Argentina U20 tactically the strongest at the World Youth Championship 2005

“The art of disciplined play”

The World Youth Championship is, after the World Cup, the second largest tournament organized by the FIFA. Since 1977 it has played host to the world’s biggest talents, who compete every 2 years for the title of the world’s best U20 team. This tournament is, with 24 teams, even bigger than the European championship. After 3 weeks of great competition the two best teams, namely Argentina and Nigeria, competed for the much sought after title on July 2. In spite of the Nigerian dominance on the field, Argentina walked away with the cup. The same scenario took place against Colombia, Spain and Brazil in earlier games. What makes the Argentinean youth players so ripe that they were able to win four of the last six U20 tournaments?

Manuel Pellegrini has already explained the difference between the European ways of playing as opposed to the Argentinean way of playing. However, at the2005 World Youth Championship it became apparent that the differences between the individual South American teams are equally as big. This does not even relate to the way of playing, but rather the attitude with which they walk onto the field. The Argentineans play patiently, intelligently and are deadly when it counts. For the true soccer lover the Argentinean style may be hard to like. For the most part their game play consists of waiting, defensive play and it is deadly boring. But suddenly there is that moment of refined technique and explosiveness, which may lead to the creation of a chance. The spectators did not appreciate it, but for the more result-oriented coaches there is however much that can be learned from this team.

Meeting the team
After the departure of Hugo Tocalli, who joined Jose Pekerman as assistant coach for the Argentinean senior team, Francisco Ferraro was appointed as head coach for the U20 team. “I am happy with the way in which I was able to take over from Tocalli. I joined him and the players for the South American qualification tournament in Colombia, so that I could get used to the group processes and meet the players. I spent a lot of team with the players and was able to talk with all of them. You learn much more about the players when you are on the road with them, as opposed to following them through the media.”

Start
The start of the World Youth Championship was laborious for the Argentineans, losing their first game against the US. Critics blamed Ferraro for the loss as he kept star player Messi on the bench during the first half. “We didn't play well in the first half, and that's when the Americans earned their win. We got better in the second half, but even then we were below the level my team is capable of.” Ferraro, however kept his cool and it showed in his every move. The pressure should never subdue a coach, but should rather motivate him. “I definitely felt the pressure, because Argentina has won the tournament multiple times in recent years. However this inspired me to work harder and did not keep me awake at night. Part of playing soccer with an Argentinean team is the obligation to win, even at friendly games.”

Tournament team
Countries such as Argentina, Germany, Italy and Brazil are all capable of growing into a tournament and play better with every game. If you, as a coach, want the players to remain calm on the pitch, you will also have to remain calm on the sidelines. The difficult start Argentina faced at the beginning of the tournament can be explained by the preparation phase, as it was brief and many players just finished a long and heavy season playing in top level divisions. “In the ideal case, I would have had 40 days to work with the team in order to perfect the details, but in reality this turned out to be far from true. Much of today’s young stars play in the highest divisions and even play in the Copa Libertadores. It is difficult to call on them whenever you need them. I try to respect the wishes of the club coaches as much as possible and try to base our program on theirs. This did however mean that the group that qualified for the tournament is very different from the team, which played the actual tournament. Many players only became available right before the start of the tournament.”

Defense
Whenever there is little time to train it is important to have a solid defensive organization. Creating a defensive system can be done relatively quickly by means of tactical practices. The Argentineans played a 4-4-2 with a diamond in midfield. Defensively they played with four players in a zone. The most important player was Juan Manuel Torres, who played as a defensive midfielder. He was in charge of covering the channels to the opponents’ strikers and was able to intercept a lot of passes in midfield. This link between defense and offense tries to maintain the balance at all times. It does ask for a lot of tactical discipline, because a player will naturally be inclined to step out towards the player with the ball or an uncovered player. The fact is, however, that the important part is to cover the way to your own goal and the opponent’s defenders and midfielders who are playing the ball around offer very little threat.

Midfield
The Argentinean midfielders all played relatively central, which creates small spaces defensively. The outside midfielders are not deep players, but rather the ones who coordinate the play from the center. The spaces on the sides are occupied by two fast wingers. They frequently tried to retain possession on the sides and then dribble towards the opponents goal. Defensively they had very little function. Whenever they were positioned in a way to decrease the size of the field they did not have to chase the ball. A second option to exploit the sides was the use of the wingbacks. A method of playing, that is common in Argentinean soccer.

Zone
The controlling midfielder has to ensure that the central defender rarely has to step out of the center. When a back is out of position the team has to be able to play with 3 men in the zone. In this situation the field will be made smaller and the defenders and midfielder will shift inwards. Against teams with 3 strikers this could create some problems, as the Argentineans will then be playing 1 against 1. In this situation the most important thing is shifting and leaving the far side free. The most important aim is to obstruct the way to goal.

Set plays
During all set plays everybody immediately seeks the right positions. When the opponent starts their build up the team must play disciplined and compact. None of the players will start chasing the ball and wasting energy in their own half. The team will for example anticipate the opponents goal kick by positioning themselves on their own half . By doing this the ball can never be passed over them, which eliminates the immediate danger. By playing with so many people in the small space the chance of winning the ball is the greatest. Despite the relatively small height of the players at the back (the tallest player is 1.82 m) the team can attain ball possession, even at a lost head duel. If the opponent decides to start the build up from the back, the team will not opt to shift up. An intentional choice given the speed of the Argentinean attackers. The same situation applies at a throw in, where all players position themselves on less than a quarter of the field.

Spirit
After Argentina eventually passed the first round, they encountered the South American champions Colombia. In the quarterfinals their opponent was Spain. Colombia and Spain were two teams who both gained respect with their attacking, disciplined way of playing. Spain was for many the team to beat during the tournament. Ferraro's team however rarely encountered any problems in either of those games. In the game against Spain Ferraro commented: "it was a tough game, and one in which we were outplayed at times, especially in the second half. But that was when we called on our tireless running and fighting spirit. We were able to keep our shape. I have to congratulate my players for the way they finished off the game." When you have little ball possession it becomes an art to continue to play disciplined, without losing control of the game. This young team was able to keep the control, even when the opponent had possession.

Age
Working with a youth team is different from working with a senior team. “The big difference is in the age. In a professional team you have players ranging from 18 to 34. In a youth team you are dealing with just teenagers, which mean you are constantly trying to develop them as players as well as people. My coaching style is geared towards improving the players, regardless of their age. However, I do work a little differently with a youth team. I try to spend as much time as possible with my players, talking with them about the game and trying to uncover their strengths and weaknesses. A lot of these players have no preconceptions and are very sensitive to guidance. I hope they can apply what they have learned, so they can continue their development.”

Luck?
The way in which Argentina finished off the tournament was worthy of winning the title. The game against Colombia was decided by a goal scored just seconds before the final whistle. Against Spain the counter attack proved lethal and against Brazil in the semi-final the decision fell in additional time. Top talent Messi was the one who ensured victory twice in these final minutes. Messi also proved lethal against Nigeria in the final, where he scored twice from the penalty spot to beat Nigeria 2-1. “It was a tough game and really hard work with a lot of emphasis on strategy. We gave up a lot of possession to Brazil but only in their half. Once they came at us, we pressed them hard and hit them on the break.” When you win so many games this way you cannot speak of luck anymore, but rather of strategy. The patience and tranquility of this team caused for aversive reactions from the Dutch spectators, however the strategy proved lethal.

Practice
This tranquility and discipline has to be the result of good preparation. The conversations with the players and the practices before and during the tournament have made Argentina into a well balanced team. The only players who had a free role were the two strikers who fluctuated between frequent loss of possession and ingenious moments with their frequent actions and dribbling. The team practiced a lot of game situations. By practicing with resistance you can simulate the pressure experienced in a game. Whenever a team is 1-0 up during a practice, you can tell them to defend this score for five minutes. The other team will have to play all or nothing. This way you can spend some time on tactics, while at the same time allow the players to get used to the mental pressure experienced in a real game.

