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The complete soccer coaching experience

SOCCERCOACHING No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

International

Manolo JimĂŠnez,

Pepijn Lijnders, FC Porto

Sevilla FC

Marcio Maximo Tanzanian National team coach

Bologna FC youth academy

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Contents

r Glædelig Jul og godt nytå God jul och gott nytt år

año nuevo Feliz Navidad y próspero novo Feliz Natal e próspero ano

a uutta vuotta Hyvää joulua ja onnellist gelukkige nuwe jaar Geseënde Kersfees en 'n rok Veselé vánoce a šťastný nový e Joyeux Noël et bonne anné

MANOLO JIMÉNEZ, SEVILLA FC

s Ēutukhismēno to Neo Ēto Kala Khristougēnna kai anah Tovah Chag Molat Sameach v'Sh ! ein glückliches Neues Jahr Fröhliche Weihnachten und nuovo Buon Natale e felice anno

PEPIJN LIJNDERS, TRAINER/COACH AT THE FC PORTO ACADEMY

a Godina Srećan Božić i Srećna Nov Saida Sana I'D Miilad Said ous

Komandi ár! Gleðileg Jól og Farsaelt ina Srekan Bozik I Nova God

18 24

DAMIAN MATTHEW, U18 MANAGER CHARLTON ATHLETICS

TRAINING SESSIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

om Rozhdestva i s Novim God Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom novy rok Vesele Vianoce a stastny

srecno novo leto Vesele bozicne praznike in Chu Shen Tan choctav Kung His Hsin Nien bing asu Omedeto Shinnen omedeto. Kurisum Joyeux Noel Fröhlichi Wiehnacht et

From the Editor Dear subscribers,

MANO MENEZES, CORINTHIANS HEAD COACH

DANIELE CORAZZA , BOLOGNA FC

BRAZILIAN CORNER

MARCIO MAXIMO TANZANIAN NATIONAL TEAM COACH

COLUMN PAUL COOPER

Welcome to the sixth and final issue of 2008, the 30th issue of SoccerCoachingInternational. I can barely believe another year has passed and what a great year it was! 2008 was another year packed with excitement in the world of soccer, with the 2008 Euro in Switzerland and Austria, very exciting Champions League and UEFA cup seasons and of course all the national competition taking place across the globe. However, it was also an exciting year for SoccerCoachingInternational as we featured some of the best and most reputed coaches in the world, such as Guus Hiddink, Rafeal Benitez, Roberto Donadoni, Gordon Strachan, Marco van Basten and many more. Not to mention the youth coaches from top clubs such as HSV Hamburg, FC Porto, Borussia Dortmud, Feyenoord, FC Schalke, Hertha BSC Berlin, Newcastle United and two excellent series on midfield organization and counter attacking. And that’s just a list of the coaches and teams featured in the first five issues of 2008. This last issue will provide the icing on the cake and will once again make sure we end the year with a bang! This issue starts with an exclusive interview with Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez, followed by FC Porto youth coach Pepijn Lijnders, Charlton Athletics U18s manager Damian Matthew, Corinthians head coach Mano Menezes, Daniele Corazza of the Bologna FC youth academy and Tanzanian national team coach Marcio Maximo and of course our new re-occurring feature: ‘Training Sessions from around the World’! But, as you know, SoccerCoachingInternational is more than just a magazine, its the complete soccer coaching experience! A big part of the SoccerCoachingInternational product is its website, and it was time for a complete makeover, if you haven't had the change to visit the new website, please do so and let us know what you think. I want to thank all our subscribers and contributors for another great year and hope to welcome you back again next year. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Cover photo: Orange Pictures

Yours in soccer,

Maaike Denkers Managing Editor SCI

Photo: Orange Pictures

Manolo JimĂŠnez, Sevilla FC

"90% of our tra with the ball" 4

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Manuel Jiménez Jiménez is a former Spanish footballer, who took charge of Sevilla FC in October 2007 and has been head coach of the team ever since. During his career he played as a defender for Sevilla FC from 1983 to 1997, and Real Jaén in the 1997-1998 season. He earned 15 caps for the Spanish national football team from 1988 to 1990, and was selected for the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad. His coaching career started in 2000 when he took charge of the Sevilla's reserve team, Sevilla Atlético. On October 27, 2007, following the resignation of Juande Ramos, he was promoted to become the coach of Sevilla. SoccerCoachingInternational talked to Jiménez about Sevilla, tactics, training and matches. By: Frans Hoek and Maaike Denkers

"The philosophy of Sevilla is pretty straight forward; no matter what you do you cannot forget about the whole club. We are a growing team and have signed a lot of good players in the past few years, but we never forget the rest of the club, what we call the collective. My personal coaching philosophy has always been to develop good players for Sevilla and to make them even better. And that has been working quite nicely, we have great players and a good team, which is very important. We have become a big team, not just because of the economic growth but also because we worked on attaining a strong base to work from. This is how Sevilla has become one of the biggest clubs in Spain, by looking at the club as a whole and not just focussing on the first team."

ining is

System of play "We are a dominant team, we like to play on the ball, master the ball and be in control of the match. We always try to play a passing game, quick short passes across the field. In defense we try to steal the ball as quickly as possible and as far away from our own goal as possible. We play a compact game. We always use the 44-2 as a basic system and have several variation ready to apply to specific matches when they ask for it. I have players that I can use within certain systems of play, so sometimes I use them and sometimes I don’t, but we always play with some kind of 1-4-4-2 system or a variation of this system. Like 1-4-1-4-1 or 1-4-2-3-1 and one that I really like is the 1-4-3-3. But the basic system of play is the 1-4-4-2."

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

"Sevilla have always played like this and have always contracted coaches who fit within this playing style of the club. We are a team with good passers and we are quick, with strong players in midfield. We have changed a bit in how we recruit and buy players as we want technically good players, who are able to both play the ball and retain possession, but who can also win the ball back quickly when the opponent has possession. This is a bit of a change as compared to earlier years when the players at Sevilla werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as technical and Sevilla wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really looking for players like that. Now we are, because we want to be strong on the ball. And this playing style is obviously also reflected in our training sessions, as it isn't easy to play like this. It requires time and a lot of motivation and concentration. So we have to repeat it a lot. 90% of our training is with the ball; reduced space; possession games; pressure games, but everything we do is with a ball."

Strategy Diagram 1a: No opposition

Diagram 1b: Passive opposition

"In my 14 years as a player I always tried to learn about strategy from all the coaches I had. I looked at how they trained strategy and I tried to apply the things I learned as a player and later as a coach to my work now. In the past not a lot of time was spend on training strategies, of course it was talked about; how are we going to play both offensively and defensively. However, nowadays we spend more time on it. For example with defensive strategy, we work on concentration and being able to anticipate. But also on the type of defense we want to use; line defense, man marking etc. In the past we suffered a lot because of the lack of defensive strategy work, so we pay more attention to it now. We use the entire field and go through the communication and talk about all the variations we can use within a certain strategy. So nowadays the strategy is handled both on and off the training field. We work on strategy on the field during our last session before a match. We choose this moment, because by then we have a clear picture on how we want to play and know who will have what role within that strategy. We play some small sided games to get our points across and to train on specific aspects of that strategy. We always do this behind closed doors and vary in what we train. In general all our players know our strategy very well, so those sessions are meant to bring the specifics of the strategy across and refresh their memory on what plan we have chosen for the match."

Exercise sample "We have a wide variety of exercises that we use, but most of them are very match realistic. I don't like doing exercises that are out of context with match situations. So I work a lot from the original positions and go from there. An example of such an exercise is defense vs. midfield and offense. The goalkeeper will start the play by kicking the ball down the field to the midfielder, who will work with offense to link up. We start this exercise without opposition. Then we do the same, but with passive opposition, for example without opposition on the flank, but with opposition in the center. So with passive opposition we don't mean a little opposition all across the field, but we mean no opposition on one side and full opposition on another. After that we develop to a real match, with full opposition across the field (see diagram 1a, b and c)."

Coaching during matches

Diagram 1c: Real match, full opposition

"I still feel like a player, so I am still trying to feel more like a coach. During the match I always want to be at an angle where I see everything, so I have a good view of the defense as well as

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

the offense. When I see that my team is doing what we agreed I am calm. But when I see something wrong I start talking to the players. I am an impulsive and nervous coach, but I always have the tranquility to observe and know what is going on. So I talk, tell them what I see, not to make them nervous, but to help because I want to do something. It makes me feel a lot more relaxed when I participate that way." "We always start a match with a plan. A system we want to play when in possession and how we want to play when the opponent has possession. When the opponent changes something in their game and our current system or strategy is not working to counter that change, we always have variations available to change things around. The players are aware of this, so all we have to do is let them know we are changing to plan B. For example, by including a second striker, or by giving the wingback more freedom to advance down the flank or changing positions when we are lacking depth in our play or in a defensive sense by shifting from playing with the point forward to playing with the point backwards. Whatever the game asks for at that moment. But we always have variations ready to counter a change from the opponent. If plan B doesn't work we go to plan C. Of course sometimes that doesn't work either and you are stuck and have to look for a solution elsewhere. I think that in order to win matches you have to first think about yourself, your own team."

11v10, we do the opposite. We try to keep the field as wide as possible, which means it is easier to find the free player. So we play the ball around from side to side trying to find the hole in their defense."

Coach education "The level of coach education in Spain is really high. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well structured and organized. As for me, my objective is to learn every day. When I wake up in the morning I know I am going to learn something new that day, whether it be about an exercise and how to execute it, or on how to get my point across more effectively. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for coaches to understand that there is always more to learn, and that not everything has been invented in soccer. I think we can all learn and develop every day, and we should all be open to that. I, for example, learn from my players all the time."

