLAND’S NATIONAL TEAM, HAS BEEN
A PROFESSIONAL COACH FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, AND HAS SPENT THE BULK OF THAT TIME OUTSIDE
HIS NATIVE ENGLAND. HE STARTED HIS COACHING CAREER IN SWEDEN WITH HALMSTAD BK,
WINNING THE TITLE TWICE IN FOUR YEARS. THEN, AFTER TWO YEARS AT BRISTOL CITY FC, HE COACHED
SWEDISH CLUB ÖREBRO SK TO THE SECOND DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP. A MOVE TO MALMÖ FF
RESULTED IN A PERIOD OF EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS WITH FIVE SUCCESSIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TWO
CUPS BEING ACCUMULATED. AFTER WORKING FOR NEUCHÂTEL XAMAX FC IN SWITZERLAND, ROY
TOOK OVER THE NATIONAL TEAM OF THAT COUNTRY AND LED THEM TO THE 1994 WORLD CUP FINALS
AND EURO ‘96. FC INTERNAZIONALE ACQUIRED HIS SERVICES AND HE ADDED A UEFA CUP SILVER
MEDAL TO HIS COLLECTION. SPELLS AT BLACKBURN ROVERS, GRASSHOPPER-CLUB ZURICH,
FC KØBENHAVN (HE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THE DANISH CLUB), UDINESE AND THE NATIONAL
TEAM OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES THEN FOLLOWED, BEFORE HE WAS ENTICED TO TAKE CHARGE OF
FINLAND’S NATIONAL TEAM. WITH EURO 2008 AS HIS TARGET, ROY HAS MADE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT,
AND THE FINNS HAVE HIGH HOPES OF QUALIFYING FROM A VERY DIFFICULT GROUP. NO MATTER
THE OUTCOME OF THE CURRENT CAMPAIGN, ROY WILL SURELY PROVE ONCE AGAIN THAT HE IS A COACH
OF IMMENSE QUALITY. HE IS ENGLISH, HE IS AN OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL, HE IS…

ROY HODGSON
1 • As the head coach of Finland, what club side and coaching a national project is probably even more impor-
are the main challenges you have faced? team? tant when it comes to national teams
There have been no major problems The obvious answer is time. The because you are representing a
because the squad was composed of time spent with players and your nation’s football – this is very impor-
many tried and tested players, with a ability to work on team play is much tant for the national coach to remem-
lot of experience. But, of course, in all more limited with a national squad. ber. At club level, you can be a little
new jobs you face some challenges. There are fewer matches with the more parochial. You can fight for your
These could be summarised as the national team, but each one carries club’s agenda and sometimes you
need to make a good impression on the an element of prestige and pride may even anger others or create jeal-
players and the staff, the importance for your country. On the other hand, ousy in the country. But the national
of convincing everyone about your you avoid the club management coach must be aware of his responsi-
coaching ideas and methods, and estab- situations like dealing with agents, bility for the way football is perceived
lishing a good working environment. negotiating salaries, buying and in a country, and that is an important
These have been essential factors here selling players. Both club coaches aspect of his particular role.
but would, of course, be important and national managers, however,
anywhere. But I have to say, there have can be faced with conflict when it 3 • How would you describe your
been no dramatic issues to deal with. comes to the release of players for style of management?
national team duty. The players are It is not always easy to describe one-
2 • In your view, what is the differ- unfortunately stuck in the middle self, but I would like to think that my
ence between managing a top of this debate. Finally, the image you style could be considered as studied,

4
 Roy Hodgson
in the San Siro.

Keystone
of working day in and day out. We
want to avoid wasting any training
sessions because time is precious.
You try to produce an instant gelling
of the group and you need to be
adaptable to cope with the inevitable
call-offs and enforced changes. The
more club-like you can make the
team, the more security you can give
the players, the better. This is espe-
cially the key when you are working
with a small country. Each player
needs to feel part of a stable squad
of maybe 20-25 players. Very few
nations in the world can field two
different teams of top quality. There-
fore most have to blend together the
small group of players who are capa-
ble of playing international football.

5 • How has the coaching job

Roy changed since you started?
Hodgson
Thirty-one years of coaching is a long
gives
instructions time, but I resist taking the view that
to Swiss ‘distance lends enchantment’. But,
defender unquestionably, there have been sig-
Stéphane nificant changes in the staffing of foot-
Henchoz.
ball clubs. Today we have everything
from nutritionists to high-tech special-
ists. For example, when we were in
South Korea recently, they had video
Keystone