Final
The last 15 minutes of the final was a great portrayal of what this Argentinean team is all about. Argentina was up 2-1 regardless of Nigeria’s optical preponderance. The last 15 minutes everybody was expecting a final of all-out attack from the Nigerians, however they were not able to deliver. Argentina fell back and made sure Nigeria could not pose a threat. Even more importantly whenever they retained possession they calmly passed the ball around so that they could not be pressure by their opponent. Most other teams would panic in a situation like this, but Argentina remained calm.

Success
“We're thrilled to have won this title. Our success was down to the collective effort, sacrifice and discipline that the team showed. This helped us to overcome the difficult obstacles that were put in our path. Argentine footballers always have that little bit extra they can call on in difficult moments. This selflessness, organization and strong mentality allowed our football to come through in the end. The players put all these traits into practice and that helped us win what was a very tough tournament.”

Individual defense
The 1 against 1 duel is the basis for a good zone defense. A team can be organized extremely well, but when the individual players constantly lose their 1 against 1 duel they will be frequently confronted with a outnumbered situations. A player does not only have to make the right tactical decision, but also implement them.

The following criteria apply when an opponent approaches you with a dribble:
• Position yourself between your own goal and the opponent.
• Try to slow the opponent down and force him into a certain direction.
• Turn your body inwards towards the right direction, ensuring the opponent is forced into the preferred direction.
• The defender will have to move on his toes and his knees must be bent.

The following criteria apply when the opponent is facing you:
• Only try to get in front of him when you are sure you have the ball.
• Don’t get too close to the opponent before he received the ball (he will be able to use you as a turn circle).
• Close covers after he received the ball and don’t allow him to turn.

The following criteria apply when you are outnumbered:
• Bend your knees, so you can react quickly.
• Try to position yourself so you are covering one player and are able to keep your eye on another player.
• Try to slow the game down, so that your teammates have time to take their positions.

Roy Hall, Academy Manager Everton Football Club

"Our U11s coach wants to be the best U11s coach in the World"

"The Everton way of developing players is a unique approach for the development of elite young players. We believe it is unique because in our part of the world we have a certain type of young player. Furthermore, our approach is developed especially for elite players, it is not for grassroots players, and it is for boys who have the potential to become top players.”

“Our approach is based around the four P’s. The first P’s is People.This is the most important one, because young players need to like the people they work with, otherwise they won’t learn. And you can see from the staff we have here, in this tournament that our young players trust the players they are working with. They trust them to look after them, they trust them to educate and develop them into top players.”

Place
“The next important P is the Place. We need to create a safe, learning environment for our young players where they can develop. I believe the place isn’t just about buildings, it is about a philosophy. I think the place should be like a greenhouse, where plants can grow and flourish in an environment that helps them grow and flourish. That is the same for the development of young players. If the environment helps the development they will get better and better. Additionally, we have a code of discipline that the boys have to follow. They know that they need to meet certain standards to progress.”

Habits
“Yes, we won the tournament, that is a bonus, an absolute bonus, because we didn’t think we would, but people around our hotel are making comments about how well behaved, how disciplined the boys are. And that means as much to me as the cup, the trophy. Because in 5 to 10 years’ time the people will forget about this trophy. But if these boys have learned the correct habits, they might be first team players.”

Program
“The third is the Program. We have some outstanding young players and they need to follow a program that is suitable for their age and for their development. So at 6 years of age for example, it is all about fun. At 18, it is more about the competitive nature of the game.”

Pathway
“And the fourth is the Pathway. The boys need to know – when they join our football club – that there is a pathway to the first team. They know what standards they need to reach at each age group in order to progress to the next stage. And that is a pathway. In our football club there is one club policy. From the first team manager downwards, we understand what the demands are for players in the first team. So anybody that joins our football club knows, and his parents know that if the player reaches the standard, he will be given the opportunity, because our pathway allows that.”

Developing
“This means our head coach has to be picked very carefully too. But that is the Everton Way. That is something we are proud of. That is something that has evolved over many years and it seems to work because we seem to be developing players every year. Our first team manager would obviously like to have even more players, but we aim to get a minimum of one player into first team a year. Since our academy began we have succeeded in 7 out of 9 years, and in some years we even had 2 or 3.”

Value
“We develop players for the first team, but we have also sold many players. This has netted us more that 50 million pounds in 9 years. One of the things we have to do as an academy is to give value to the club. And I think with those 50 million pounds in 9 years we can see we have give value to the club with our youth program.”

Trust
“How does a coach gets the trust of a young player? I think it is a combination of everything, the environment that is created, the manner of which the coaches speak to the players. The way they educate and develop the players, everything. Just look at this tournament. Yes, we have won it, but we didn’t set out in the beginning of the week that we had to win the tournament.We wanted to get to know the players better, we wanted them to play good football and we wanted to give them an experience that they might need in the future when they are first team players. I think we got better as the tournament progressed and with the help of the coaches we actually won it. Now, these youngsters would do anything for the coaches. The parents are happy too, they trust us, because when all is said and done, we are borrowing their children for a short period of time. It might be one year, it might be 15 years, but we are borrowing their children.”

Understanding
“When I said that the people were important, you need to realize that the most important people are the players. We will never lose sight of that. Those boys who are in front of us now, are the most important part of the whole scheme and don’t underestimate the importance of the parents too because we have to educate and build up an understanding with them so that they understand what we are trying to do for their children. So, if we substitute their son, that they understand why he is substituted. It might be done because the boy is small or it might be because he is tired and needs to rest. We understand that as educators and developers.”

Staff
“And the third and most important part of the People are the staff. We will have coaches and staff that are working with age groups that they are best suited for working with. So we have Ian working with the young players. He wants to be the best in the world with working with those young players. He has no ambition to take over our first team and we don’t expect our first team manager to be working with the U6’s. You have to understand the age group you are working with, you need to have an understanding of the way those young players develop. It is different as adults and it never goes in straight lines. There are ups and there are downs. The reason for that can be many things; maybe a player in this tournament does not play well because he misses his family. So if they are playing and they have a poor 5 or 10 minutes and they feel upset, you need to know when to be kind to them and you need to know when to be firm with them.”

Ambition
“It is not hard to find coaches who want to be the best in coaching U11s. Because what happened with our academy, is that we have given status to the coaches of the junior teams. So you are finding coaches which are working with the younger age groups and they want to get better at that. They are ambitious, but they are ambitious to become the best in the world at the level they are at. Not all coaches have played for Everton or at a high level, but they are ideally suited for the age group they work with. Everybody understands that all coaches are only as good as the players they get. There is no area in the academy that is more important that the other.”

Learning
“What they should learn? That is subjective, we don’t have technical tests. We do have physical tests, we know what kind of scores the boys should have on speed tests, on endurance tests, we know what we expect in their life style. Also, we do a lot of work on mental training. As far as I know we are the only academy in England who has a full time sports psychologist working with our young players, because in many occasions it is between your ears that make you the player you are, not what is in your feet.”

Lifestyle
“We work very hard on improving the players’ life styles. Everton FC comes from an industrial area: Liverpool. Many or our boys come from backgrounds that are not the most affluent and I don’t mean that disrespectfully. So they have to know that when they leave our training centre that they live their life in the way we would hope to live their lives. I believe that is the most difficult, because that is a change of culture, because while they are with us, we can direct their development. When they are not with us, we have to hope that their own environment assists their development and that is important when I said we need to have a strong relationship with the parents so they understand the need to feed the boys properly, that the boys needs to get the correct rest, the right exercise and so on. So it is a whole kind of family of things that go into the mixture.”