Observing "I have learned a lot from observing, especially how to observe and how to read the game, both from TV and live. It is not about following the ball, like most fans do, but about watching the players, the ones on and off the ball. I don't watch a match to analyze, I watch to observe. Where are the players, what are they doing, who is close to the ball, who is far from the ball and what are they doing. Football never bores me."

Half-time "At half-time start the players on the bench do a warm-up on the field, the players from the field go to the dressing room. The substitutes start their warm-up with a ball, and then do a physical warm-up. If I want to make a substitution, the player who is going to play will do a 10 minute warm-up and get ready for the match physically. He will then enter the dressing room for the last 5 minutes so we can talk about the strategy and variation we want to use in the second half and what his role will be and what will change for the rest of team. I also talk about what went wrong the first half and how we are going to change that so it doesn't happen again in the second half."

Numerical (dis)advantage "When we are confronted with a numerical disadvantage we try to play as compact as possible and reach our offense as quickly as possible. When we are confronted with a numerical advantage,

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Manolo Jiménez Name: Manuel Jiménez Jiménez Date of birth: January 21, 1964 Place of birth: Arahal, Seville, Spain

Playing career: Position: Left back

Clubs: 1981-1983 1983-1997 1997-1998

Sevilla Atlético Sevilla FC Real Jaén

National team 1988-1990

15 Caps for the Spanish national team

Coaching career 2000-2007 2007-current

Sevilla Atlético Sevilla FC

Staff

Sevilla

"The most important aspects within the entire staff is trust. This includes the technical staff, but also the medical staff. My entire technical staff consists of people I know, either from the coach education programs or from my playing days. This is important for me, because I need people I know and trust around me. With my technical staff this is the case. When I am training with the defense on one end of the field, and one of my colleagues is training the offense on the other end of the field I know that he is doing what we agreed on and he knows that I am doing the same. This is important."

"I played for Sevilla for years and later trained the second team for 7 years. So I have been with Sevilla for a long time. Do I think that is an advantage? Yes! I know the club, the teams, everything. I have been there a very long time and I don't have any aspiration to leave Sevilla any time soon. Of course you never know what will happen in the future. But when I was a player and later a coach my objective was always to coach the first team. So when I had the opportunity to do it, I took it. When Ramos left the club was in a bad position, because a lot of things had happened. Financial problems, the results were poor. But the team stuck together and we were able to get out of the crisis. The players and the staff did that together."

Advice "If I can give any advice to a new coach, I would say: 'Stay true to yourself and your ideas'. A coach doesn't win matches, the players do. You can't always win, but staying true to yourself when you do is easy. The most important thing is to also stay true to yourself and your ideas when you lose as well."

Sevilla FC vs. Real Betis "Sevilla versus Real Betis is not just a derby. It has always been something special and a great experience, both as a player and as a coach. However, the experience has changed a lot in recent times. Before 80% of the players were Catalan. Now there are players from all over Spain and players from abroad, who don't have that cultural feeling and passion that the Catalans have when playing this derby. But when you play for Sevilla, no matter where you are from, you know that the match against Betis is very important. So as a coach it is my task to make sure they play with tranquility, without fear and without the extra pressure that comes with a derby."

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

8v2 Organization: - 2 areas of 5x5 meters - Play 8v2 in each area

Progression: - 8 players positioned as illustrated, pass the ball around (1 touch play) without leaving their personal area - 2 players in the middle try to intercept the ball. - After an interception the passer and receiver both take position in the middle and the middle player take their positions on the edges

Team building Organization: - Row of cones positioned as illustrated - Players run around the area marked with discs

Progression: - Coach will yell "2s", "3s" or "4s" - At this moment the players must either look to join 1, 2 or 3 other players to form either a pair, a threesome or a quartet, depending on what the coach yelled and hug one another - The player left standing or the last players to form the announced team will have to run through the row of cones. The other players lined up between the cones forming a tunnel for the players to run through - The ' losers' will hit the other players with balls (throwing or kicking)

Youth variation: - Of course this exercise cannot be done with younger players, so you can substitute the hitting with rolling and kicking balls across the tunnel to create an obstacle course for the players to run through

Finishing Organization: - Playing area and attributes as illustrated - Players positioned as illustrated. 2 players at cone A, 2 at cone B and 2 at cone C - 2 Coaches positioned on the flanks

Progression: -

Coach will call a players name That player must finish on goal Player 1 will receive the cross from coach 2 and shoot on goal Player 2 will receive the cross from coach 1 and head on goal Player 3 will start a zigzag through the poles, receives the cross from coach 1 and volley on goal - After they finish their attempt on goal the players will join the next cone (Player 1 from cone A to cone B, Player 2 from cone B to cone C and player 3 from cone C to cone A)

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Pepijn Lijnders, FC Porto coach:

“Make players extreme in their technical abilities” In the summer of 2007 Dutchman Pepijn Lijnders from top Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, moved to another major European club, FC Por to in Por tugal. Within a year he managed to get the people at the club so enthusiastic about his vision that it has become a major part of Porto’s development project, 611. “We started to make all players extreme in their technical abilities”, Pepijn Lijnders told SoccerCoachingInternational journalist Michel Hordijk, who is himself a professional technique coach (at FC Utrecht in the Netherlands). Last summer Pepijn Lijnders extended his contract with FC Por to for a fur ther 3 years. By: Michel Hordijk

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

"In every match and in every training session all young players should be able to excel in their technical style and should develop the character to improve themselves and others"

Hordijk: “In 2007 you made the switch from PSV Eindhoven to FC Porto. Why did Porto want to work with you in Portugal?” Lijnders: “Vitor Frade, Luis Castro and Antero Henrique at Porto signed me to develop a new generation of dynamic, creative and technically unpredictable players. From the first conversation I had with the people who are the head of the youth development here, I noticed that they didn’t see the technical training as a separate part, but as a really important boost for the players in their development plan ‘611’. First that means that we are going to make all the talents within our development program extreme in all technical abilities. Starting with that goal in mind, I trained all players up to U14’s, three times a week. The U14s to the U19s I trained once a week, in complete sessions. After the winter break, I also trained the U17’s three times a week. This season all players from the PJE department (Potential Jogador Elite), the most talented players in our development program, received extra technical sessions and assistance.” “Furthermore it is important to integrate my vision with the culture of FC Porto. This also means that all coaches are educated through this vision, which means that at the moment I leave FC Porto, my vision will not be lost and that it will continue to be a progression and quality boost within the‘611’ programme. The name which refers to the period 2006-2011 was given to this project because FC Porto wants to create one of the best development centers in the world within those five years.”

Hordijk: “That sounds like a 24/7 job. There looks to be no time for a siesta?” Lijnders: “In Portugal they haven’t heard of siesta’s. Lucky for me, because I have not had any time for one yet. I am on the pitch three times a day with three different groups. As well as that I have Portuguese lessons 5 times a week, for 3 hours per session. When you also consider all the other things such as preparing sessions, all the meetings to attend and presentations, it was a very busy season. Of course I tried to get some rest, but I also put all my focus on the club. Almost all the requests for clinics, presentations and demos I rejected and unfortunately I only visited my family back in Holland twice. But it has paid off as FC Porto let me know in June that they wanted extend the contract until 2011. So it will be very busy until 2011!” Hordijk: “I heard from Sjors Ultee, who works as a technical trainer at DVSU and FC Utrecht that you went to the United States last summer?” Lijnders: “That’s correct. I worked there for five weeks during the summer break and for three weeks during the winter break. I have done that for several years now. Together with Frans Hoek I’ve been responsible for implementing our joint vision within the six main clubs in the California area.

“To make sure the basis of my vision is solid, I coordinate all the activities from the U8’s to the U13’s. Those nine groups consist of 125 players, who are coached by eight assistants. Those coaches focus on key points within selected exercises which are done over and over again. This is done with three different groups who we train daily. The eight assistants don’t have a fixed team they train and coach, but they are all responsible for the players together. On Saturday and Sunday I’m the coach of the premier U11’s and U13’s team. The assistants accompany all the players on match days. At the weekend the coaches are not in control, but the players. We have to see what the players are capable of.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“I believe in education and development: to develop players and coaches within the club philosophy to be complete professionals. That way you can make sure the continuity and club culture will be maintained. This way you can develop your own successes, millions and examples. And you give both players and coaches the opportunity to reach their own personal top within your club culture. Of course, that top is different for every player and coach. At the European Championship in 2008 Spain has proved, playing with the smallest and youngest team, that winning, attractive play, development and excellence still can go hand in hand. Besides that, the past has

Frans Hoek made me stronger and has given me the possibilities to structure and develop my vision further. Also thanks to this phase I was able to join FC Porto and I was able to, in combination with training all teams, give the coaches some clear focus points. Jefta Bresser, André Cornelissen and I have started a project for amateur clubs in The Netherlands in the region where I was raised. In six sessions on the pitch we try to implement the vision into those clubs and in that way do something extra for all those youth players at those clubs.” Hordijk: “Sounds great. Eventually the foundations are the amateur clubs. Those clubs are in fact, if you look at the youngest age categories, much more important than the professional clubs. If you can improve the whole complete level in a region it is great for the players, but eventually also for the professional club in that region as well. Too bad professional clubs are not doing a lot anymore to improve that base. There is much to learn this way.” Lijnders: “In every match and in every training session all young players should be able to excel in their technical style and should develop the character to improve themselves and others. They should be able to use their technical style to attack spaces and should use their technique to let other players play better. Every player should use their extreme technique to create better and unexpected (and for us expected!) creative and above all attractive moments for the team. For me, these points are the basic key points for every development center, and also for amateur clubs. Every player, whichever level he plays at, has special abilities or a natural potential in one or more technical styles. We as developers can stimulate them and give them the feeling that they can and should use these special abilities to excel. Especially at non-professional level clubs this development goes so quickly! Clubs and coaches should create a culture and a pure identity, where they should ask themselves the following question: What is our way of developing players and what are our key points? PSV Eindhoven is getting this identity more and more, Ajax Amsterdam has that already for a while.”