analysis at half-time. There is no

doubt that a lot has been done to
give the coach more tools and to
player-orientated, and with an emphasis when dealing with these matters. Players make the job easier. But, the crux of
on preparation and tactics. Because expect you to take the lead, because the job, i.e. standing in front of players
you take on leadership responsibilities, that is what you are paid for. But I think and trying to persuade them that
inevitably you have to be somewhat it is good to involve them in things your ideas, your methods, your way
authoritarian. The game of football does- which make a big difference to their life of working are worth following, this
n’t lend itself to true democracy. Cer- but don’t compromise your position. hasn’t really changed. Whatever kind
tainly as I get older, I have become more of help the coach gets from the
aware that you can delegate certain 4 • What do you emphasise when psychologist and the fitness trainer,
things. For example, the players’ opinion preparing the national team? he will still have to convince the
can be useful when discussing training Tactical preparation is crucial and I try group in front of him that he has
times or deciding travel schedules, etc. to make sure that each player knows his something to offer them. When I
Indeed, most things to do with the play- role and is prepared for any challenges started, there was only my assistant
ers’ preparation can be open for discus- which he might face. That can, of course, and myself, but today many coaches
sion. When it comes down to the major be specific to the opposition which we have a staff of 20 to 30 people. There
issues, for example, team selection, how will encounter. I try to make it clear to has been an enormous development
you are going to conduct your training the players that the time we have in terms of support, à la American
sessions, what you will emphasise, and together is very limited and we need to sports organisations. But I still think
how you will deal with any conflict situa- make efficient use of it. The goal is to the face-to-face communication with
tion which might arise, I don’t think there be like a club side – to be as well organ- the players and the basic coaching
is any room for a democratic approach ised as possible without the benefit haven’t changed much over the years.

5
 HANSI M Ü LLER,

AN DY ROXBU RGH AN D

ROY HODGSON AT TH E 2007

U EFA GRASSROOTS

Keystone
UEFA
CONFERENCE I N H ELSINKI.

6 • As someone who has qualified because they are used to living in train- quickly and more harshly than in the past.
for previous European Championship ing camps for extended periods of time. Because of that, there is little scope for
and World Cup final rounds, what Most players don’t have this type of a coach to develop his philosophy or his
are the important difficulties a coach experience. Making sure that the players management style because he might
faces when preparing for such can keep some sort of perspective and not get the results quickly enough to give
events? a reasonable level of enjoyment in their him the time. What it has meant, at the
In the qualifying rounds and ‘the final lives is vital during a final round. You highest level, is that the ability to spend
phase’ the task is to produce a consis- need to lighten their load because they money and buy the right players, and to
tency of performance, so that the coach will be under pressure, with all sorts get them to fit in, has become more
knows that his team are not going to of demands on them. Normally, the important than it was in the past when
let him down. You need to work very football and coaching side is the least more time was given to the manager to
hard to avoid extremes – for example, of your problems, but the care of the develop the players at his disposal. Today
last month your team was compact, players on a human level may require he is being judged more on the quality
this time you were all over the place. a lot of attention. The teams which of his buys than on the standard of work
This is particularly significant when consistently qualify have a wealth of being carried out on a day-to-day basis.
working with a national team where the experience in dealing with tournament From a tactical viewpoint, we could talk
result creates either euphoria or disaster, play and this is their advantage. about a lot of things but I’ll content
and has consequences for the players’ myself with three. Number one is the
morale and public expectations. As a 7 • As someone who has been on importance of the counter-attack and
coach of a national team you have both sides of the fence, what would the ability to profit from the turnovers.
to avoid extremes, either getting carried you do to improve the relationship Secondly, the improvement of athleticism
away because of a good result or between club and national team and pace throughout the team. There
becoming pessimistic after a loss. When coaches? is no doubt the game is faster and the
you go into a final round you must be The only way to improve this issue is selection of players reflects this. And
aware of what it will mean for the play- through communication. Both partners thirdly, there is less high-intensity pressing
ers to be fully concentrated for the dura- need to show empathy for the other’s from the front and in advanced areas.
tion of the event. Also, they are away problems. All coaches agree that it’s This is partly because concern over the
together in a different, sometimes claus- not a good idea to put the players into interpretation of the offside law has
trophobic environment. The Italians a bad situation. Yet, we consistently do, led teams to play deeper. Sides are still
can usually handle this better than most because each side is thinking about compact, but this is mainly in their own
their own needs. Having said that, the half of the pitch.
coordinated calendar has made a big
difference. Certainly within Europe it has 9 • Having worked in a number
helped, but clubs with South American of different football environments
or African players still have major prob- (e.g. England, Italy, Sweden, Switzer-
lems. However, the one thing I would land, etc.), what are the biggest
like to see is some discussion about the challenges you have faced in adapting
number of dates for official matches and to each new culture and approach
for friendlies. If you are in a big qualify- to the game?
ing group like ours, then you need to I must say that I have been lucky and I
use some friendly dates for official haven’t encountered too many problems
games and this can be a disadvantage. on my travels. The language has got to
In summing up the club versus country be a key factor. If you can master the lan-
debate: give and take, common sense guage, this is of enormous benefit. This,
and the ability to put yourself in some- of course, helps you to communicate,
one else’s shoes would go a long way to but it also sends out a message to the
bringing harmony amongst the coaches. country that you are not there just to
profit from them, but to take part and to
8 • In your opinion, what are the contribute. In addition, I think it is very
significant trends in top-level important to be open-minded. The worst
Getty Images