Mental training
“It is difficult for me to say what our sports psychologists are doing, but she works on things like goal setting. A simple example: if we have an 11-year-old boy and his goal is to play in the first team, he may never do that. But if his goal is to remain in the U11s squad and to play in the U12s and his next goal is to improve his quality of short passing and if his next goal is to make sure he only eats the right food, he sets short term goals and objectives. These goals the boys can achieve and take them to the next age and before you know it, you have an 18, 19 year old boy who is in the first team and when you are my age that really goes in 5 minutes, that seems to go in no time at all.I remember Wayne Rooney joining our football club when he was 8 years of age. Now he is 21 and it seems like yesterday. But the mental side is so important, but I am not the expert. As the academy manager I don’t have to know everything, I expect the people I employ to know.”

Time
“What I would like to achieve? I would like our players to become more technical and to accomplish that; I would like to increase the time we can spend with our boys. Currently our boys go to state schools and then come to us in the evening. I think that soon we will have access to the boys during the day, because I don’t believe it is rocket science that the longer time you have with the boys, the better they become.”

Philosophy
“The club philosophy evolves and everybody thinks along the same lines, from the board of directors to the first team manager. Our role is to provide players to our first team and that is not easy, because the Premier League is arguably the best league in the world and the standard is becoming higher and higher each year. In the last 9 years we’ve had 19 players make debuts in the first team and in the current first team squad of 16 players we have four. So it saves a lot of money and also the spectators enjoy seeing the local players coming through because every player has his tale. For example, we have the youngest goal scorer in the Premier League now, James Burn. He is not 18 and the supporters say that they remember him when he was 12. Everybody has a story to tell and that is nice, because you don’t have those stories when they come from other parts of the world. But what it does also is that the young players who are here see them as role models, that they have achieved their dream. So it gives them the desire, the enthusiasm, to achieve that dream also.”

Adenor Bachi, Tite: 2006 SE Palmeiras Coach

Carlos Alberto Parreira used the 4-4-2 with Brazil at the 2006 World Cup, however, the team was eliminated and this tactical system lost popularity back in Brazil After the World Cup, the new trend for Brazilian teams was a 3-6-1 formation, with constant movement and diagonal penetration.

The first coach to use this system in Brazil was Tite, who was hired in order to attempt to save Palmeiras from relegation. The new 3:6:1 formation, inspired by the French team‘s World Cup play, is much more solid defensively, correcting a weak point in Palmeiras‘ string of losses prior to Tite’s arrival. Tite implemented the new formation in order to strengthen the team’s formation, providing more offensive and defensive consistency. After 20 games the team realized 48.3 % of possible attainable points. Tite, however, quit the job after a public disagreement with the Soccer Director.

The use of a 3-6-1 system in Brazil
The team progressed significantly after the coach’s arrival and improved its performance in the 2006 Brazilian Championship.Created through the combination of players’ characteristics, the 3-6-1 used by Tite places the main accents on the diagonal movements of outside midfielders and the overlapping of central midfielders. “The system does not depend on how many forwards you have, but on how many players you can include in the attack and also at the speed at which your team can make this transition.” Even with only one forward in the starting lineup, Tite organized his system in order to create the illusion of up to seven players occupying the offensive field. “We train with triangulations on both sides of the field. When we start an offensive move from a wing, the midfielders on the other side have to be able to run into the open space towards the box. With this move, we have at least six players attacking, which increases our offensive power.”

Variations
During the 2006 Brazilian season, this system was used by at least half of the participating clubs. The only common characteristic employed by all the teams was the number of players in each field zone. The Brazilian 3-6-1 has a lot of variations. For example, it can include the presence of one defensive midfielder acting as a defender or of three holding midfielders protecting the defense. “This depends on which variation the team adapts to best. We train this formation during our sessions and apply this system because we had a positive performance. But, for instance, I cannot accept the idea of a 3-6-1 with three genuine defensive midfielders. In my way of thinking, this would create an excessive defensive formation within the team, with limited option to start offensive plays.”

Interpretation
Tite’s interpretation of the 3-6-1 formation only has one holding midfielder in front of the defenders. In addition, one midfielder is responsible for starting the plays on the sides with the outside midfielders and to give the ball to the two offensive midfielders. The forward does not have the role of an authentic striker, so he moves around the wings instead of being stuck in the box.Tite’s explanation is due to the fact that most of his midfielders and forwards move a lot. “Our offensive players are fast, with constant positional changes. This is the essential idea, but we are able to make changes. If the opponent has less offensive power, we can release one midfielder of his defensive role and make him play closer to the forward or even be an attacking winger.”

“In order for this formation to work, you need to have players with great speed and quick reaction.”

Training

In order to be able to organize the team with numerous tactical variations, Tite highlighted the importance of successive repetition at training sessions. “We worked firmly on simulations of game movements with and without opponents in order to be prepared for every possible situation.” Unlike other Brazilian clubs, Palmeiras did not have scrimmage games in its training sessions. The team’s activities were divided in physical preparation, tactics and recreation. Tite’s justification for this condition is his planning and the cohesion of his work. “I try to have an honest conversation with each player and establish a routine that explains each of the exercises applied in the training session. Everyone understands the concept of our work, and this is important. My players already know during the week what I am going to talk about before the weekend game.”

Sessions

During the sessions, the most practiced exercises are the options for initiating plays on the sides. Tite set up practices focusing on the defensive balance and the possible movements that the team has for each type of marking. “We practice passes between our defenders from one side to the other side. On each side, we train everything that might happen in a game and it changes according to players’ styles. On the right, our outside midfielder, Paulo Baier, is more of a playmaker than a quick player, so we train short passes and penetration at speed of our inside midfielder, Wendel, who is a faster player. On the left side, Michael works as a winger and prefers to play on the side of the field and reach the end line. In this situation, there is less space for the midfielders to go to the left wing, so it increases plays with the forward.”

Build up

The systematization of building up from the back is trained with and without opponents. When there is no opponent, the players with possession have more freedom to pass the ball. With the presence of an opponent, the team also trains its reserves and the possible pressure made by the other team.

Formation related to culture

With his new formation employed at Palmeiras, Tite initiated what became a tendency by other clubs: the use of 3-6-1. He explained this situation stating that the culture of Brazilian players makes them feel more comfortable using the system. “In Europe, many teams play with a line of 4 authentic defenders, while in Brazil we usually play with 2 outside defenders who predominantly have offensive roles within the 4 man defensive line. “We don’t typically cover diagonally with the fullbacks, and if we do it, almost everyone will say that the team is not well positioned and the cover is askew. Our culture allows for longer fields and the use of sidelines. It’s a different mentality and the way you set up the defense changes.” In Brazil, cover is often provided by the defensive midfielders, while the outside backs are in charge of protecting the sides and supporting the attack.

Alternatives

As an example of alternatives he could have used with Palmeiras, Tite mentioned two Italians clubs. “Juventus always play with two lines of four players and two forwards. AC Milan also does that, and sometimes uses defenders who are not so attacking-minded on the wide positions.” The only Brazilian club which experimented with this line-up this season was Sao Paulo. Tite, however, believes that Sao Paulo’s formation would not apply to other Brazilian teams. “In order for this formation to work, you need to have players with great speed and quick reaction. Also, you cannot arrange your defense like that if your defenders do not know how to mark well.” The situation in Palmeiras was completely different. “Our focus is not to have defenders with an excessively rigid role, but rather incorporate them in the attack. We train it exhaustively, with penetration from the central defenders and overlapping of the outside midfielders.”