"Every top player has his own specific qualities and potential, which he can excel in" proved that many successes in international football were accomplished by developing a world class generation within a club. For me, this is the definition of pure success. The best examples are Ajax Amsterdam, Manchester United and Barcelona. This is also the way a small countr y such as the Netherlands can still make the difference. If we want to accomplish anything in the future again, I think we should be even more idealistic and more extreme. And if you then can combine the development with smart signing of players, you are complete as a club. Actually, development is the best purchase a club can make every year.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“At PSV Eindhoven we did a lot for our partner clubs. There is no end to developing players (and coaches). Every player should get the development they deserve. The contract players and the players from the own development center are the most important factors for the development of young players, because they are the role models of the players. I think it would be great if these players would join the practice sessions or visit matches to give some tips. That would give the players a great boost and would encourage especially the youngest players to get the best out of themselves. Almost every player gets a boost the moment he joins the first team as a young player and gets in touch with an example who helps and inspires him. Think of Robin van Persie joining Arsenal where he could play and train together with Thierry Henry. I also got this boost as a coach when I got the opportunity to work with Ricardo Moniz.”

players in all age categories take more initiative, get a better character and get more extreme in their (efficient) technical skills. The first three months I lived and trained in some kind of flow every day two or three practice sessions, with different players and coaches. I heard that during the first few months the coaches had to do recovery training the day after we had trained with their group. That shows a lot, how much the players worked on the ball in the first couple of months.” “Then I also had the Portuguese lessons for 3 hours every day. Especially the intensity and the concentration asked a lot of energy from me. But I have a great feeling of the last season. I’ve got to know a lot more people with a big passion for football and in a new culture for me, where a lot of coaches have said that I have helped them a lot. Together we have made some significant progress in essential parts. I think you can say there is a ‘click’ between the club and me.” “In the beginning, when I did not yet speak the language, I had great contact with the players by playing along with everything and by giving a lot of examples. They started to correct and stimulate each other without one of the coaches saying something. A lot of coaches were just watching. I wanted to show the coaches how independent and professional these talents can and want to be. Players were responsible for their own organizations after the demo and together they had to make sure that they reached their highest level on their own field. Players started to coach more, make sure the exercises ran smoothly and even started to create their own exercises. And this made the coaches even more enthusiastic.”

Hordijk: “How was it at the start with FC Porto in 2007? It was another country, another culture and working with other people.” Lijnders: “When I gave clinics and courses in different countries with different cultures, I gained a lot of experience in entering a club and implementing my vision. MTK Boedapest was one of the clubs I gave demo sessions for, in a country where I could not speak their language. You can prepare yourself, but eventually you have to convince all the coaches of every age category on the field. Every day they have to see that all

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“Players of FC Porto didn’t get a lot of opportunities over the last couple of years to develop themselves technically and creatively. For the 8 to 13 year old players that is not a big deal, because we can coach them every day for the next couple of years. For the 14 to 19 year olds it becomes a lot more difficult with only one practice session in the week which we can spend on this topic. Luckily the U17’s coach and the head of the youth development wanted the U17’s group, which is very talented, to work three times a week to make the players extreme in their technical abilities. They had the opinion that for the biggest talents it was necessary, within their own natural technical identity, to be confronted with these exercises and the intensity of them, every day. This led to the situation where every coach (U14s to U19s) spends the first 20 minutes of his practice session every day repeating all the technical exercises.” “Optimal use of the style of another player gets more and more important in training sessions and matches, besides the continual development of the technical abilities. I think that an individual

top player can only function in a team optimally, when his character is developed. This will make the difference between an attractive technical player or a player who can make the difference structurally. Just compare the Robin van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo from a couple of years ago with the players they are today. Because we are going to make the individual stronger, character development is important from a young age: 1. Help each other, but always have the drive to become the best; 2. Every day you need to invest at least one hour at home; 3. Use your technical abilities to let each other play better.” Hordijk: “Their natural technical identity! I think that is a great expression! You mean that every player is unique in his ability to specialize himself technically?” Lijnders: “Absolutely. Every top player has his own specific qualities and potential, which he can excel in. Just look at Robinho, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. They all have a different technical style of playing, where they can be extremely dominant on the ball, but they all have almost the same direction and efficiency. Probably they have developed that on the street or on the beach. No coach and no system has told them how to play, but ‘survival’, ‘drive’, ‘excellence’ and ‘winning’. They have always played with a small number of players and in small spaces where they developed their own styles. The same probably holds for Lucho Gonzalez, Fabregas and Xavi in the midfield. We make sure these different identities and abilities, which are mastered by these top players, are trained by our players on the pitch every day. In every session a certain technical skill is the main theme, meaning that all players get the opportunity every day to improve both themselves and others in all technical styles. You can think of the long dribbles of Lionel Messi, the scissors moves of Cristiano Ronaldo, the cutting, shooting, heading and bicycle kicks of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the first touch of Xavi or the technical defending of Fabio Cannavaro. And this is always in combination with the technique of kicking the ball, crossing, finishing on the flat goals with a total of 120 balls on the pitch.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“Step by step all parts are mixed and finally come together in different match games. In these games, but also in the exercises before these games, players continue to develop their own technical identity and style. That is a great thing to see. Because you keep training on different qualities every day, and you do everything in combination with finishing and crossing on ten Coerver goals, the basic skills get better and better. And the development never stops, you can always get better. Even Huntelaar improves in his specialism, because he keeps repeating and trying to improve himself. He has developed himself and is still developing himself. Players have to develop themselves within our framework and our key points. We have to give this responsibility to the best players as young as possible. They don’t have to do anything, but are allowed to do everything. Also top players like Xavi or Affelay can become even quicker with the ball and more successful in their technique if they efficiently invest in it every day.” Hordijk: “Top players are playing an important role in your approach. What advantages does this approach have? Lijnders: “In the first place because youth players have a strong need for examples, and not for criticism. Secondly, because it works ver y well for young players, they can see what they have to do in real matches. Players immediately know what qualities you mean when you mention the name of a cer tain player, especially when you don’t master the language, like me in the beginning. Take the defending of Materazzi: when we say players should defend like ‘Materazzi’, then it looks like there is a war on the pitch. Most of the time it is the best test to see how far the players have developed, because there will be some ver y tough defending in the 1v1, 1v3, 2v2, 3v3 or 5v5. I do differentiate five steps in the level of resistance. Although Portuguese players always want to play in the last step and do everything not to get beaten, it is important for the development of technical abilities to build up the resistance correctly. You have always to train on a level where players are ready for and still can experience a lot of success.” Hordijk: “Rene Meulensteen (Manchester United) and Ricardo Moniz (HSV Hamburg) have based their vision on the Coerver method, and who work in a country which is not known for it’s technical players (Germany and England). There are other types than the Portuguese, who most of the times are technically quite good. Does that mean you have less room for improvement?” Lijnders: “No, I don’t think we can achieve less improvement. Ricardo and René now mainly work with the first team and that is a completely different story. When I first came here, players were at 60 or 70% of their technical abilities, while that should be the best characteristic of a Portuguese player. But because of the talent and potential players have here, you can reach even higher. The club and the region also have, because of the culture, the ambition, the Portuguese feel for creativity and the technique a lot of potential. You always have to see technique in combination with style. They have to create an insight for this, the attacking of spaces and excel with efficiency, like FC Porto in the Champions League. One player needs more time to make that connection than the other. But the process is much more important than the match results. Every player knows that and they just have to train very well. Because they have trained at a very high level and with a high intensity with the ball, they have improved so much this year.”

“For young players, it is very important to motivate them and keep them enthusiastic in combination with a quick example. By using examples like Messi, Ronaldo, Kaká and Materazzi, you can make it even more recognizable for the players. Like I said before, young players need examples, not critics. They also need examples of passion, drive and professionalism. Then you can see that the language of football really is a universal language. When I asked some players who could speak English to explain the key points in an exercise to their teammates, this happened which such a passion and cogency, that you saw all the players start smiling and nodding when the players were talking about ‘becoming extreme, ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’, ‘FC Porto’, ‘dominating and taking the initiative’, ‘be special and excel’, ‘character’, ‘investment and passion’, etc. They were given a lot of responsibility and were allowed to put the match play to their hands. Not the system or the coach determined the way the players play, but the players worked together to get the best way to play by using their qualities. They were stimulated to dominate, take the initiative and make each other better, but always with the intention to attack the spaces and be as efficient as possible.”

"Youth players have a strong need for examples, and not for criticism" “Nowadays I try to do all of the sessions in Portuguese. I think that is important. Players and coaches appreciate and respect the fact that you try to speak their language. Our U19 and U17 players now train weekly with the youngest teams, so that we have even more ‘examples’ on the pitch. Like I said before: it is becoming more and more important to develop your own brilliant players as a club. By training extreme, structural and attractive, you can develop your own millions, but above all develop your own successes. Luckily FC Porto understands this.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Direction changes in 5-somes Organization: - Groups of 5 train on controlling and changing direction like Pirlo and/or Guti (step 3 of Materazzi) in combination with speeding up and attacking the penalty area like Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (in step 5 start 100% sharp and hard from the line and the space in front of that) on two flat goals with a goalkeeper. After defending number 8 asks for the ball from number 11 and pass straight into number 8's feet. Number 10 becomes a defender. Here you can also train on crossing and finishing by doing this exercise on both sides on more flat goals. - Per goal 20 balls next to the posts.