European football, from both a tacti- mistake you can make is suggest that you
cal and managerial perspective? have all the answers and your way is the
After his stint with Internazionale, Roy Hodgson From a managerial perspective, the only way. It’s necessary to keep an open
had another Italian experience, with Udinese. trend is for a coach to be judged more mind and not to dismiss things that are

6
 ROY HODGSON

AT H IS FIRST TRAI NING

SESSION WITH

TH E H EAD COACH GRASSHOPPERS ZU RICH

Keystone
OF FI NLAN D. I N 1999.

likable personality, a strong character,

a sense of perspective, and humility.
Books could be written on each of these
aspects of management – some already
have. And when we talk about these
qualities, I remember reading a quote
from the American John Wooden, who
said: “Talent is God-given; be humble.
Fame is man-given; be thankful.
And conceit is self-given; be careful.”

13 • What is your best quality?

A training
Two qualities which I prize most in other
session with coaches are energy and enthusiasm,
the Swiss and fortunately I think I have both. If you
national team. are going to be a top coach, you need

Keystone
to have those core qualities. Of course,
there are many other attributes which
we could discuss, but without energy
part of the culture of that country. In a always be winning trophies and medals, and enthusiasm a coach will struggle,
new environment, you often have to but you can be acknowledged by your and I hope nobody will ever accuse me
work even harder on new relationships – colleagues as a good coach, and this of lacking either.
this includes the media, the public, the brings its own contentment.
directors. The playing side of it is often 14 • How do you see the future
the easiest part because football is a 11 • Can UEFA’s top competitions of international football?
universal language and the players will be improved in any way? It is certainly a battle to protect interna-
quickly recognise if the coach is any I’m not sure that there is room for much tional football. I hope that the glamour
good. The players will forgive problems improvement. Looking from the outside, of a few clubs will not have a negative
in communication skills and manner I must say that things are going remark- impact on the national teams, or indeed
if they think you know your stuff. ably well. I’m sure minor modifications on all the football being played around
are being considered all the time. But, the world. It’s very important that the
10 • During your long, varied and for me, the major and decisive move leagues are healthy in the medium or
successful coaching career, what has was made when the UEFA Champions small-size countries, as well as in the
given you the greatest satisfaction? League was introduced in the early major markets. Here in Finland, the
There have been three key moments for 1990s. There was a danger back then first league needs to be thriving – any
me. The first championship at Halmstad of American-style competitions, with involvement clubs have in the UEFA
BK in Sweden – to avoid relegation in their franchise system, being imposed Champions League, no matter which
the first season and then to win the title on the European game. The idea that country they are from, must be consid-
the next was very special. The fairytale teams can never be relegated and just ered as the ‘icing on the cake’. Interna-
nature of this first success is an indelible play on year after year, no matter what tional football, in particular, needs to be
memory, albeit a long time ago. The five the results, was never part of our foot- protected because it combines passion
successive Swedish championship titles ball philosophy. The UEFA Champions for football and a pride in your country.
and the two cup triumphs with Malmö League, fortunately, eliminated the It would be suicidal to take away the
FF added up to a major success, threat. Today, any subtle changes are interest and excitement which the Euro-
because it doesn’t matter which league made by UEFA in close collaboration pean Championship and the World Cup
you are in, it’s difficult to win it year after with the major clubs, and that’s good generate. These competitions surely
year. And then the two qualifications for the game. complement the glamour of the UEFA
with Switzerland for the World Cup and Champions League and don’t detract
the European Championship would have 12 • What are the key qualities which from it. We need to show the necessary
to rank the highest among my achieve- a coach requires to be a success? perspective, clubs and national associa-
ments. Apart from the results, you also Briefly, I would say a successful coach tions, and be aware of each other’s
get a lot of satisfaction from being recog- needs leadership skills, a talent for read- needs. The only way we will have a prob-
nised by your peers, and being accepted ing the game, a gift for communication, lem is if some people become too greedy
into the elite football family. You can’t a capacity for detailed preparation, a and want everything for themselves.

7
 U EFA VICE-PRESI DENT

GEOFFREY THOM PSON ALSO TOOK PART

IN TH E M ERIDIAN CONFERENCE.