Erik Gerets, coach VfL Wolfsburg

“You have to let the ball do the running, not the players”

“It is not important which system you play, but rather how you play within that system. You need to circulate the ball well and not shoot too quickly at goal. I come from a Dutch soccer background/ education and I try to explain this to my players as well. It is important that the ball is always moving and that the players can get away from their opponents. Its a constant game of coming and going. Always looking for the best areas to play 1 against 1, offensively as well as defensively. Players have to show good vision and insight, just moving around is not enough, you have to be clever and use the spaces provided.”

Way of playing
“You have to analyze your players’ qualities and develop a plan based on that analyzes. I prefer the 4-4-2 system with a diamond and the 4-2-3-1 system. It is important to play along the wings and that the number 9 receives the ball well in the center and that he distributes/guides the play. It is also important for the other players to join the attack in order to create scoring opportunities. During the opponents possession you must aim to create a competitive advantage by playing 2v1 close to the ball. We also opt for fast counter attacks, for example by means of long passes up field. But no kick-and-rush, only good, intelligent long passes up field. I like playing with 4 men on a line in defense, as I believe a 3-men defense is too dangerous when the opponent uses the wings and a 4-man line defense is more creative during build up.”

Wings or deep?
“The choice on whether to use the wings or play deep depends on the situation, but I don’t mind playing wide in order to lure the opponent forward. This provides you with the space to create scoring opportunities with quick ball circulation. You have to dribble at high pace and be able to pass the ball well. A long diagonal pass is also a good tactical solution, but I also live by the rule: ‘depth before width’, because the goal is located in the center. Whenever a good deep pass is played and number 9,7 or 11 can move effectively towards the ball, a good scoring opportunity will result from it. With all passing combinations it is important for the players to continuously move and choose a new position after their pass. You always have to make sure the player who has possession will have enough passing options. This is why we use a lot of passing combinations in our practices, also without resistance, in order to automate passing and running lanes.

Assistant and goalkeeping coaches
“My assistant coach is Reinhard Stumpf (played at 1.FC Kaiserslautern and FC Köln) and my goalkeeping coach is Jörg Hoßbach (played at Hamburger SV and VfL Wolfsburg). I worked with Reinhard at Kaiserslautern. He is my right-hand and is in charge of the physical aspect of the training, such as the warmup and coordination exercises. He is also the expert for speed and cardio/conditioning training. Jörg is in charge of the goalkeepers and therefore all goalkeepers’ related aspects. He also trains the U23, U19 and U17 goalkeepers. He works a lot on technical skill development, but also on speed and strength skills. For the psyche of the goalkeepers it is important that Jörg joins us in the dugout during games. I am responsible for all tactical aspects. We do a lot of positional games. I coach a lot on the tactical aspects of the game and evaluate the execution of passing and dribbling. Of course I am also responsible for the strategies during the game. We have good communication within the team, which is important for success.”

Communication
“Communication is a magical word in soccer. The players need to learn how to communicate, which is not only important for their psyche, but also for various game situations. Everybody has to help each other. As a defender you need to let the attacker in front of you know where you are and whether he can pressure the ball. This way the attacker knows he is getting back cover. The defenders and goalkeeper will recognize the situation and will know when the player in front of them will pressure the ball.”

Training
“We train a lot on positional games and frequently repeat the exercises. I believe this to be important, because players need to develop automatically. You have to convey automatisms to your players, which they can also apply in the game. However, I also don’t want practices to become boring, fun is a must also at the professional level. You therefore have to try and find variations in the exercises and use these as well. I have to coach the team as a whole, but also engage in a lot of one-on-one conversations with the players, because tactical aspects are often better understood in face-to-face conversations.”

Germany and Holland
“Every country has its own way of playing and soccer in Germany is therefore different from soccer in Holland. The Dutch players play a lot from their positions. They will walk 30 meters to the left or right, but always end up back in their positions. This is narrowly intertwined with tactical disciplines. They also have great vision in the game. In Germany the focus is more on strength and cardio. German players are more likely to leave their positions and not as likely to return to them afterwards. They also use the long pass more frequently and they are usually good headers of the ball. In Germany a lot ofattention is put into game continuations, such as corners, free kicks, etc. In the Bundesliga a lot of games are decided on game continuations. I also think the German determination is a positive factor.”

Youth program
“I am very interested in educating the youth and find youth development very important, which is also a Belgian and Dutch tradition. I watch all U17, U19 and U23 games and try to communicate with and give my opinion to the youth coach responsible. I don’t interfere with their job, as they are well educated and responsible for their own team. I don’t have much time to watch the practices, but would like to as I find it very interesting. The youth coaches also attend my practices and games, which I am happy about. It creates a cooperation and communication between the coaches. We do not have one set system of play throughout our teams, everyone has their own system of play, which is good for the players as they will learn how to function in various systems. However, I do believe it is important that all teams play with a 4-men line defense. My wish is to play in a 4-4-2 with a diamond, but you do need 2 good strikers for this. Whenever you have a good number 10 (play maker), the 4-4-2 is a great system of play. I think you can start with tactical practices at the age of 12, as this will develop the kids’ game intelligence at an early age. It is important for a coach to pay attention to this by using a lot of positional and small-sided games. Always keeping in mind that fun is the most important thing, also in tactical practices.”

Build up
“The optimal build up starts with the creation of as many triangles as possible on the field. The player who has possession always needs at least two passing options. The players need to learn how to work together. When the ball is played along the wings, positions 2 and 8 and 3 and 7 must work together. It is also important that there is always back cover during build up and good ball circulation. You have to let the ball do the running, not the players. A long pass to player 9 is a good option as well, that is if you have a good number 9 who can receive the ball and hold it or take it with him.”

PSV and VfL Wolfsburg
“PSV and VfL are both industrial teams (Philips and Volkswagen). The big difference is that PSV has a strong and fantastic tradition. VfL Wolfsburg is developing little by little every day (the fans, youth and media). Both clubs are alike in terms of structure. Both Philips and Volkswagen want success and whenever a problem arises it will be solved within 2 minutes. I really like this professional attitude. There are a lot of possibilities at both clubs.”

4-men line defense
“I am a big fan of the 4-men line defense as you always have to look at the game in a ball oriented way. It also allows the defense to play with a certain level of tranquility. You have to wait for the opponent to make a mistake. You can also double team the opponent, but only when you create a good pressure situation. The key is playing with good back cover and the defenders must never forget that they can play the offside trap.”

Defending
“The goalkeeper also has to participate, always having contact with the defenders and always expecting the ball. After winning the ball they must transition fast and think offensively. Because the opponent will have to be organized yet the ball must quickly be passed deep or along the wings. Fast counterattacks are crucial. The focus during ball oriented defending is playing compact. The center has to be covered. The midfielders and strikers must work closely together and the two central defenders and the controlling midfielder must form a compact block. Good back coverage is essential and the players must coach each other in this. They need to recognize the situations and anticipate well. The central midfielders may not allow a pass to the opponents striker. Numbers 6 and 10 are responsible for this, they always have to be blocking the passing lane to the striker. The players have to be disciplined in their position, but also be flexible at times. They have to move forward (pressure), backwards (back cover) and sideways (help) at the right moments during defense.”

Force
“You always have to force your opponent to the sides, except for when you can force them into a situation whereby you create a 2v1, in this case you can force your opponent to the inside towards your second defender. Sometimes you can even create a 3v1 situation. In these situations it is important that you force your opponent to the inside, so you can win the ball and don’t play it across the sideline with a tackle. In the 1v1 situations I always want my players to force opponent to the sides, because the opponent can shoot at goal or threaten our defense from the center.”