Use: - I use this exercise often as a second exercise with the U17s, with the objective that the first player to score 5 goals wins

2 versus 2 with 2 rest players Organization: - 2v2 with 2 rest players who pass the balls - Play 2v2 in the area with the objective to attack the areas behind the defenders - On the one side play with 2 flat goals where the players can score by means of a cross to a teammate who chooses position in front of the goal and volleys, heads or bicycle-kicks the ball into the back of the net. The scoring team maintains in possession and wins a point whenever a passed ball is passed back to one of the rest players - The other team can score on the big goal with a goalkeeper - When a ball is out of bounds players continue play by demanding the ball from one of the rest players

Basics: - Dominate the complete space - Use your technique to create better moments - Recognize the different 1v1 situations. Which style do you use to master these situations? - Create space - Develop vision on the ball - Look over the ball and always make sure you have the opportunity to pass while in your dribble - Attack the created spaces - Use your style, what is you move to the outside, what is your move to the inside? Or are you dribbling with the intention to create space for your teammate? - On a goalkeeper, near post high shot, far post score low

Use: - I use this exercise often as a last exercise with the U17s. All basic technical accents can be used here. We play move-up and down for the competition element. 10 balls next to every goal. Met the U14s we train this on 1 big field with 12 4-somes

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Finishing exercise on 4 goals Organization: -

10 players work on their passing and finishing technique on 4 flat goals 4 of those players concentrate on crossing The 6 other player concentrate on finishing 20 balls next to every goal

Variation: - In this exercise you can also work on training crosses and finishes by working on both sides and with multiple flat goals

Use: - I often use this exercise as a second exercise with the U17s, with the objective that the first player to score 5 goals wins

3 against 3 in 3 lines Organization: - 3 against 3 in 3 lines - 2 rest players who can switch with another player after juggling the ball 100 times - Attack the space from your position - Rotate positions - Recognize the different 1v1 situations: • Create spaces where you can use your qualities optimally • Attack the space with your first touch • Look over the ball - 10 balls per goal

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Damian Matthew, U18 manager Charlton Athletics: The Charlton Athletic Football Club Under-18 team play at the highest level of youth football in England, the FA Premier Academy League, however the academy takes boys from the ages of 9 upwards. The U18 team also has strong connections with the Charlton Reserves squad, where senior members of the team may make appearances. The academy is run by Steve Gritt and the U18 squad is led by Damian Matthew. His U18s made it to the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals in 2007/08, a great achievement and time for SoccerCoachingInternational to talk to the former Chelsea midfielder who led the team. By: Andrew Blight

"Developing players full potential" The Charlton Athletic Youth Academy arose from Charlton's commitment to develop young players, a scheme which started in the early 1990s when there was an explosion of young talent. Notable players such as Anthony Barnes, Lee Bowyer, Richard Rufus & Kevin Lisbie all came through the ranks. This was followed by the creation of the Youth Academy, aiming to find the best local and worldwide talent to bring to Charlton at a young age. Matthew, who led the young Addicks to the last eight of the FA Youth Cup as well as seeing no fewer than five academy graduates feature for the first team, says plans are already in place for the next generation. "Last season was fantastic,â&#x20AC;? he said. "It's always the aim to give young players the opportunity to get in the first team. Obviously that makes everything worthwhile in the academy. My coaching philosophy is to develop players to their full potential. My vision is to produce 1st team players who become the heart beat of the club."

Our goals with the youth team are: (i) Develop the individual technically, tactically, physically and psychologically. (ii) Develop units of play. (right back and right winger/ midfielder or midfield 3 or 4) (iii) Develop the team 18

System of play "My favourite system is the diamond 4-4-2, a 4-4-1-1 or a flat 4-42. I feel it is important to be able to adapt to the game or the opposition. The system helps us reach our goals as it encourages us to pass or run with the ball. It also offers many 1 v 1 situations and also allows us to create good movement patterns. In training we work on tactics by simulating attacking and defending situations relevant to the game. This is done in functions, phase of plays or small sided games."

Technique "Technically we work as individuals on areas for development. For example if someone has to improve there passing then they would do technical (exercise 7) pre-training. The players are encouraged to do technical work, pre-training, every Monday and Friday. In training we work on receiving skills, passing, shooting, crossing, defending, running with the ball and ball manipulation. We try to spend at least 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 30 minutes on this (including warm up) in each of our 6 sessions." (see technical sessions)

Physical and mental "The physical aspect of football is very important to me as I feel every player is unique and therefore must be developed individually to function effectively in his role. Therefore we assess

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

to their

Photo by: Ed Boyden Photos

Damian Matthew Date of birth: 23 September, 1970 Place of birth: Islington, England

Playing Career: every individual and give individual programmes that are done pre or post training. Unfortunately due to budget reasons we have lost our sport scientist and I feel this is a big loss from our programme as he would do the first 20 – 30 minutes every session. The mental development is everyday and we strife to create an environment of hard work, fun, honesty and trust."

The most important aspect of coaching the U18 is TIME

1987 – 1994 Chelsea FC Captain of Youth and Reserves. Made his professional debut in 1990 and went on to make 28 appearances for 1st team. Also represented England U21 10 times which included winning the Toulon tournament 2 years running (1990 and 1991) 1994 – 1996 Crystal Palace FC Promoted to the premiership in 1994 and went on to make 28 appearances. 1996 – 1998 Burnley FC Played over 70 games. 1998 – 1999 Northampton Town Retried due to injury

Coaching Career:

* TIME to understand * TIME to learn * TIME to develop

Game day Our preparation for the game starts on Friday. Sometimes I will name the side Friday but in the main I normally name it on Saturday morning. I will then put up any information in the changing room and allow the players about 45 minutes of there own time to prepare. (I have attached the format)

1999 – 2000 Coached with Chelsea and scouted for Wolverhampton Wanderers 2000 – 2006 Chelsea FC Youth Development Officer where I managed the pre Academy ( ages 6 – 8 ) programme and also coached the U16’S. 2006 – present Charlton Athletic FC U18 Youth Team Manager and also assist with Reserve team. * UEFA A Licence coach.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Possession sessions Passing and sideways movement 4v2 Organization: -

The four players on the outside work along their line to pass and move The two defenders look to close down and intercept They can tackle if possible but must not go to ground The defenders also try to stop the ball being played through them

Key Points: 1.Movement 2.Receiving Skills 3.Weight of pass 4.Support

Progression: - Players can rotate and also count how many times the ball is played through the defenders

Passing and sideways movement 4v2 or 8v4 Organization: - The four players look to keep possession for four passes - After the fourth pass the players can pass forward either on the ground or in the air to area 3 - Once received the two defenders in area two close down and the others retreat from 1 to 2

Key Points: 1.Movement 2.Receiving Skills 3.Choice / Weight of pass 4.Supporting Angles

Progression: - A player can run the ball across or play a one â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two - As he travels one from area 3 must run to area 1 - The team that loses possession defends

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Directional possession 8v4 Organization: - The eight attackers pass and move - After six passes they can pass into the end zone for an attacker to receive unopposed - If pressure on ball is good one player can drop into the safe zone

Key Points: 1.Choice and Weight of Pass 2.Movement to Receive 3.Receiving Skills 4.Timing of Run 5.FWD Pass

Progression: - One defender can track runner - Can only score off a 1 – 2 or a third man run

SSG: Improve forward passing and movement Organization: The players play 7 v 7 ( 3 – 2 – 2) + 2 CF and look to score by playing through the gate for the CF to control or by playing off the CF (1 Touch) to score through the gates.

Key Points: 1.Passing Options 2.Weight & Disguise 3.Support 4.Quick Play

Progression: - One defender can track runner - A defender can mark the CF (8 V 8) - To encourage long passes the ball must travel on the full to the CF

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

1. Core Technique Organization: -

7 cones are positioned in a line, about 1 meter apart Players queue up behind the first cone All players have a ball Players dribble through the cones and form a queue at the other end

Progression: -

First time through: inside Second time through: outside Third time through: push-stop-take Fourth time through: Drag back

2. Passing and Receiving Organization: - Four discs are positioned as illustrated - 2 players - 1 ball

Progression: - (i) Pass, move out of feet and pass back through middle (maximum 2 touches) - (ii) As above except passer calls a colour and receiver takes outside and passes back through the gate (maximum 2 touches)

3. Juggling Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - 1 player with a ball

Progression: - (i) Keep ups with feet, knees, head etc. - (ii) As above except on 10th touch you take ball out feet and stop on line

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

4. 1 v 1 Defending Organization: -

Mark an area with discs, as illustrated 4 cones, forming 2 gates, as illustrated 2 players: a defender and an attacker 1 ball

Progression: - The defender passes to the attacker and closes him down - The defender tries to force the attacker to one goal by closing down and tries to win the ball when possible, before attacker runs the ball through the gates

5. Receiving Skills Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - 2 players: a server and a receiver - 1 ball

Progression: - (i) The receiver in the middle controls the ball and plays it back to server (2 touches) - (ii) As above except the receiver plays on servers call (1, 2 touch, etc) - (iii) The receiver reacts to the call from the server, takes ball around cone and plays it back to the server

6. Running with the ball Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - Cones as positioned in a X formation within the area - Players queue up with a ball

Progression: - The players run through the area performing a variety of turning skills

See Training Sessions from around the World for 6 more technical exercises from Charlton Athletics

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Training sessions from ar This re-occurring section features training sessions from all angles of the world, divided into several zones. This time around we have included exercises from Brazil, Holland and the United Kingdom, which we divided into 3 zones: the ‘Brazilian Top Zone’, ‘the Dutch Goalkeeping zone’ and the 'UK Charlton Athletics Zone'.