THE BARCELONA
EXPERIENCE
PITCH NO. 4 AT FC BARCELONA’S MAGNIFICENT NEW TRAINING COMPLEX AT ST JOAN DESPÍ.
THREE COACHES, EYES SHADED FROM THE SUN BY CAPS, ARE WORKING WITH AN UNDER-18 SQUAD.
BETWEEN THEM, IÑAKI SÁEZ, GINÉS MELÉNDEZ AND JUAN SANTISTEBAN HAVE WON POTS
OF MEDALS WITH SPAIN’S AGE-LIMIT TEAMS AND CAN MEASURE THEIR COACHING EXPERIENCE
IN SCORES OF YEARS. YET, EVEN FOR THEM, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW. THEIR SQUAD MEMBERS
HAIL FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ISRAEL, THE NETHERLANDS,
NORTHERN IRELAND, POLAND, PORTUGAL, RUSSIA, SERBIA AND SPAIN.

Before going any further, it has to be numbers and diversity, it went into moment when they might arrive at a
explained that the cameo corresponds the logbook as the biggest event that club where the dressing-room is multi-
to the new-format Meridian Cup and Andy Roxburgh’s football development national? This was by no means a
Conference, where coach educators division had ever staged. But, as Iñaki, rhetorical question when, down the
and technical directors and coaches Ginés and Juan would be the first to road at the Camp Nou, Frank Rijkaard
from over 100 African and European testify, this wasn’t an event. It was an was coaching a squad of ten different
associations watched two matches experience. nationalities and in a day and age
between under-18 teams from both when cosmopolitan dressing-rooms
continents, watched the boys training, It could be argued that the three are not exclusively encountered in the
watched the FC Barcelona first team coaches’ debut at the helm of a Euro- premier divisions of European football.
train at the Camp Nou, took part in pean team was a one-off diversion
discussion groups, and listened to the from the mainstream of coaching. But Looking at the other side of the coin,
presentations which contributed to the it raised a series of interesting ques- the same thesis can be applied to
conference element. In terms of sheer tions. Are coaches prepared for the the players. It was a first and fantastic
experience of life in a multinational
dressing-room, their first matches in
a team that united different footballing
cultures, and, in many cases, their first
real contact with news-hungry media.
For instance, FC Barcelona’s Bojan
Krkic, joint top-scorer at last year’s
European Under-17 finals and widely
fancied to reach the top, was asked
to do so many interviews and photo
calls that the club, anxious to keep his
talented feet on the ground, became
concerned about the amount of expo-
sure he was receiving. It is no exagger-
ation to say that the young players
arrived in Barcelona expecting a foot-
ball experience but went home realis-
UEFA

ing that they had walked into a life

Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia) analyses the art of goal-scoring with Andy Roxburgh. experience and one which could mark

8
 TH E TH EORY SESSIONS

AN D TH E DISCUSSIONS WERE

OF GREAT I NTEREST.

1 + 10 = A Team

The blend of team talk and individual

dialogue in the European dressing-room
reflected one of the interesting themes
broached during the Meridian Confer-
ence. The universally accepted aim is
to develop today’s youth talents into
tomorrow’s heroes. But how best to go
about it? How much emphasis should
be placed on the development of the
individual? How can individual develop-
ment best be reconciled with team
ethics? And how much attention should
be paid to team-building in an environ-
ment where the coach’s status is all

Photos: Sergi Briet

too often dictated by results?
The second match between the European
and African teams was well attended.
It’s a subject that can be attacked from
several angles. Andy Roxburgh, review-
ing the multiple elements which can
their development as a footballer – getting the youngsters from both conti- turn today’s talent into tomorrow’s
and as a person. nents together. It’s worth mentioning, heroes, mentioned a number of quotes
by the way, that there were no Unite that reveal how much importance is
Iñaki, Ginés and Juan soon discovered Against Racism activities pegged to the placed by top coaches on the mental
that a multilingual dressing-room acts event. Quite simply, the absence of aspects of player development.
as an excellent censor. Messages have racist attitudes was taken for granted.
to be delivered in simple and concise At the four-day event, racism was not “Talent is not enough – you need desire
fashion. Training routines need to be an issue. and intelligence.” – Arsène Wenger
demonstrated rather than explained
in detail. Instructions and corrections Coming back to coaching aspects, the “The focus of youth development in the
have to be delivered with gestures as approach by Iñaki, Ginés and Juan to future will be tactical training and per-
well as words. their crash course in team-building was sonality development.” – Louis van Gaal
based on: a well-defined tactical sys-
The challenge facing the Spanish trio tem (the 4-2-3-1 traditionally adopted “Clubs are focusing too much on spirit
was clear: to prepare, starting on Mon- by Spanish age-limit sides), two or and will to win and are neglecting the
day, a European team to play Africa on three basic concepts clearly delivered technical education of players. They
the Tuesday and Thursday, with each to each department of the team, charts don’t teach them to think any more.” –
squad member guaranteed a starting giving precise positions for set plays Morten Olsen
place in at least one of the two line-ups. for and against (pinned up in the dress-
In the other dressing-room, Ghana’s ing-room), and individual dialogue to “I very much believe in self-motivation
Frederick Osam-Duodu and Egypt’s make sure that messages had been because that is what it takes to reach
Shawki Gharib Baioumi took on the understood, in a context where some your goals.” – Frank Rijkaard
same task but with added difficulties players might have regarded questions
derived from visa problems and the fact as an embarrassing admission of ‘lack What’s more, one of the points to
that their ‘feeder’ tournament – the of language skills’. emerge forcibly from the discussion
African Under-17 Championship – is sessions in Barcelona was the need to
played once every two years, whereas All in all, it added up to an intense achieve a balance, in the formative
the European nursery provides an experience that coaching students years, between football and a career.
annual crop. The results (6-1 and 4-0 would have relished – and one which This opinion is not only motivated by
to Europe) passed harsh judgement raised questions about how techni- the high drop-out levels among aspiring
on the Africans’ contribution but were, cians can best be prepared to handle professionals but also by the view
in any case, of limited relevance in a their first encounter with a multina- that “an educated player has a better
context where the key elements were tional squad. chance of being successful”.