Youth
“It is important to bring every exercise you do with youth team (players) in game like settings. You must try to find exercises whereby you have a lot of ball touches. It is important to use small exercises in other to increase the repetitions, but also in order to learn the group and individual tactical drills. We used to play street soccer when we were growing up, which provided us with a lot of repetitions and created automatisms. Using small exercises will provide the players with similar repetitions and automatisms. It is also good for the coach as you can recognize the positive and negative things. You must not always discuss the negative aspects with youth, but also talk about the things, which are going well. The coach and players always have to communicate and the coach needs to ask questions. Do you understand what you did wrong? How can we do this better next time? The players need to coach each other as well, as small mistakes are often punished in small exercises. The players need to really use the width and depth of the field and need to be able to anticipate. Experience is very important here and the coach has that experience and therefore needs to convey this onto the players.”

Leo Beenhakker, Polish national team coach

“You cannot make it without good people in management anymore”

Leo Beenhakker has an impressive CV. He started as a coach in 1965 at SV Epe and later coached clubs such as Ajax, Real Zaragoza, Real Madrid and Feyenoord. He was also the Dutch national team coach and during the last World Cup he brought Trinidad and Tobago to a new level. Now he is doing the same in Poland. He has been successful as a coach for 42 years.
What is his secret? His message to other coaches is clear: you cannot make it without good people in management anymore.

“Throughout the years soccer has obviously changed, especially at the top. When I began, you only coached and did not have to worry about the other things. Nowadays you are much more a manager and that is the big difference. Furthermore, in spite of the fact that soccer is still just a game, the consequences of winning and losing have becomes much bigger.There is a huge amount of money in soccer and you have a whole host of people involved with the club, who all have their interests, particularly the sponsors. They all have interests based on the performance on the field.

Media
“I do not need to point out that the media has also gained more interest in soccer. Back in my early days you had a couple of specialists who reported the sport for their newspaper, then a radio channel was added, later a camera for the television and just look at it now. Everything and everyone is concerned with soccer, whether you are the Cosmopolitan or People magazine, you must do something with soccer, a soccer-player or a coach, because soccer is high profile. Those are all influences which you as the technical leader of a team must manage. And I can tell you, it is not easy.”

Generations
“Soccer itself has changed as well. It is not measurable, but it is clearly visible. You cannot say like with speed skating: `It has become ten times faster than in the past’. But those who understand the game can see that it has changed. The players have also changed. As a coach you must be very alert, because when you are five years older, then the players are five years younger. Therefore you must be very alert to the new generation.
How do they think, how do they feel? That does not mean that you should always agree and go along with them, but you must realize that with every generation the society and culture changes.That is logical. The current generation thinks and lives very differently than the generation of 10 or 15 years ago. And if you add the fact that you have to deal with players from several different cultures to this, you have your hands full.”

Management
In the United Kingdom they recognized this very quickly. As a coach you have to deal with two forms, now more than ever: the pure soccer management and the people management. In that week at Feyenoord I also noticed the importance of this. It is an enormous task to keep everyone together. Of course they don’t all have to be the same. I think every player must keep his own individuality and his own character. He should not make any concessions, he comes from his own culture and we must preserve all our cultures. If a player goes abroad, I always say: be yourself. In your social life, your family life, in your religious life, etc. but there is one important thing, are you able from your own culture, make the step to the soccer culture? That soccer culture, at least if you want to be successful, is everywhere the same. That is simple. A Japanese club must, to be successful, play the same principles and ideas as a Polish club. There is one way to have success, but it is perhaps made up of 100,000 small things all put together. That starts with simple things like being on time. That soccer culture is for the time you are at the club and the rest is for at home.”

Hiddink
“This is how Guus Hiddink did it with South-Korea. He had the advantage that he had a year and a half to work with those guys, but in that culture it is very normal that young people are subservient to the elderly. They don’t talk back and do what they are told, without bringing their personal thoughts and beliefs into it. But this can’t happen in soccer. Young players also have to get involved in the complete coaching process. That was a huge breakthrough for those people. They saw a 20 year old who was able to carry the team. This can be accredited to Guus Hiddink. He was able to fit the national team into that soccer culture.”

Conditions
“As a coach you must ensure all these conditions are in place, before you can start thinking about soccer. It starts with finding good staff. Staff, whether it is medical staff, technical staff, the material man or the press chief, must all be on the same line. How can we prepare those players in the best possible manner for that game? Because that’s what it is all about! There sometimes may be another approach for a Brazilian then for a Dutchman or an African. Everyone experiences it in a different way. Because that is not simple, it is important to have staff who has sufficient knowhow and who all speak the same football language. And here too it is your task as a coach to manage the staff.”

Local
“Within the staff I think it is important to also work with local people.They can help you with the way of thinking and the mental aspect of the players. This way they can provide me with a lot of valuable information. But they must be able to work at the same level and from the same perspective as me. I always want someone on my staff who comes from the Dutch culture. Someone who speaks the same soccer language. It is impossible for me to develop 20 boys in a short time. When you, for example, work with Wim Rijsbergen in Trinidad, then it does not matter whether Rijsbergen or I talk with that player. For the players it is also clear, whether they are talking to Rijsbergen or me, they will hear the same ideas.”

Fantastic
“But you’ll have to be on top of it. Formerly it was friends amongst each other, playing cards and drinking a beer after the game, but nowadays the situation is different. The players also experience it differently now. This doesn’t mean it is better or worse, its just different and whether you are working in Trinidad or Poland, it is also different. But eventually you must ensure that you get them at the same level in your soccer vision. Eventually there is just one objective, but the basis is always different. This is why I like about working abroad. Every time it’s a hell of a job, but it is fantastic to see this developing. Absolutely fantastic!”

Watch
“How do you get them there? You open your eyes and need people skills. Watching and observing. This is why good staff is so important. Then you can regularly distance yourself and circle around like a helicopter to observe from a distance. That’s what I frequently do in the beginning.I let them train in certain exercises, purely to train and I don’t intervene too much. I watch, listen, observe. From there you are able to gain a lot of information on the personalities and the individuality of the players and you will gain insight in their qualities.”

Healthy
“Thinking about the main point: ‘how do I get that player in optimal shape for the game on Sunday. It is not only a question of standing open or passing well or making the correct choices. In the first place he must be positioned well in the game based on his talent and qualities. Then I say: ‘that player is in order, he is healthy’. Healthy in the sense of functioning within the team, being ambitious and pursuing objectives. From there you will start fine-tuning.
Things like, when he does that, you do that. This will eventually take you to football management matters. It is now a minimum of 50% people management and 50%s soccer management. Those two things cannot be detached. A good example of this is Feyenoord. The problem there was not a soccer problem. There are probably 1 or 2 teams in the Netherlands who have more quality with regard to organization but that is not the problem.That can be taken care of with a different playing style, or another organization. You can compensate a lot to make it work for you. Of course not everything, but a lot can be compensated. The problem at Feyenoord was people management, an area in which they totally failed.”

Problem
“You cannot solve that problem in a week, you do not have enough time. The Sunday before I started at Feyenoord we spent the whole afternoon with the technical staff, and we talked about all the players, we discussed everything. We then trained on Monday and then you start observing. On Tuesday you must start with game-oriented training because we had a game on Thursday. But that was not our emphasis. There were so many misunderstandings, antagonism and irritations, which is impossible to solve in such a short time. The only thing we could do is emphasize to those players that we should put all those problems aside for one week. They didn’t need to forget, just put it aside. When a new coach comes, he can start the new season and he’ll have enough time to tackle the problems in a structured manner, but for now, put it aside and don’t take it onto the field with you.”