Brazilian National Team 1 Organization: - Two teams play 4-4-2 against each other on a full field - Every player is allowed 2 touches

Progression: - The objective is to play the ball from one side of the field to the other without interceptions - The attacking midfielders cannot give short passes and they are not allowed to pass it back to the side which the ball came from

Variation: - 1 touch play

Corinthians 1 Organization: - Defense versus attacking during a corner kick

Progression: - Regular corner kick play - Attacking team can only score with a header - When the defending team saves, the players immediate initiate the counter attack with 2 touches maximum

São Paulo 1 Organization: - Play 11v11 on half field

Progression: -

Team 1 has to score goals Team 2 has to make a number of passes Players are only allowed 2 touches Team 1 can only shoot on goal from within the penalty area

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

round the world BRAZILIAN TOP ZONE Brazilian National Team 2 Organization: - Play defense versus offense (6 v 8) on 1 half with goalkeepers - Defensive team: 4 defenders and 2 midfielders - Offensive team: 2 wingbacks, 3 midfielders and 3 forwards

Progression: - Two forwards and four defenders are positioned in and around the penalty area - The center midfielder of the attacking team has the ball and passes it to the upcoming wingback - The wingback passes the ball to the forward, who seeks the open space on the flank - The forward receives the pass and crosses it into the penalty area where the two other forwards are waiting to finish the cross on goal - Midfielders take position around the edges of the penalty area

Corinthians 2 Organization: - Two teams play 11v11 on half a field - Both teams play 4-5-1 (four defenders, two defensive midfielders, 3 offensive midfielder and 1 forward)

Progression: -

The objective is get the ball to the penalty area as quickly as possible Maximum 2 touches The coach times the attacks The team that does this the fastest wins

S達o Paulo 2 Organization: - Play 8v5 on half field - Attacking team: 2 wingbacks, 3 midfielders, 3 forwards - Defensive team: 1 goalkeeper, 4 defenders

Progression: - The wingback passes the ball to a midfielder, who passes it back into his run down the flank - At the same time, a forward leaves the penalty area to take position on the flank, where he functions as a decoy for the defense - The wingback makes a choice: (a) he continues his run down the field or (b) he passes to the forward - When the forward receives the ball he dribbles to the edge of the box and shoots on goal - When a crosses is given the other forwards and the incoming midfielders try to finish on goal No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

DUTCH GOALKEEPING ZONE Goalkeeping Warm-up Organization: - The coach (or another player or goalkeeper) pass the ball to the edge of the penalty area - The goalkeeper comes out of his goal to pass the ball deep (into the small goal down the field) - At this point the coach lobs another ball over the goalkeeper, who sprint back to save - Goalkeeper saves by kicking the ball to the other small goal down the field

Coaching: -

Position Conditioning Footwork Processing the ball Game continuation

Through pass with players Organization: - Players pass to their teammate (1) and initiate a run (3) - The ball is passed deep (3) to the running player - The defender (red) may helps his goalkeeper to keep the player on the ball from scoring (4) - The goalkeeper tries to save the ball (5) - The defender may try to score on the other goal, whenever he or the goalkeeper have stolen the ball

Coaching: -

Position Conditioning Calculating the through pass Choice: stay in your goal or come out to intercept the through pass Communication with the defender Coaching Game continuation / transition

Making your goal small 1 Organization: - This diagram is meant to show the benefits of making your goal smaller - It is obvious here that whenever the goalkeeper leaves his goal towards the ball his goal becomes smaller (optical) - Its about finding a way to come out of your goal without being lobbed - By allowing goalkeepers to experience this, both as a goalkeeper and as a player, it becomes very clear and it will be easier for them to make a choice between coming out of their goal and staying on their line when they are confronted with that situation during a match

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

DUTCH GOALKEEPING ZONE Making your goal small 2 Organization: - Goalkeeper throws the ball through the two cones that are positioned 5 meters from the goal - He then has to quickly follow his ball through the cones to save the shot from the coach

Coaching: - Footwork - Speed

Dealing with crosses Organization: - Give crosses from the end line - Goalkeeper intercepts the ball and throws it in one of the small goals

Saving at high speed Organization: - Place a cone in the middle of the goal - Goalkeeper moves from the post to the cone, touches it and moves back - He gets a series of 6 shots he has to save - Increase the speed with every shot - Then a series of 6 high shots - And switch to the other side of the goal where you repeat the exercise

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

CHARLTON ATHLETICS ZONE Long Passing Organization: -

Mark 2 areas with discs, as illustrated Areas on opposite sides of the field (width) 2 players, each in their own area 1 ball

Progression: - (i) The players pass the ball from box to box (no bounce, driven pass) working on control and type of pass - (ii) As above except the players try to pass the ball with one bounce (clipped pass) - (iii) Players now score by passing through receiver or receiver does not control in box.

Receiving Skills Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - 2 players; a server and a receiver - 1 ball

Progression: - The server makes the receiver deal with all types of serves;Volleys • Volleys • Headers • Chest • Thigh - Be inventive

1v1 defending Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - 2 players, each on their line - 1 ball

Progression: - Players pass the ball (1 and 2) until 1 player puts foot on ball (3) - The player without the ball must sprint around the disc (4) and defend his line in 1v1 duel initiated by other player (5)

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

CHARLTON ATHLETICS ZONE Heading technique Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - 2 players, each on their line - 1 ball

Progression: - Players work in pairs and practice heading - One footed jump - Two footed Jump

Shooting technique Organization: -

Mark an area with discs, as illustrated 2 goals 2 players, each in their goal 1 ball 1 dummy

Progression: - Players work on their shooting technique - Out of hands - Out of feet

Running with the ball Organization: - Mark an area with discs, as illustrated - Put 4 dummies in the area - 2 player, each with a ball

Progression: - Players work into the square and use various turns to accelerate to the dummy

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Mano Menezes, Corinthians head coach:

"60% of goals come from set pieces" Photo: Daniel Augusto Jr/Ag. Corinthians 30

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Relegated in 2004, Grêmio was promoted to the first division of the Brazilian championship the following year. In 2006, the club finished in third place in Serie A and got a place in the Copa Libertadores, the main clubs tournament in South America. The recovery of the team was orchestrated by an unknown head coach, who has become one of the most exciting in Brazilian soccer: Mano Menezes. With the success at Grêmio, Mano Menezes received many proposals from some of the greatest teams in Brazilian soccer. Meanwhile, he decided, in December 2007, to face another challenge, this time to lead Corinthians to the Brazilian first division after the club was relegated in the national championship. At Corinthians, the second most popular club in Brazil, Menezes worked on changing the clubs fortunes. Many players were recruited and a new philosophy was implemented. All these changes were reflected in training. Menezes puts great emphasis on tactical work, particularly in the structuring of the defensive system. Despite previous experience as a player, he’s part of a new generation of Brazilian coaches, which are less crude and carry out more technical sessions. Menezes brings in new ideas from football both in Brazil and abroad. He also works a lot on the movement off the ball as he attempts to lift the coaching standards in the country. By: Guilherme Costa

Tactical knowledge Players today are more enlightened tactically. They have a greater knowledge and ideas about different tactics. Hence, you must be prepared for a more in-depth dialogue. For this dialogue, the experience as a player is important. When you have that experience, you understand the majority of situations that present themselves. You have some parameters to go by and make decisions about the team and its players.

and man for man at set pieces. All tactical work begins by working with smaller groups. I play either 8v8 or 8v7. Sometimes I may want to work with 3 or 4 defenders, it depends. We may use smaller goals or a goal is scored by getting the ball to a certain place on the pitch as quickly as possible. So though I am mainly concentrating on the marking aspect there is also room for the team to counter attack. In football today, it is very important to have a quick transition between winning the ball back and getting the ball up field to the attack. So it is vital you know what to do with the ball when you take possession.

Definition of the tactical scheme You have to work on your tactical position from the start of the season, even at the stage where the priority is the physical issue. Usually the coach has some favourite formats, and I'm no different. But in Brazil the situation is somewhat different, and you need to adapt more to the group. It is difficult to shape the squad with the abilities that you want for each position because we do not have the capacity of investment as large as the European clubs. The work begins to give a tactical basis to the group, but changes according to the opponents and the need for each individual game. We often start with a conversation and a demo, which can be done in training without a ball. Some players believe in such an activity. After that we start in a training camp with the idea tactics. We play with and without marking and test some different scenarios. In football today, it is crucial to work in various systems so that the players have a greater understanding of what happens on the field. This accelerates a change in tactics during games, for example. That happens when you spend the time thinking about the structure of the opponent, but he may prepare something different for the game. Often communication between coaches and players is complicated because of noise, pressure and concentration in the game. Then you need to have players who have the ability to read what happens on the field and make changes as they see fit.

Rivals in training Technique against strength It is of course possible to combine technical quality with physical abilities to make a more complete player. Sometimes that does not work out and you need to invest in players that will bring you those two important attributes. The key is to have players that have both strength and speed, which today are important factors in football.

Technical training vs. fitness A player must be aware of their needs and their characteristics. I can’t ask a player not to be involved in the physical side of the game. I need to propose a different type of game, so the issue is directly linked to both the physical and technical side of the game. The training is based on the physical characteristics of the team, but some things can be developed.

The definition of marking I like to use zonal marking. The marking changes to both zonal

I always consider the teams. I put the reserve players with characteristics that match our opponents. Then we work on situations that can happen in games and my preparation time to use it in a positive way. I think that coping with a team with similar structure to that of the enemy is very important to experience.