9
 JACQU ES CREVOISIER,

A COACH SPECIALISING

Sergi Briet
IN PSYCHOLOGY.

For the technician, the challenge is that technician is able or qualified to assess
developing a young player’s mental individual levels of motivation or men-
strength is not a question of devising tal resilience. The other key questions
training routines. That’s why there was – bearing in mind that the discussion
great interest in a presentation made was focused on adolescents – are: At
by Jacques Crevoisier, a coach spe- what age should psychological analysis
cialising in psychology who has spent and personality shaping kick in? And
many years with Gérard Houllier, the at what stage is it possible to modify
French Football Federation and, for a a young player’s character – if at all?

UEFA
spell before he re-joined Gérard in
No problem with the language –
Liverpool a few years back, with UEFA. Bridging the Gaps
Sandor Varga translates for the Hungarian
boys and Andy Roxburgh.
Jacques maintains that regular psycho- Ask any elite youth coach to name
logical assessments – preferably every the ultimate aims of the profession As careers develop, experience
six months – are the basis for work on and the top priority will probably be becomes a great teacher. But, at youth
character development. His ‘Motivation to help the player bridge the gap – level, it can be important to convince
Profile’ caters for evaluations in 16 cat- sometimes it seems to be chasm – players that self-analysis and, as Frank
egories related to competence, team between success in age-limit teams Rijkaard says, self-motivation are items
dynamics, learning objectives, competi- and success at the sharp end of the to place high on the personal agenda.
tiveness, psychological endurance, professional game, whether it be at As Jacques Crevoisier had bluntly put
resistance to stress, aggression, emo- club or national team level. it, “a player with the wrong personality
tional control, self-satisfaction and, and the wrong attitude is, for a club,
of course, various types of motivation. This was an especially relevant subject a waste of time and money”.
The results of the tests need to be in Barcelona, given that many of the
correlated with performances and atti- African technicians at the Meridian Finishing the Job
tudes during training and match play – Conference had first-hand experience
but Jacques’ experience has demon- of players leaving their countries at Kalusha Bwalya, Zambia’s most-capped
strated that the best performers in tender ages, keen to earn a living player and all-time top scorer, teamed
the tests are the best performers on in the European ‘big time’ but secretly up with Andy Roxburgh in Barcelona to
the park. homesick or depressed in moments analyse the art of goal-scoring. Once
when a return home is, to all intents again, personality development was
Regular assessments help to detect and purposes, out of the question. regarded as one of the key issues dur-
weak points to be discussed with the If they are to bridge cultural, geograph- ing the transition phase from youth to
player, and progress needs to be ical and footballing gaps, they often adult football, during which many prom-
monitored. Clear objectives need to require psychological support in addi- ising young goal-scorers suddenly run
be defined every year and, according tion to footballing education. into problems or, to be more precise,
to Jacques, one of the key elements more efficiently organised defensive
is to prevent the player from entering As Andy Roxburgh pointed out in blocks.
a ‘comfort zone’. Barcelona, the off-the-pitch demands
on top players represent a heavier bur- One school of thought maintains that
The participants in Barcelona acknowl- den than ever before: more pressure, goal-scoring is an innate instinct – and
edged the importance of psychological more influences and more restraints there is certainly an element of truth in
factors in the make-up of an elite in exchange for more money. It means that assertion. So what can the youth
player but also raised some interesting that traditional virtues such as love of coach work on?
questions. Some felt that over-empha- the game and mastery of the ball are
sising mental considerations can no longer enough. At elite youth lev- The answers start with athletic prepara-
induce artificial ‘hyper-motivation’ and els, players also need to be coached tion, in areas such as leg mobility, body
loss of control. Others felt that more in concentration, self-confidence, shape, balance and the timing of runs
attention should be paid to stress- character or leadership qualities, com- into scoring positions. Speed, these
reduction techniques. Most felt that it petitive spirit, athletic proficiency, team days, is a basic premise – and that also
should be the coaching staff – rather mentality, work ethic and, above all, means speed of thought in terms of
than a psychologist – who work on atti- a healthy lifestyle and a mental forti- awareness and anticipation. Speed of
tude and motivation with the players, tude capable of sustaining those phys- execution is a fundamental asset, not
but some asked whether the average ical and psychological requirements. only in terms of being able to produce