Fighting
“The result was a team fighting for two play-off games, who due to certain factors still missed the boat. Whether these factors are a red card in the away game against FC Groningen or an individual mistake from a player, these things can happen and I don’t dwell on them. These type of things happens, a coach cannot do anything about that. And then you will see how vulnerably a coach is. In the game against Groningen the players were focused and worked for each other. You are winning 1-0, everything is going according to plan and how we agreed and then suddenly you are one man down. There you are, not only as a coach, but also as a team. The moment we scored to make it 1- 0 I told Metgod: We are going to win this game. Everything was going as planned and all of a sudden things change. The same thing can happen in life. We have so much arrogance in life and we frequently think that we have everything under control, but as soon as one guy presses a button and all the electricity is cut off for 24 hours, you realize you are not in control at all. That’s why there is no place for arrogance, just do it when you win, but also when you lose.”

Organization
“For years I have been seen as someone who always plays the same organization. I explicitly say organization, because a system of play is a completely different story. In the organization I play with two midfielders beside each other, numbers 9 and 10 play behind each other and never beside each other, four people at the back and then numbers 7 and 11 on the sides. You can then go in any direction. You can play with a 4-5-1, it depends on your choice. At the beginning I like to choose a clear organization and say ‘this is how it is, this is how we will play’. The difference arises in how you are going to fill these positions. With Poland against Portugal I played with two defending midfielders who always played from behind the ball. Against Azerbeidzjan you don’t need two of these players, so I organize the team in the same way, but on one position you put a player who can attack and your number 10 can be a midfielder who comes on the ball, but also a striker who falls back. Then you suddenly have a completely different team.”

House
“You frequently watch you players, you try to pick up information on them in all kinds of ways and you watch them play in several positions. The moment I think I have enough knowledge about the players, I make a choice. But this is always from the organization. That organization is our house and this is the way we will play. Whatever happens, we play this way. I don’t like to adapt to the opponent. I don’t mind adapting, but exclusively in the choice and the qualities of my players. I don’t think it is good to play one time with three defenders and the next time with five. I do not believe in this.”

Negative
The moment I started at Poland, they had just had a dramatic World Cup and there was a terribly negative atmosphere both with the public and the press. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with it. As a result, the players weren’t very enthusiastic either. Then you must bring in a clear organization to the players and train from there and you will create a certain steadiness and a certain belief in the group. When you are then aided by one or two good results, the players will start to grow into their roles. Recently I chose to play with one defending and one running midfielder in a game. Then I sit down with the other defending midfielder. But he immediately said: ‘I understand it, you don’t need me today, right?’ He also saw the opponents on DVD and understood that he would start on the bench and that is a fantastic process. Exactly the same happened with my captain. Against Belgium we played this way, against Portugal this way and against Azerbeidzjan this way for that and that reason, they all get it all. Because they know that they will be needed again against another opponent the next game. This depends on qualities, but also whether you are in form or not. When I choose a certain player, I always explain my reasoning. You now see them thinking along and in order to accomplish that you need people management.”

Culture
“This is very striking for their culture. You frequently see very authoritarian, snarling coaches at the clubs. We are very different. I believe the players want to achieve the same as me. They want to play, play well and win. And if they do not want that, then they should play in a recreational team. That’s why I always say: if you do not want this, then please leave. Just leave me alone. I will not be angry with you, but just leave. But in Poland the coach is above the players. Never an objection, never some form of discussion, never. Also they never want to explain the reasoning for certain choices. I want that a player understands why we do something, for which I make choices. Before a game I need to cut four players out of the 22, that must take place in the stands. I therefore always start with those players, never with the starting line-up. Afterwards we go to the 7 players who sit on the bench, what is their role and in which positions can they be substituted, so that they can prepare themselves for this. Last I name the 11 starting players.”

“I do this to give everyone the feeling that they are important to the team. Because they are. You must treat them for this reason as valuable and involve them entirely. Take the training as an example. Players are not stupid, so when you start throwing bibs around they know what’s going on. The red team is the starting team that I have in mind. Then we will play 8 against 8 or 11 against 11. The B-team will be playing as if their lives depend on it and the A-team will regularly lose. That is fantastic, because that B-team will improve the A-team. I play in short periods of 6 or 8 minutes and then correct a bit here and there, possibly modify the teams, but it is great to see how the A-team improves. Eventually it will turn out that their quality is (frequently) better, as long as they put everything into it. That is then a learning moment because if they play against Azerbeidzjan, they frequently think completely differently than when they play against Portugal.”

Together
“Your role as a coach is of course different. Training a club is clearly a question of making a team better. As a result, you must automatically make the players better and/or make the players function better. But I believe that currently in football - and then I mean professional football – you must especially learn how to play together. That the player on the right knows what the player on the left does. This takes you to the Dutch soccer school. Trained in hundreds of thousands of exercises, but always related to the organization in which you play. I frequently choose positional games, but once again, always related to the organization. I therefore tell the player, you play on 6, you on 8 and you on 10. A number is a position. That usage of the numbers comes from my Ajax-past, but it gives so much clarity. When I tell someone: you play in this position, number 7. Do you know what 7 does? Then it is immediately clear. That is another advantage of a fixed organization, they also know what each other must do. They know that as a 6 you must remain behind the ball. If he does not do that, the players will make him come back themselves, I do not have to do that as a coach. Obviously the players play in a position which they also occupy in the game.”

Refinement
“You can of course refine this in every detail. That depends on your choices. Where do you defend, how do you defend? Do you defend to gain possession or to prevent the opponent from scoring? How important do you make ball possession? Is it your basis or do you opt for the ball forward, the long ball? This also depends on the qualities in your team. If you have good, running players up front, then you tend to play the ball behind the defense. If you do not have those running players, then you will opt for the build-up and may choose to build up down the flanks more often. It is simply a question of assessing and exploiting qualities.”

National
“At a national team it is another story. We are together for 10 days, the first two days are completely individual. They all bring their own baggage from the club. One player was lost another was sick, the other one won, the fourth was benched, the fifth was injured. Some players consider it as a trip to see their friends and family. Therefore each time the first two days are used to get the right mindset and mainstream the way of thinking. At this level, especially when you have little time, then you spend attention to the playing together part. That there is a balance, that the team functions as a team and that everyone knows what he must do, especially because they come from several soccer cultures. At Celtic they play differently than at Auxerre or Dortmund.”

Rational
“What I learned through the years is that I can now rationally examine a game. If you are a young coach, then the emotions can sometimes have the upper hand. Of course I sometimes react to the referee or the linesman, just to try something, but I can now rationally focus on the problem and what I can do help the team. That is now, whereas I also had a phase where I was led by my emotions and where I was too busy with myself and lost the overview. I learned this when I went abroad. Of course you keep your emotions as a coach, but you learn to rapidly switch to control these. The consequence was however that after a game I was completely exhausted. You have so many emotions and you can’t let them go, because you control them. From that moment on I learned to focus on where the problem is, where you can help, what is going well and what can be improved. This is pure experience you acquire throughout the years. Of course it also has to do with your character.”

Forty
“For me it is unbelievable that I had to teach a 28 year old midfielder, which foot to pass to when the striker comes for the ball with an opponent at his back. When I watch a game here in the Polish league, then I think that they suffer unnecessary loss of possession about 40 times per team per game, because they don’t pass the ball well (too slow) or that they pass the ball to the wrong foot. Just imagine when you take those 40 bad passes away (because that is trainable!) how much better they would play! When you see how frequently players get in trouble because they receive a ball wrongly, with their back to goal, so receiving defensively. Whereas they have plenty of space. Simple things like that, we teach 12 year olds in Holland.”