1st team vs. reserves My thinking on this is clear: no play is the shirt holder or reserve. You cannot come in on Friday, call a player who was not being used in practices and say that you need him for the game on Sunday. We needs to be part of it every day, every week and every month. I call professionalism of the athletes, and this summarizes what I think. Not only the professionalism of rights, but duties. If the player is playing or whether it is an option, it should always be prepared with the same dedication. He must be ready when your work is required.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Intensity of training In Brazil, unfortunately it is impossible to have the ideal training level for the preparation of players. We work below what is required, especially at the beginning of the season. This is a period where we have state competitions, many games in succession which leads to poor preparation. Corinthians debuted this season after only 12 days of preparation. That time did not allow either a full physical work, and you often see teams who have had a stroke. The teams that do not dispute the national competitions may begin to think about the state well before and that creates a vertical drop physical.

Luiz AntĂ´nio Venker Menezes Nickname: Mano

Menezes

Clubs as a coach: 1997 - 2002 2002 2003 2000 - 2004 2004 - 2005 2005 - 2007 2007 - current

Guarani Brasil de Pelotas-RS Iraty-PR XV de Novembro-RS) Caxias GrĂŞmio Corinthians

Titles as a coach: Rio Grande do Sul championship in 2002, 2006 and 2007 Brazilian SĂŠrie B in 2005

replicating the experiences we had as players. With the results, that model persisted for some time.

Stopping the ball If you analyze games of football today, you will see that 60% of goals come from set pieces. This is even more evident in Brazilian soccer, which has many fouls and stoppages. There are then many opportunities to put that ball in the danger area. With so many crosses in attack and defense, you need to do take this into consideration in your sessions. It is necessary to work on both defending and attacking set pieces. You need to create situations to break the deadlock, forcing physical confrontations and looking for that extra yard of space. The work of stopping the ball starts with individual analysis. We must identify the players with more potential to be dangerous in these situations It is not just a case of throwing balls into the danger zone and see what happens. It has to be coached, with a lot of dialogue, positioning and repetition. We deliver several balls into the area, with defense and attack positioned, to find strategies that work for both.

To change this, the technicians and young players needed proof on the field, with results, a style that was included more tactical work. Only when this happened was there a change in the game The change in the profile of the coach in Brazil is somewhat related to the changes in football. A player ran for three or four kilometers where as today it is 15. And also the intensity of the running is very different.

Individual Training I also like to do some individual training. I think that it can be very productive. I work on problems that have happened defensively in the game and that becomes part of the weekly plan. The Brazilian defenders, for example, still only mark the ball and that can be firmly lodges in their mind so some individual training can help correct these problems in the game.

This article is made possible by

Brazilian Coaches The technical profile of football in Brazil has changed a little. There were many former players who were coaches, and they led to

Universidade do Futebol www.cidadedofutebol.com.br

Marking and counter-attack Organization: - The defensive team has seven players, four defenders and three midfielders. - The attacking team has eight players with two attackers, four midfielders and two wingers. - Use a small pitch. - The attacking team has to try and score a goal. The defensive team must use zonal marking. - In the defense position, when the team recovers the ball, the players must take the ball to the left edge of the field as quickly as possible.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

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A complete soccer coaching experience

Daniele Corazza , Bologna FC:

"The Mundialito Bologna FC has undergone some big changes recently. The club was promoted to Serie A for the 2008-09 season, then got a new owner, Renzo Menarini, and a new president, Menariniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter Francesca. Bologna also got a new first team coach, Sinisa Mihajlovic, who replaced Daniele Arrigoni ten games into the season.

But there are some less visible changes taking place which may, in the long term, be just as significant for the club. These regard youth development, especially in the Soccer School, where former Bologna youth player, Daniele Corazza, is pioneering what he calls the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mundialito methodâ&#x20AC;?. Below, he explains his methods and why Bologna FC is going against the grain of contemporary thinking on player selection and skills coaching. By: Frank Dunne

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“We decided to start off very low key so as not to damage the local amateur clubs which depend on having their own Soccer Schools. So we started with only 70 kids. Now we have 240 kids with 15 teams. We also launched the Campus Rossoblu, a network of summer football camps which now has 600 children attending and an initiative called 05-13 Kids, where we have a close affiliation with 10 amateur clubs from around the region.”

Working together The head of Bologna’s youth set-up is Giancarlo Marocchi, a former Bologna and Juventus player with over 500 professional appearances and 11 Italy caps to his name. Corazza and Marocchi have been working closely together to integrate the work of the Soccer School into that of the wider youth set-up. “The youth set-up has experienced a metamorphosis, with greater emphasis placed on the Soccer School,” Corazza explains. “It means that now we can take boys directly from our own Soccer School into the youth set-up proper, after the selection process. From this season, there will be no more selection of players for the U13 level, which has been subsumed into the Soccer School. The selection process has been put back to the first year of the U15s, which means that it takes place at around 13 years of age. As a consequence, there are only five teams in the full youth setup and an expanded Soccer School. In total we now have 20 teams between the Soccer School and the senior youth set-up. There are few, if any, clubs in Italy with this many youth teams. Most other clubs rely on smaller feeder clubs to handle the youngest age groups.”

Delaying selection “There are many professional clubs who select boys in the first year of the U11s [when they are 8-9]. I think that this is a very short-term approach. A Soccer School has to be a long-term project. We only select players once we have given all the children the possibility to express their full potential. Before then there are too many variables and the margin of error is immense. You just have to look at the squads of professional clubs and see how few boys from the initial selection make it all the way through to the U20s.”

method" “The Soccer School was launched in 2004-2005 and is open to all children. Before that there had been nothing for this age group and nothing for all those kids who love to wear the Bologna colours. It was important to be able to give all kids the opportunity to pull on a Bologna shirt. It enables them to fulfil a little dream. For me, as a youngster, to come and play here was a great honour but without a Soccer School which was open to everyone, it was something to which only the more talented players could aspire.”

“Starting the selection process at 12-13, rather than at 8-9, has many advantages. It is more reliable and creates fewer illusions for the players and for their parents. By selecting later, when the players are more developed, we hope to have a higher number of players who stay on through the various levels. Sometimes you have players who get overlooked when they are smaller. They develop later and by staying with us a bit longer they won’t end up slipping through the net. By the same token, you can see boys in the U11s who look exceptional but a year or two later they are struggling.” “I really don’t see any disadvantages with this approach. But this is the first year, so we have no objective criteria to evaluate whether this is the right choice or not. For the moment, the signals are all comforting. At the end of this season, we will select from players born in 1996 [who will be 12 and 13]. We have a group of 50 players in this age group from whom we will be able to select nearly all the players we need. We won’t need to go outside the club, apart from maybe for four or five players. So the coach won’t have to knit together an entirely new group of players.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

The Mundialito method “This was born because it was necessary to codify our working methods. It is the result of 20 years of my experience of working with children of this age group. The Mundialito method is based on four aspects: fun, coordination, speed, and match play. Having fun helps you to play with greater application; coordination improves motor skills; speed allows you to get to the ball before your opponent and the competitive spirit helps you win games. At first glance, it looks like a key element is missing: technique. I would argue that developing skills is a direct consequence of the other four aspects.”

Fun “I love football, I played it competitively for years and I have always tried to transmit this love of football, both to children and to older players, through fun. Parents, coaches, directors, and spectators often prevent kids having fun because they expect them to behave like adults. When do adults usually say ‘well done’ to a child? When he does something like an adult would. But I think that it’s normal and right for a child to play like a child, following his pleasure instinct of running around after a football. When you talk to professional players, they often say ‘the difference between us and them [children] is that they enjoy playing football’.

Coordination “By coordination I mean the motor ability which enables you to organise, control and regulate the sequence in which a movement is articulated. There are many authoritative studies in this area and from the many available models which classify coordinative abilities I have chosen that by Blume, which uses the following breakdown: coupling and combination, differentiation, balance, spatialtemporal organisation, reaction ability, adaptation and transformation, rhythm ability, motor creativity and motor anticipation.”

Speed “Speed is one of the fundamentals of football, something which is accepted by everybody. By speed we mean the ability of a person to perform motor actions at maximum intensity in the minimum time. The key growth period for this ability is from 8-12 years of age. When looking at this, it is useful to consider whether all of the body is involved in the motor action or single parts. In the latter case it is perhaps more correct to talk about rapidity.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“Speed in football can take several forms: running speed; speed of performing an action; speed of understanding; and speed of decision-making. All of the coaching that we give our children pays constant attention to the characteristics of rhythm, speed, intensity (of stimulation) and creativity. The exercises and games we use require the skill to be performed in the shortest time possible. What is important is the efficiency of the action, not its perfection.”

Match play “I believe that children should express themselves in small-sided games but with an ingredient which is important in the development of a player: the competitive spirit. We structure the final part of the session by dividing the players into teams, capturing the children’s attention by giving each team a name. With 5-8 year olds, the name is something creative, which they make up. With 9-13 year olds, we use the names of football clubs or national teams. We then play a ‘mini World Cup’, which is organised with these characteristics: high intensity, with the ball always in play; no pauses; as many goals as possible; balanced teams; every player has to give everything.” “The all-weather pitch where they train helps in this because there is a fence close to the edge of the pitch so the ball is quickly in play again if it goes out. This approach gets the kids used to playing matches, as they will have to during the season on Saturday or Sunday. I can see already that when they play against other clubs they are very competitive. They are players with character.”