10
 ÁNGELLEGENDE
MARÍA LEGENDE
VI LLAR LLONA,
LEGEN

A FIFA AN D U EFA VICE-PRESIDENT

LEGENDE LEGENDE
AN D PRESIDENT
LEGENDE

Sergi Briet
OF TH E SPAN ISH FOOTBALL
LEGENDE LEGENDE
FEDERATION.
LEGE.

the explosive finish but also the ability In terms of confidence-building, goal- player should be helped to control it
to contribute to high-tempo combina- scorers are more at ease when offered and channel it; if a player is excessively
tion play. On the training ground, we full-size goals – with nets – during shy, there should encouragement to
can work on the first touch, which training sessions and benefit from con- speak; if a player is excessively sub-
needs to be precise and, in and near stant repetition of goal-scoring moves missive, he or she must be helped to
the opposing box, needs to be some- and execution. For attackers, practice stand up and be counted, to express
thing more than ‘control of the ball’. games need to have a competitive personality; an excessive ‘I’m already
edge. Goals should never be made to a star’ attitude needs to be countered
Kalusha and Andy approached from appear ‘irrelevant’. by putting feet on the ground and
a different angle to look for reasons encouraging modesty.
why attackers fail to score – and players Postcards from Barcelona
who are expected to define the team’s In Barcelona, it was never overlooked
approach work by scoring goals are often The presentations – particularly those that coaches also have different per-
the first to suffer anxiety syndromes angled towards the development of sonalities and different approaches
when the ball refuses to go in. It is up the person rather than the footballer – to the development of young players.
to the technician to offer first aid by fuelled some fascinating debate in the But one undeniable requirement
pinpointing problems such as technical Catalan capital. The need to focus on emerged from the debating room:
shortcomings, poor timing of runs, personalities as well as footballing the coach must be well equipped in
problems with vision and awareness, virtues prompted questions about what communication skills and the ability
slow or ineffective decision-making, can be done to prepare young coaches to convince pupils as well as teach
reluctance to take responsibility, insuffi- to cope with a ‘father figure’ role that them. This is why events such as the
cient of speed, lack of psychological entails considerable responsibility. Role- Meridian Conference, seminars and
resilience or fear of physical challenge. play exercises within coaching courses workshops, which offer opportunities
were among the proposals, along with for coach educators to exchange
Another useful training ground tool is a call for specialised seminars. There information, received such an enthu-
to help the young goal-scorer to appre- was also a proposal to add sessions siastic reception.
ciate what defenders and goalkeepers of personalised training to the general
dislike most. In this respect, dialogue schedules for the squad. The technicians also acknowledged
between team-mates can obviously be that first-hand playing experience is
helpful and, in practice or small-sided At the same time, there was a current often just as valuable – if not more so
games, role reversals between depart- of opinion in favour of ‘tinkering’ with – than advice received from a mentor.
ments of the team can give the young- personality as little as possible and to Hence a call for the administrations
sters first-hand experience of what focus primarily in correcting excesses: in both continents to consider offering
hurts most at the other end of the field. if excessive aggression is visible, the more match opportunities to age-limit
players in the ‘weaker’ countries who
are not generally expected to leap
many hurdles in qualifying rounds.

In summarising the hectic, intensive

four days in Barcelona, Andy Roxburgh
remarked: “Some of the boys we have
seen here are already on the verge
of becoming top players and I hope
that this experience will contribute to
their further development.” But let’s
leave the last word to the head coach
of Team Africa, Frederick Osam-Duodu:
“I’m pleased the boys had a chance
to learn how to criticise themselves
and how to correct things. They
learned a lot from each other. The
Sergi Briet

experience of being in Barcelona was

great. The future of football has been
The UEFA U18 team at training. shown to them.”

11
 UEFA-pjwoods.ch
TH E FORU M I N ACTION.

SUPPLY
AND DEMAND
THE STEADY INCREASE IN THE NUMBER AND DIMENSIONS OF UEFA COMPETITIONS

IS A FAITHFUL REFLECTION OF BULLISH ‘MARKET CONDITIONS’ AND AN ENCOURAGING SYMPTOM

OF THE HEALTH OF THE GAME. THE LATEST ADDITIONS TO THE UEFA MENU

ARE THE WOMEN’S UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP AND AN UNDER-21 FUTSAL TOURNAMENT.