Ball possession
“Here in Poland I was confronted with the fact that they do not pay any attention to ball possession. The consequence of it is, that when they lose the ball, they all have to run back into defence. In the Netherlands we reason very differently: if we have the ball for 60 minutes, then we won’t have any problems during those 60 minutes. That’s why I always say: ‘don’t run back, stay there’, but that is also a question of trust and uncertainty. We will defend to recover the ball! Because when we have the ball, it is our game, we determine the pace, we decide whether to play the long pass or the short pass or if we go or not. But this is also a beautiful process, more so when you see that you play well and win. For us the breakthrough came against Portugal. We didn’t just win that game, but we have played extremely well. You cannot train against this result, because they have been persuaded that it works and then it goes fast.”

Bad
“Of course you can also play a bad game sometimes and that has also happened, but there is now a basis in which everyone knows what he must do, everyone knows what he wants and everyone also knows: if we do that, then we are good enough to participate. You must never wonder whether you are good enough. That is very difficult to say. The question is whether we are good enough to play at that level and have success. And now they know that they are able to beat the number 3 or 4 of the world. With Ronaldo, Deco, Nuno Gomez, Simao, they were all on board. When they beat those guys, you can imagine how they walk in next time around. Of course you must then make sure they return back to earth as a coach, but that is people management.”

Hat
“How I handle the fact that I become five years older and they get five years younger? I stand there in the middle and I follow it. There are a lot of things that I do not understand and I don’t need to understand. If I compare my youth with this youth, then it is ready. You grow with them, but you must keep your eyes open, not only with regard to age, but also with regard to culture. That was also one of the discussions at Feyenoord. Some guys came in wearing a hat. Same thing applies to clothing, music, the social forms, the interests. A couple of years ago we all of a sudden had mobile phones and now the iPod. I do not want to prohibit all of this. Their music choice is not my music choice, but that is logical. I cannot start playing an oldy by Frank Sinatra. Whereas I would much rather hear that but also with use of language, I want to stay up-to-date. I have always said: if I have the feeling that I have lost touch with a next generation, then I would stop immediately as you cannot function anymore. But the way it is now I can still laugh, play and talk seriously with them.”

Cool
“Sometimes they think I am a cool guy and sometimes I think they are extremely cool. But I see that some old top soccer players stayed in their own period. That is not good, you must continuously develop as a coach. You must stay on top of all those new developments, whether you like it or not is simply not important. You must know it and you must give it a place in your soccer work. This way I consider dining, for example, as a team activity.During diner you mobile phone is turned off and you are not sitting with it held to your ear. Diner for me is a team building thing, having fun together and talking.”

Concessions
“But once again, you go along, but without doing concessions to your own soccer culture. That remains intact whether your name is Beckham, Castelen or De Mul that has nothing to so with it. If you want to be successful, you will have to do that and that and leave that and that. Wherever you play and whoever you are, the big players understand that. That is why they are big players because you also have players who have problems with rules and who think that they are big, but they aren’t. They have another culture at home, which they take with them to the field and they do not want to adapt to soccer culture. Those players won’t be able to make that step. That is the reason that you see a lot of talented players fail.“

Milan Djuricic – FK Vojvodina Head coach

'The game is the poetry of Soccer'

“Milan Djuricic is known for his creativity and his extraordinary sense of scouting and educating talented youth players. Djuricic is one of the most respected coaches in Serbia, because of his willingness and ways of developing youth players for the first team. He teaches them to be professionals and guides them into their future career. As the leading man at FC Vojvodina his goal is to repeat the success he had with a young selection like he did last time he was in charge of the team. However, this time around his task is considerably harder since he took charge of team halfway through the season and he did not take part in the selection of the players. He has to work with the players he has and try to restore the club’s standing in the national league to ensure participation in one of the European competitions next season.”Dusan Petrovic talked to Milan Djuricic about his success of educating young talented players. He poetically shares his vision and philosophy the same way he has shared them with youth players for years. His strength is to see the game for what it is and to humbly accept is unpredictability and that is what he tries to teach his players.

“I belong to a Nation which once called itself the 'European Brazil' and I am one of the nostalgic people who love this game with all his heart. Serbia has some good football players and national selections but the problem is we play decadent football and that doesn’t bring spectators to the stadiums. A Serbian team qualifying for the Championship league has become something almost unimaginable. One of the reasons is that we have given up on our mentality to educate players for our own competitions. Nowadays selling players seems to have become a priority in Serbian soccer. As a lecturer at the UEFA college in Serbia I have even bored myself with the story that only the game brings prosperity and that the game is the poetry of soccer. Naturally, this means that players have their freedom, but their movements must have certain meanings. Running around without a plan is useless.”

“Winning or losing isn't everything. It is about accepting the game with all your being. On a pitch unexpected things are always waiting to emerge. However, wise coaches accept it, enjoy it and learn from it. Just watch the ball! The game has rules of its own, and not those that others prescribed to it. The game does not take anybody’s side; it does not always award you with victory nor punishes you with defeat because of good or bad match. Soccer is not always fair. Playing well is an award on its own. Accept the defeat calmly and victory humbly. No great expectations and no great disappointments.”

Balance
“If everything is based on a the urge to win or the fear to lose, balance will never be reached. Still, defeat does not come from losing but from not taking the chance to learn something from it, to improve something and to take risks.
There is no task that cannot be carried out. There are no undone actions, no losers that cannot be winners and no favorites that cannot lose. So let the games flow on its own. Do you want to control an uncontrollable situation? Are you worried about the results? Do you care what others say? If you start choking your game, you will end up choking your own efforts and destroy its beauty. If you let your game breath slowly and calmly, you will easily find pleasure and tranquility. Be in a game with all your heart and relax.Give your whole being to the spirit of the game and it will be worthwhile. The heart often has its reasons, which the mind knows nothing about.”

Passion

“Why do we compete? To win? To dominate? To show our domination? All these require a passion but passion has two sides. One side encourages and the other preoccupies. Point your passion towards the inner being. Direct your own passion not towards the opponent or victory but towards the cognition of your own potentials i.e. try to express yourself to achieve as much as you can.”

Independency

“What is important in a game for you? How important is a value of victory or defeat? Does it reflect your feelings? Do you judge yourself according to your achievements? Do you acknowledge your mistakes? Do you ask others for acknowledgement? Do you depend on them as to prove how much you are worth? Are you excited by achievements of others? The game does not depend on anything; it is on its own. It does not have intentions, messages or consequences. Thus, play it with all you have. Let the game fill you with joy. Then go home, take a hot shower and carry on with your life!”

Evaluations

“How can you evaluate a football player or a coach merely based on statistics? Do statistics serve as an examination? Are there numbers that can measure heartiness, courage and persistence? Do results from outside reflect inner pleasure? Do they appear on a display somewhere? What happens with all those unannounced performances, perfect dribbling, successful shot, or with balls that get stuck in the mud?

Present

“Can a brilliant career be disturbed by an injury? Like plants, young soccer players grow and bloom when nothing is in their way. Wishes make your focus blur, feelings make your intentions numb, and thoughts inhibit your instincts. A real soccer player lives in the now: he takes what the game offers. The past - it should have been done or it must have been done – does not count! The future cannot be controlled. Expectations undermine your strength and weaken your effort. So just let it happen.”

Unpredictable

“Watched superficially, the game seems to be interesting and approachable with its lines, rules and codes. Imagine what would happen if these did not exist. Even now the game is still considerably chaotic. Nothing can be accepted as a pure act: plans, patterns and strategies are qualitative but what happens when a crazy ball starts rolling? The moment which you dare to expect or predict... SURPRISE! You lean on your score but in the nick of time things start going wrong. The game does not have rhythm or a reason so you never know what might happen. All you can do is to play the game.”

Patience

“You are losing the championship, trailing with one goal. So what?! Breathe in deeply, believe in yourself and in the stream of the game. Be careful and sensitive, watch what is happening. No matter what the situation is, accept the events as they are coming, without forcing the final score. In the climax of the moment there is a space to be coldblooded. With patience everything, even the most serious mistakes, can be corrected and the biggest trail can be erased.”