Coaching sessions: U8s, U11s, U13s “For each of these age groups, the session lasts 90 minutes. They are conducted with maximum intensity. The coaches need to have a clear programme, to be quick with their explanations and be quick to set up the exercises. There is little time wasted chatting and there are very few pauses. If it’s done like that, 90 minutes is more than enough. In all sessions there’s a first phase of free play when they arrive – they have 10 minutes when they find a playground where they can express themselves. Then there is a warm-up. Then two to three games, according to the level. There is always one situational game, which is important for all age groups. And at the end, there is the mini-World Cup, played with maximum intensity.”

Daniele Corazza Born in 1969, Corazza played for Bologna FC youth teams and later in the semi-professional league, Serie D. He gained a Diploma in Physical Education from the ISEF (Institute of Physical Education) in Bologna in 1995 and a Degree in Motor Science from Bologna University in 2000. He obtained his Uefa ‘B’ coaching badge in 1999. Prior to joining Bologna FC in 2004, he had worked in the Juventus Soccer School and spent over 10 years working in the Juventus Summer Camps. As well as heading up the Soccer School at Bologna he is responsible for the Campus Rossoblu summer camps and for the 05-13 Kids initiative.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Technique and tactics “I am convinced that technique can be coached through having fun, through working on coordination and speed and through match play, avoiding the kind of boring activities that drive even professional footballers mad, never mind children. We don’t use analytical exercises [where a skill is broken down into its component parts and repeated many times] and I never have. You won’t see long lines of children standing still, waiting in queues to do drills. I consider it to be a waste of time for the youngest children. With the smallest kids it’s impossible. It’s often done with the U11s but

they don’t enjoy it and they don’t really understand what they’re doing. If I create a fun game or exercise where they are required to perform a certain skill, they learn that skill without any effort.” “After 12 years of age, you can start to work on honing the player’s skills. At that point, you need to be able to demonstrate and correct the detail of the skill which is being performed so you need coaches who are good at correcting skills. Here we have ex-pros like Ennio Mastalli [who played for Bologna from 1975 to 1980], who has exceptional technique.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

“The approach to tactics and positional sense is different for the three age groups. With the U8s, we do nothing. With the U11s, we do a little. With the U13s we get a little bit into systems of play but without rehearsing tactical schemes and without any blackboard or theoretical work. These are a waste of time because you don’t get the attention you need – they’re not having fun and not learning. I still see clubs using blackboards with the youngest kids.”

Collaboration, not results “When we play against other clubs, we obviously don’t play to lose but the main objective at this age is not the result. We look, for example, at whether they are collaborating on the field, and whether they are tr ying to play football. We look at whether the goalkeeper is giving the ball to his defender, regardless of the ability of the defender and whether the midfield player tries to look for the for ward. There are not many children’s teams who play like this. Usually, the keeper just boots the ball down to the team’s best player, who then tries to do ever ything himself. Only two kids end up playing which does nothing to help develop the group. Our responsibility is to help them all to develop. In the short term, the kids trying to play football might lose matches but in the longer term it is a winning approach. If ever y club had this approach, matches would be more evenly balanced, they’d be much better to watch, ever yone involved would grow up quicker.”

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Evaluating children “Where the result is not the barometer of development the only really reliable way to judge whether a player is developing properly is observation and experience. It’s subjective. Our study centre is looking into whether there are more objective methods of analysis for this age group. But this is an area where there is very little research. I have never seen a test which strikes me as useful for this age group. Nobody so far has come up with a test which tells me objectively whether or not a player of six or seven is improving. There are so many variables that the results are not convincing, they are not scientific. We are working on coming up with something more objective.”

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No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Brazilian Corner Experience and specific training The profile of the staff at Atletico Mineiro has led the 1st division team to hold specific coaching sessions that have been tailored to the players needs. André Figueiredo, who assists Marcelo Oliveira who is in charge of the team, was a defender before his current coaching job, and used this experience to complement the work of Oliveira. "He played in that position for a long time, so he has a lot of experience to pass onto the players. They talk a lot about anticipation, heading and positioning, and work on these specific points with the players", explained Marcelo Oliveira.

Tactical knowledge A study compiled by of Ademir Teles, who was the fitness trainer at Santa Cruz, looks at the maturity of players and their level of tactical knowledge. The professional compared tactical knowledge in children and adolescents to show how much they knew of the game at each age group and how that knowledge evolved. Teles has a masters degree in neuropsychiatry and behavioral science at the Federal University of Pernambuco.

Good physical Good physical conditioning means Cruzeiro can do more on the pitch. The good physical condition of striker Guilherme led the coach at Cruzeiro, Adílson Batista, to expect more from the player. Before he would focus and act only when the play was close to the opponent’s penalty area, but now we can give him greater responsibility in tracking back and other duties. "He is a player that supports these functions very well, then I can compress the play when the opponents have possession. I radically changed the training and tactics to take advantage of that”, said Batista.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

The Brazilian Corner is made possible by Universidade do Futebol www.cidadedofutebol.com.br

Botafogo use music during their sessions Music and football are two elements ever present in Brazilian culture. At Brazilian Serie A club Botafogo, the coach Ney Franco decided to take it to extremes. To help in preparing the team, the Franco uses snippets of songs for the builds up to pre match talks. "The music creates a great environment and this transmits to the players", he explained.

Shouts and stopping play In Fortaleza, shouts and stopping play are the order in training. In Fortaleza, any error is enough to stop play in training. The initiative is part of a new strategy from coach Heriberto da Cunha to force their players to take responsibility for errors. For this, Heriberto interrupts the session for every single error by shouting to the player who has to repeat the action properly. "It is only because I know they have quality can I get away with it. It is a way of pulling their earâ&#x20AC;?, said Cunha.

Figueirense uses ropes to coach crossing The explanation for coming up with this exercise rises from the difficulty many Brazilian teams are having with crossing balls into the area. The most common mistake players make when driving the ball into the final third of the field is that the ball is crossed low, making it easy to defend for the opponent. Looking to end this, Paulo Cesar GusmĂŁo decided to include innovate the training sessions of Brazilian Serie A team Figueirense. GusmĂŁo put two parallel cuttings on the sidelines just outside the area and put a rope between them. Having positioned all his materials he made his players carry the ball up the fund and pass it above the limit established by the ropes. The addition of the exercise was a way to increase the height of the crosses. The coach was not satisfied with the amount of low crosses into the opponent's area and found an innovative way to fix this.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Marcio Maximo

Photo by: Arne Doornebal

Tanzanian National team coach:

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

On his arrival in Tanzania Marcio Maximo got a shock. “I arrived here in Tanzania two years ago, but what I found was that football had not progressed,” Maximo took up the challenge to start from scratch and built Tanzanian football up to healthy standards in just a short period of time. “In Angola, they needed some 20 years to build up the football, just like in Senegal. I expect here, we can do it in less than a decade.” In his office, at the Karume training ground in central Dar-esSalaam, Maximo explains his philosophy. “We came up with a football development plan that has three pillars.” Essential to his plan is the involvement of the government, the federation and sponsors. “That approach should work; you can see that teams elsewhere on the continent, particularly in West-Africa, have progressed a lot after introducing intensive football programmes. I want to achieve something similar here.”

The youth are the future Maximo’s approach revolves around the youth. According to FIFA statistics not even 13 000 youth plays football in organised competition in the country. A disappointing number when one takes in consideration that the nation has a population of close to 38 million. There is clearly still a lot of pioneering to be done. “In other countries, youth teams at clubs are very normal. In Brazil for example, some children start playing for money at the age of seven,” he says, referring to the over 2000 Brazilian players that leave their country annually to find a team elsewhere in the world. “But in Tanzania there is no culture to create youth teams. Only the ‘first’ team of a club counts. I believe that if players can develop, they should be taught from a very young age how to play under pressure. When that does not happen, they will not get used to it and will have problems at a later age.” The chances that Tanzania will participate in the first FIFA World Cup to take place on the African continent are slim. But Maximo is working for the future. “Our team has an average age of just twenty two and a half years old, which ensures that we have currently the youngest team in Africa. Africa, and Tanzania in particular, has to create more youth clubs. It is not good to leave that to the academies and schools. It should be a continuous thing. We are working hard to find sponsors for the youth with some success.” Recently British football club Bolton Wanderers decided to establish an academy in the Eastern-African country.

More important than export

After having worked with the Brazilian national youth team and as a coach in Scotland, Marcio Maximo made the journey to Africa. Coaching in Africa turned out to be a completely different story. But the Brazilian enjoys his work, and is successful too. Key to his success is his three-pillar philosophy. By: Arne Doornebal

With the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania is better known in the West as a major tourist destination rather than for its football. It hardly has any international players. “We have a long way to go, especially compared to other African countries,” he says. Countries like the Ivory Coast are far ahead, despite their smaller population. “There they have a population of just 2.5 million people. Nevertheless 15 of them are professional players in Europe. Here in Tanzania we have 38 million people, but only one of our players plays abroad, in Kuwait. So there we can make progress, I would say.” Maximo therefore pushes for some of the Tanzanian players to go abroad. “We are now opening up the foreign market for players from here. Some of them are ready for it.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Photo by: Arne Doornebal

Commercially viable? But despite the importance of Tanzanian players gaining international experience in overseas and more competitive competitions, the coach is not aiming for a national squad built with players that are hardly to be seen in the national competition. “The link between the national league and the national team is important,” he argues. “Take Senegal for example. Their league does not attract a big audience, but their national team is very strong. Almost all of their players play in Europe, so there is not much connection with the people in the country. Players there leave the academies and go straight abroad. Off course I know that this is an economic process, so you cannot stop it, but maybe it is good to slow down that process a bit.” According to Maximo,

particularly in Africa this is important if one does want to get the sponsors involved. In neighbouring Uganda, hardly any football fans go and watch their national Super League. Instead, they turn to shabby video halls to watch the English premiership on TV. “You cannot change a football culture in just two years, but it can be done in a decade or so.” With substantial investment and recognition by the market, football can be enhanced to a higher level. History has proven so, Maximo adds. “At the end of the ‘80s, when I was still in Brazil, we had teams from Africa coming to Brazil. They were swept away by our teams. But look at how they developed in the last 15 years. Look at Nigeria, and see what Senegal has shown the world. Off course, Brazil is still predominant, but the African countries are gaining.”