The rapid growth of the women’s and Dusan Zovinec (Czech Republic), In terms of the European Champion-
game (ten years ago there was only not forgetting Karen Espelund, chair- ship, the upgraded finals will entail
one UEFA competition; today there person of UEFA’s Women’s Football greater attention to accommodation
are four) means that it has not only Committee and a full squad of UEFA’s for the finalists and the quality of train-
become a greater component within ‘backroom staff’. ing facilities.
the four walls of the House of Euro-
pean Football in Nyon but is also tak- The addition of an under-17 compe- However, there are also broader issues
ing on much greater relevance within tition, allied with the development to be addressed. Refereeing, for exam-
UEFA’s member associations. This at under-19 level and the expansion ple, needs to keep pace with growth
was one of the central themes at the of the senior European Championship and there was a proposal to create
2nd UEFA Elite Women’s Coaches finals to a dozen teams, was viewed special training programmes involving
Forum, staged at UEFA’s headquarters. as a solid basis on which to build elite referees from the men’s game.
future development of the women’s
The list of participants was not so game. On the other hand, there are In terms of The Technician, all of this
much a roll call as a roll of honour still logistical issues in the pending represents something of a preamble.
within the women’s game. In alpha- tray, not least the over-close proximity Because the specific issue is that the
betical order, they were Bjarne of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and rapid expansion of the women’s game
Berntsen (Norway), Yury Bystritskiy the European Under-19 Championship offers enormous opportunities on
(Russia), Marika Domanski-Lyfors last summer, in addition to the thorny coaching fronts. So much so, that there
(Sweden), Pietro Ghedin (Italy), issue of a specific Olympic Games are questions about supply meeting
Valentin Grishin (Russia), Andrée qualifying competition which, currently, demand and thoughts about the most
Jeglertz (Umeå IK, Sweden), Michael doesn’t fit into the fixture list jigsaw appropriate ways to encourage more
Kåld (Finland), Elisabeth Loisel puzzle. At the same time, the future women into coaching.
(France), Maren Meinert (Germany), of the UEFA Women’s Cup was dis-
Carolina Morace (Italy), Silvia Neid cussed and, although there was wide- In most European countries, women
(Germany), Vera Pauw (Netherlands), spread endorsement of the current are now integrated into coach educa-
Hope Powell (England), ‘Nacho’ home-and-away format for the final, tion programmes, with the majority
Quereda (Spain), Bernd Schröder there was a call for a more rationalised simply offering mixed courses based
(1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, Germany), fixture list. This was in response on exactly the same content. On the
Alexander Shagov (Russia), Anna to this season’s competition, in which other hand, some national associations
Signeul (Scotland), Béatrice von the semi-finals were played at the have developed specific courses for
Siebenthal (Switzerland), Jürgen beginning of November and the final women which, in principle, open the
Tritschoks (1. FFC Frankfurt, Germany) in April. door to a wider field.

12
 TH E U EFA ELITE

UEFA-pjwoods.ch
WOM EN’S COACH ES FORU M

PARTICIPANTS. 0

The forum also endorsed the idea of the sorts of courses currently orien- At the same time, there are blueprints
encouraging more top players to stay tated at women’s football and the for a development programme aimed
in the game as coaches and, obviously, routes offered by pioneering national at the 16 nations eliminated in the
a spin-off from the growth of women’s associations for players to switch first qualifying round of the European
competitions will be, in the future, a as fluently as possible into coaching. Championship. The idea is to involve
greater number of players with inter- UEFA, by the way, will continue to experienced coaches from leading
national experience. This raised the feature women’s football in the extra- countries, asking them to contribute
issue of how best to help them cross net section of the Coaches Circle. to the development of the women’s
the threshold from playing to coaching game in other nations by going there,
and there was widespread approval of Looking further down the road, there conducting training sessions, and
schemes to mirror the fast-track coach were proposals to respond to the meeting coaches and coach educators.
education courses currently available vast influx of girls into the game by
to top-level players in the men’s game. establishing centres of excellence or, In other words, the rapid growth of
at least, establishing working relation- women’s football has prompted an
The meeting also served to underscore ships with the academies already in unprecedented demand for coaching
the value of interchanging information place for talented young boys – and staff, right from the grassroots to the
and sharing best-practice methods. this is something that, as Elisabeth top of the tree. The challenge for the
There was a call for UEFA to act as a Loisel reported, the French federation coaching fraternity is therefore to make
‘clearing house’ by gathering data on is already working on. sure that supply can meet the demands.

Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images

Maren Meinert led Germany’s U19s to the European title.