Sportsman

“A sportsman, who just wants to win, blows his own horn and wants to scare others by putting his own ego before his efforts. A sportsman who understands the game is humbled by its greatness, complexity and mystery. You can never solve it or beat it. The game teaches you to be humble in its presence, to find peace and tranquility inside yourself, to be careful with victory as well as ready for defeat. Sportsmen, who really appreciate a game, will start to appreciate its real place in sport. “

The body

“Do not think too much because your thoughts will influence your game: fear, doubt, failure even a wish for perfection. Unburden your spirit and leave the control to your body. Eliminate your plans; let your natural rhythm flow. Do not worry about results and they will happen despite of it.”

Leadership
“To be a player is difficult enough, but to lead other players is the ultimate paradox. For a coach, this means to be present and simultaneously invisible, enabling the game for players with their rules. Showing but not telling. Lecturing, without saying a word and in a way that you as a coach can also learn something. Developing a technique, knowledge and trust, and thenscatter yourself in the air. The secret of leadership is keeping five people who hate you away from five people who are indecisive.”

Young coaches

“Young coaches must stick to the principles and practice of the game which means to apply this with flexibility. The question of principle in a game is always a question of habit and discipline. This is a well known fact for defense, but for offense the difference between who wins and who was beaten must be made. A task in an exercise is very important if applied in a correct way. I will try to explain that by presenting my first exercise and in every next exercise the task of the first exercise will show how complicated and simultaneously simple football is.”

5v5

“Soccer is becoming faster; therefore ball circulation is becoming faster. A good way to practice this is in 5v5 game, in reduced spaces. The 5v5 games I use are played on a standard pitch and divide it into 3 zones. Each zone has its own rules, which correspond to the play which is needed in each of the thirds of a pitch in a full 11v11 game. In the first third (defense - zone A) the players must pass the ball like a buildup, finding the open space with patience and discipline. They must then advance to the middle third (midfield - zone B) where they must pick up the pace and quickly pass and run to advance to the final third (offense - zone C) where they must find the open space, without limitations, and finish on goal. The tasks for this exercise are to maintain possession, apply fast ball movement, support your teammates, penetrate into the open space and finish on goal."

"All the other exercises presented will have similar tasks and will help to teach your players to judge situations. How do we use the space around us? Which movements do we apply? Who is in the best position to see the game? Every inch of the pitch will be important, as players must use the spaces around them to find the open spaces elsewhere on the pitch."

Advice

I would advise all young coaches to do the following: Be honest towards yourself and to those who deserves that. Be prepared to change yourself and to improve yourself. Use your own head and ask the right questions, at least to yourself. Face the truth and do not let your spirit be defeated. Everything has its end except what is authentic.”

Luis Martins - U19 coach, Sporting Lisbon

“The secrets of the academy”

Luis Martins began at Sporting Lisbon at the age of 8 years old as a player, but he was unable to make it to the top. After graduating in sports, he began his coaching career with the U16’s at Odivelas FC, a modest team from the Lisbon area where he played until the age of 18. Not surprisingly, he went to Belenenses, a team from the Portuguese 1ª Liga, where he coached all youth ages. After some adventures with senior teams in the 3rd division, he was invited to join Sporting Lisbon were he has now been for 6 years, coaching the youth teams. He was also José Peseiro’s assistant coach for the senior team, during the season when they ended up as runners- up in the UEFA Cup final.

The demands of a top club
At Sporting Lisbon, the youth are always very important, and they continue to have a big role in the club‘s future. Without the winning at all cost philosophy, Sporting Lisbon assures that all kids have other priorities that go hand in hand with soccer. Besides the high demands of playing at a top club, with all the inherent expectations, they also have to achieve good results at school, and good social behavior is not required it is demanded.

Currently there are 47 kids from six youth teams and different age groups living at the “Academia” full time. They have the facilities to house more kids, but they prefer to keep the players in their natural environment with their families in order to lessen the impact that playing at a top club can have on a child’s life. They prefer to keep the number of full-time players restricted to some special situations, also in order to avoid conflicts that can happen more easily when living together with other kids.

With excellent conditions and facilities the new Sporting “Academia” is the most successful in creating top soccer players for the Portuguese professional scene and obviously for their A team, their main goal. Another season has passed, and Sporting achieved the champion’s title in all youth categories, which gives you an insight into the quality of their work throughout the club.

The role of the coach
The coach has an important role in this project, but he is conditioned in some areas. An internal program guides the coach through the formation process that has to be followed. Luis Martins considers this a great tool in his coaching work; because it ensures that each age has the required complexity in their work according to his capabilities. With this program, Sporting Lisbon can guarantee that the development of the player does not depend solely on the quality of the coach and his ideas, but on the program followed by the coach, which can provide a constant evolution in the formation of the player, adding more contents and complexity in a progressive and pedagogic way in the process of teaching the game. That is why many players who reach Sporting Lisbon’s A team or transfer to other 1ª Liga teams, are always able to answer to the demands of professional soccer.

The systems and style of play
In Sporting Lisbon, all youth teams play in a 4-3-3 formation and when they reach the U17 they also start to practice in a 4- 4-2 formation. More important then the system of play used, is the capacity of the players to play according to the game principles; exploring, creating and filling up spaces that are important in the attacking process and in the defensive process. An attacking mentality is always present at all ages and because almost all their opponents, even at lower ages, play very defensively, this gives them the initiative in the game. With many players behind the line of the ball, they usually play an organized attack, with lots of passing and moving, and with the accent on exploring the sidelines, usually the only place available to find spaces to attack against a massed defense.

The practice sessions
From their first day at the club all individual data on each player is registered, both inside and outside of the club (international call for practices and games) in order to follow the development of the player closely with constant evaluation according to the expectations of that player. At Sporting Lisbon, pleasure in playing the game is the key to learn soccer, so all exercises try to have a good balance between the contents of the game principles and the fun of practicing them. The complexity and demands of the exercises increase as the age and experience of the players increase. Like this, every coach at Sporting Lisbon can be more then sure, that when a player is promoted for example from U14 to U16, he already has a good knowledge of the game, and the exercises that he will face are a constant and logical evolution of what he did before, only in a much more challenging way! At Sporting Lisbon, huge importance is given to the way a player and the team, manage the ball in possession, so they work a lot on tactical circulations, focusing on the movements of support to the player with the ball, usually with constant changes from side to side, exploring the sidelines, trying to create spaces on the opponent defensive system.

The defensive process
At Sporting Lisbon, all teams have an offensive attitude but it is very important to have a solid defense as well. For example, the U19 team defends with zonal pressure; in a high or low block depending on how the team is organized at the moment they lose possession and start to defend. That is why it is important to create intelligent players that can read and understand the game, so they can communicate and organize themselves and start their aggressive pressure in the field, with a high, middle or lower block, according to their actual organization.

The U19 team
With the elimination of Sporting Lisbon’s “B” team, the U19s are now seen as the reserve squad of the “A” team, so there is a huge demand on the players, but, like the coach Luis Martins says, we cannot and will not forget that despite all the demands and expectations, this is still a stage in their development process as players. At Sporting Clube de Portugal, there is also a big concern in making the players see that they are part of a team, of a big club, and they are only as good as the team. The group is above everything, and players have to think as a team and add quality and something more to the squad.After reaching the championship title this year, the team will now see some of their players promoted to the professional team of Sporting Lisbon with high expectations on them, and they will have to answer to the demands of a club that competes to win competitions, in their country, and outdoors! And this is the goal of the Sporting Lisbon “academia”, to create top players for their professional team. And if we look at the names they have already “produced”, we definitely think they are heading in the right direction!