New national stadium Chinese constructors are currently putting the finishing touch to a new, 60,000-seater national football stadium for Tanzania, a present from the Chinese government. “A milestone for football in the country,” says the coach. “This new stadium is very important for Tanzanian Football. It is the most modern stadium in Africa. The stadium fully complies with FIFA and IOC standards. Because of the size, all the people can now come to the stadium. The old one was so worn down.” This seriously impacted on the selfesteem of the national squad. “We did not get any respect. But now, the conditions have improved a lot. Even families come to the stadium with men bringing their wives and children to watch football. That is a revolution.” It is estimated that the stadium, once sold-out, brings in US$ 600 000 per match. Money that is essential for further developing the game in the country. The Tanzanian Football Association intends to use the money to invest in youth and women's football. “Because of the stadium, big African countries like to come here to play games in front of large crowds. That is why Ghana accepted our invitation to come for the friendly next week. I advised the football federation to only try to play friendlies against big teams.

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Photo by: Arne Doornebal Experience is something you cannot buy in the supermarket.” The Ghana friendly ended in a 1-1 draw. When it is up to the Tanzanian government the stadium will also be used to attract overseas teams as well. In 2010, according to their thinking, Tanzania will be the perfect nation to prepare for the FIFA World Cup event that will take place in South Africa. Subsequently television channels have shown interest in broadcasting the games more often. This is a further boast to the commercial industry to pump more money into the game and its development. “Without that support, it would be impossible. Usually, when sponsors come in they want to sponsor something with their name mentioned on it. That way they will see the result quickly. But now I am trying to convince them to invest in the programme. This programme runs for three years, so we can work more on sustainability. Sponsors start accepting that and follow that up.”

Contract on life In a country where football is still young, establishing a new and young team takes more than just money and training. “All players are professional players; they don’t work besides football. But the living conditions are very different compared to western professionals. Some players arrive here for training by Dalla Dalla. (Tanzanian public transport of overloaded minivans). I treat them with the same respect as I did with Ronaldo when I was his coach in the Brazilian youth team.” Maximo believes mutual respect is essential. But once that has been violated a player can be in serious trouble. “We have a sheet with guidelines that describes the behaviour of the players we want to see away from the pitch. They have to sign it. All of them, even those that have been part of the team for a long time. If they sign it, but break the rules, they lose my respect,” he says. Removal from the team and loss of support are the consequences the player will have to deal with. “I think in football, what happens on the pitch is only 50 % of the work, in order to get good results. Everything else, outside of the field, is a very important.” But his guidelines have shown results. “Professionalism has improved a lot. We don’t have big discipline

problems. In the beginning, the players were a bit nervous of all the new things, but now they have become more interactive.” By showing the players what future can lay ahead Maximo is slowly progressing.“ Each time we add some of the under-20 or even under-17 players to the Taifa stars (the national squad). We start creating hope for them, to become a star one day. But they get a different colour T-shirt, to make sure they don’t believe they are a Taifa stars already. They should want to become one.”

New contract With the fruit of his effort blossoming Marcio Maximo just signed a new one year contract with the Tanzanian Taifa stars. This despite having three attractive jobs offered elsewhere. “But I decided to stay this year,” he says while showing us the Karume training complex. A lot of construction is going on. Tanzania is currently refurbishing the old sports precinct into a world class facility of which the new stadium is only part of. Thanks to FIFA an artificial grass field was recently installed in the old stadium that still exists. The artificial grass allows the teams to practice more often. But Maximo is not always looking for the best pitch available. He points out a big sand pitch, where the players have to struggle in order to get stronger legs. “Just like in Brazil,” says the coach who hopes that one day samba football will take place in the Tanzanian capital Dar-es-Salaam. Maximo is optimistic about the future, considering the momentum football in Tanzania has at the moment. “We were ranked 167th in the FIFA ranking when I arrived here, but managed to reach the top-100. Unfor tunately we have dropped to a position of 115 after losing two friendly games. But I think we have achieved a lot.” And the coach does not fear that this is going to change soon. “The conditions are good. The Tanzanian Football Federation is good, and Tanzanian president Jakawa Kikwete is a big football suppor ter. That are already impor tant pillars we can build on. I predict a bright future for Tanzanian football.”

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

Constraints

Children's Football

Do constraints in the informal game help with football development? The informal game that was played on the streets, parks and in the playgrounds by children of previous generations and to a lesser extent this generation, had many constraints in terms of where the game was played, the number, age and ability of the players and the equipment available. Do these constraints help to produce the basics that are needed to develop more imaginative and creative players with good touch? Is it beneficial that we bring some of these constraints into a more formal football environment? The intention of this article is to challenge coaches to think out side the box and think about some more unorthodox methods. By: Paul Cooper

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

In informal children’s football there are many geographical and social variants that play a part in shaping an individual. For example, would George Best of been the same player if he was born on a farm miles from anywhere rather than on an estate with hundreds of other children?

Places to play The informal game can throw up a variety of playing sur faces including grass, concrete, tarmac, dirt, cobbles and Red Gra. Often there were obstacles to avoid and dribble round. Alan Hudson, the former Chelsea and Stoke mid-fielder played on a council -owned play area locally know as 'The Cage'. About the size of a 6 a side pitch which was gravel, strewn with broken bottles - good balance and courage were critical. Also all the other boys were bigger than him so he needed to be able to 'play' to compete. Dave Ramzan the founder of Invicta Valiants, a football club for children with disabilities, based in Kent, gives an insight into some very varied pitch locations when he played as a boy.

“Although never playing football to a very high standard, we did play football back in the late 60's in some very odd places. In the holds of empty Thames river barges, under a motorway on a huge enclosed ramp holding up the road (it was very dark) and on bomb sites that were still plentiful during the 50's and 60's. Street football was played on a cobbled street down by the river Thames, where the goal areas were the kerbs on each side of the street, and goals were marked out in chalk on the brick walls behind. On many occasions we would play on grass in Greenwich Park until dark, having to climb over the high fence after closing, then being chased off by the ‘Parkie’ (park keeper). Denis Begrkamp, the Arsenal and Dutch legend claims playing in the street helped the way he played. “We played on stones. If you fell down, you hurt yourself, so you get your balance right. The first touch has to be right otherwise the ball bounces away.''

Number and ages of players The number of players and the ages of those players varied enormously. You often had your close friends that you played with on a daily basis in the school playground or close to your home. Then perhaps at the weekend you would all go to the local park and play with other groups of children, perhaps ten or twenty aside. The great Hungarian player, Puskas played hour after hour with his eight best friends on a bumpy pitch, barefoot and with a ball made from rags. They played 5v4 with the two best players and the two worst on the team of four. Spurs coach Harry Redknapp states the case for games where many children played and how it helped dribbling skills. “I feel there is a lack of talent coming through. Growing up, all we did, and all we knew, was football. We played on the estate every night until it was too dark. They are spending more money on grass-roots football, but I feel kids would get more out of playing with their mates four hours a night, 14 a side, so that when you got the ball you had to dribble it, otherwise you might not get it again for 10 minutes.”

The interesting thing here again is variety.Ex-West Ham striker, Paulo De Canio explains how a large group of children playing in a small space gave him his characteristic dribbling style. “I had to thread my way through tight spaces (we played eleven-a-side on a pitch which would have been tight for a five-aside). I guess much of my close control and dribbling ability originated on the Stenditoi”

What no bibs? In the school playground every child is normally dressed in some kind of uniform such as a grey jumper or school sweatshirt. In kick-abouts in the park, the children normally wear their favourite team’s shirt, which make for a whole host of different colours on both teams. With the lack of team identification, do children play with their head up more and is there greater verbal communication to compensate fore the lack of bibs or team shirts? Should be introduce some games in structured club practice sessions without the use of bibs?

The ball In formal junior football the rules are a size 3 ball for U7s and U8s, a size 4 ball from U9s to U14s and a size 5 ball for U15s and above. Players from around the world have always been very creative when trying to find a ball to play with. Because of cost and accessibility, often balls were home made using rags, folded up socks or paper and tape. Arguably the most skilful player of all, Maradona played with a variety of objects, “If I was sent on an errand I would take with me anything that resembled a ball: it could be an orange, or scrumpled-up paper, or cloths. And I would go up the steps on to the bridge that crossed the railway, hopping on one foot, the right one, and taking whatever it was on the left, tac, tac, tac…That’s how I walked to school as well.” In the UK the humble tennis ball was used by earlier generations, It could be tucked in a pocket and dribbled to and from school. The great Sir Stanley Matthews reflects on his childhood. “In those days everybody wanted to be a footballer and play for his local team. I used to practise often against a wall with a tennis ball, not a big ball because we couldn’t afford it in those days. And because it was a small ball it improved my ball control.” So should we be looking to condition more structured club session games to try and recreate some of these constraints that appear in street football/free-play?

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

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ISSN 1571 - 8794

No. 30 December 2008 / January 2009

! n o o s t u o e n i z a with mixed abilities ag SmallWorking sided games M

G How to organise a GUBOG event O B Rugby Game Sense U G Voices from the playground

The optimal learning environment for youth football