13
 RENÉ H ÜSSY I N H IS

DAYS AT TH E H ELM OF TH E SWISS

NATIONAL TEAM, DU RING

A MATCH AGAI NST LUXEM BOU RG.

RENÉ HÜSSY–
Photos. Keystone
A TRIBUTE
RENÉ HÜSSY, THE FORMER NATIONAL COACH OF SWITZERLAND,
PASSED AWAY A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND THE GAME LOST A TECHNICAL
AMBASSADOR OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY.

René was one of football’s gentlemen whose dignity and humility concealed
his impressive credentials. As a player, he won three Swiss championships
and three domestic cups. But it was his contribution to coaching that made him
internationally recognised. Following a decade as a trainer at club level (he won
the league title with Grasshoppers of Zurich), two spells as Swiss national
team manager, and becoming the first president of the Swiss Trainers Union
(USFT), he joined FIFA as an instructor/Technical Study Group
expert/Technical Committee member. In addition, he was appointed
to UEFA’s Committee for Technical Development, acting as
vice-chairman from 1992 to 1996. René was passionately inter-
ested in coach education and contributed extensively to the UEFA
working group which explored the concept of a European coaching
licence. He actually chaired the working group for a short period
following the death of its leader, the Czech Dr Václav Jira.

René, who was a member of the FIFA World Cup Organising Com-
mittee from 1990 to 1998, received the FIFA Order
of Merit in 2002 for his contribution to the
world game, and was included in UEFA’s
‘Amicale des Anciens’ for his efforts
on behalf of European football. He will
be sadly missed by his friends at
FIFA and UEFA for his wise counsel,
for his sense of humour, and
for his football passion. René
Hüssy was an expert on
football, and on behalf of
his technical colleagues,
I pay tribute to a great
technician, but above all,
I salute a wonderful man.

ANDY ROXBURGH

14
 TH E N ETH ERLAN DS

WI LL BE DEFENDING TH EIR

EU ROPEAN U N DER-21

UEFA
TITLE ON HOM E GROU N D.

Key coaching points

TRAINING ● 10-minute exercise:

a) The 4 moves, a, b, c and d, must
be continuously repeated until
the movements are synchronised.

Tactical Exercise b) The teams take it in turns; the other

team presents passive opposition.

for Organised ● 5-minute exercise with active oppo-

sition.
● 10-minute final match with the

Attack — Variants

UEFA
following objective:
A goal scored using one of the four
moves, a, b, c or d, counts double.
BY GINÉS MELÉNDEZ SOTOS Active opposition during the match,
Spanish Football Federation Director of Coach Education in other words real play.
and Under-19/Under-20 National Team Coach (Current European Champion)

of three touches in defence

before opponents can pressure
(defenders have a maximum of
AG E N DA
three touches, other players have 2007
an unlimited number of touches).
a) After their three touches, defend- June 10 – 23
ers can only pass to the player on 16th European Under-21
the wing. The fullback then moves Championship (Netherlands)
up to make it 2 against 1 on the
wing. June 20 – 26
b)If passing to a central midfielder, 5th UEFA Regions’ Cup (Bulgaria)
the midfielder must pass to the
wing opposite from where the ball July 16 – 27
Aim came so that there is a change 6th European Under-19
● To improve players’ creativity and of direction of play. Championship (Austria)
capacity to develop attacking moves c) If playing the ball to the forward,
within our style of play. the forward returns it to a central July 18 – 29
midfielder and changes direction 6th European Women’s Under-19
● To develop a player’s capacity to
to either the near or far wing. Championship (Iceland)
identify and understand the most
effective routes of attacking the d)If the player on the wing receives
the ball from the defender and September 5 – 6
opponents’ goal, depending on their
position. returns it to the fullback, the full- 9th UEFA Elite Club Coaches
back has to pass to the forward Forum (Nyon)
Numbers or the midfielder who is furthest
forward. September 24 – 26
● Two teams; 9 against 9 (including 7th UEFA Symposium for Coach
goalkeepers); 1-3-4-1 formation. Education Directors (London)
● 1 goalkeeper, 3 defenders, 4 mid- Development
fielders and 1 forward. There are ● The central defender cannot move
November 16 – 25
fewer defenders so that the concepts out of position.
5th European Futsal Championship
of assistance and zonal marking ● When they do not have posses- (Portugal)
must be applied. sion, the fullbacks move up to
make it 2 against 1 on the wing. November 27
Area ● There should be continuous 3rd UEFA Elite Club Youth Coaches
● A reduced pitch (60 x 50 metres) changes of direction during the Forum (Cannes)
game.
Rules ● When the defence has the ball, November 27 – 29
● The defender receives the ball from the other players have to keep 9th UEFA Elite Youth Football
the goalkeeper and has a maximum moving. Conference (Cannes)

15
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