The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.

2010 16:11 Page 1

Editorial:
Overnight Success

Football
Philosophers

Organising
the Back Room

Learning to Read

National
Team Football:
An Identity
Parade?

N E WS L ET T E R
F O R C OA C H E S
NO 46
M AY 2 010
The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 2

IMPRESSUM
EDITORIAL GROUP
Andy Roxburgh
Graham Turner

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

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hélène Fors

COVER
With the World Cup
finals kicking off
in South Africa on 11 June,
Marcello Lippi and his
Italian side are gearing
up to defend the title
they won in Germany
in 2006.
(Photo: Getty Images)

Under
Pep Guardiola,
FC Barcelona
swept the board
last season.
Empics Sport

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 3

OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
EDITORIAL in the much lauded ‘Barça dream tain. The paths of José and Pep did
team’. In an illustrious playing career, cross for a period at FC Barcelona dur-
BY ANDY ROXBURGH, the thoughtful midfielder won La Liga ing the latter part of the 1990s. But
UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR six times, the European Cup Winners’ their football backgrounds and training
Cup, the UEFA Champions League and were certainly not the same. Message 1:
an Olympic gold medal with Spain in Coach education is about dealing with
Barcelona in 1992. During the period individuals and getting the best out of
between then and 2001, when he them. It is not about mass production
In 1988, Gladys Knight, the ‘Empress also gained 47 international caps, he and rote learning. Coaches develop
of Soul’, sang the words “overnight suc- learned from three of Europe’s top club through a combination of work experi-
cess, stars are on the rise”. She wasn’t coaches: Johan Cruyff, Bobby Robson ence, the help of mentors, managing
referring to José Mourinho or Pep and Louis van Gaal. After a season of lower-level teams, personal study and
Guardiola. At the time, the former was successfully coaching Barça’s B team, a life immersed in the game, as well
a young student on a coaching course the young man who, apart from a few as structured coaching programmes.
in Scotland, while the latter was a years abroad, had been immersed in Message 2: The latter may be only part
17-year-old member of the FC Barce- the Catalan club’s culture for more than of the equation. But well-designed,
lona youth academy – a product two decades, took over as manager reality-based courses with individual
of La Masía. But maybe the singer’s of the FC Barcelona first team. He pro- tuition can help aspiring technicians
words were, unknowingly, a prediction ceeded to win absolutely everything to improve their coaching competence
of glories to come. during 2009 – his first calendar year in and to find their style of leadership.
charge: the Spanish league, cup and
From an early age, José Mourinho super cup, together with UEFA’s Cham- Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho
studied football. Indeed, he once said pions League and Super Cup titles. travelled a long way to become
“my training as a coach was fully The FIFA Club World Cup then provided overnight successes. José summed it
comprehensive”. He was referring to a the icing on the cake and confirmation up when he said “there’s a history
number of important elements in his that Pep Guardiola was the ultimate made up by each of us that leads us to
development. For example, he came overnight success, albeit that his edu- that final victory. It’s that history, in its
from a football family – his father being cation in leading Barcelona, as captain entirety, that turns us into champions.”
a professional player and coach. He and as coach, had started back in In her soulful voice, Gladys Knight
was trained in physical education and 1984, when he had joined the club echoed the same sentiments when
football coaching; he had fantastic work as a skinny young boy. she sang “overnight success, I know it
experience at Sporting Clube, FC Porto doesn’t happen overnight”. The road to
and FC Barcelona (where Bobby Rob- From the perspective of coach educa- coaching stardom takes years of dedi-
son and Louis van Gaal were his men- tion, what do these two success stories cation, experience and learning. Some
tors) before dipping his toes deeper tell us? Firstly, that there are different talented coaches, such as José and
into the turbulent waters of coaching routes to the top of the coaching moun- Pep, simply sparkle earlier than others.
at SL Benfica and UD Leiria. At 39 years
old, backed by a mine of footballing
know-how and expertise in coaching
methodology, he took over at FC Porto.
In his first two seasons in charge of
‘The Dragons’, he won the Portuguese
Liga twice, the domestic cup, the
UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions
League. He was an overnight success,
but it was like a roof appearing on a
house that had taken years to build.
Tsarev/Epsilon/Getty Images

Pep Guardiola, who joined FC Barcelona

as a 13-year-old and first experienced
nights of European football as a ball-
boy at the Camp Nou, was spotted by
Johan Cruyff in the youth team and
quickly became the midfield fulcrum José Mourinho during a training session with Inter Milan

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 4

ARSÈNE WENGER

WITH ANDY ROXBURGH

AND GÉRARD HOULLIER

AT A UEFA COACHING

FORUM

UEFA-Woods
FOR OVER A DECADE UEFA HAS HAD THE SUPPORT OF MANY ILLUSTRIOUS COACHES.
THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE TECHNICIAN (SINCE 1997), THE TECHNICAL REPORTS AND THE ELITE CLUB
COACHES FORUM (SINCE 1999) WITH COMMENTS, INTERVIEWS AND IDEAS. THIS SPECIAL FEATURE
HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THE ‘WORDS OF WISDOM’ OFFERED TO US BY TOP-LEVEL COACHING COLLEAGUES,
ALONG WITH THE TECHNICIAN’S RESPONSE TO THEM. THE ALMOST RANDOM SELECTION FEATURES
SOME OF THE MEN OF CREATIVE THOUGHTS AND SUCCESSFUL ACTIONS WHO ARE AMONG OUR

FOOTBALL
PHILOSOPHERS
First to the microphone is: is often graphically verified by TV
pictures but also underlines the tech-
Arsène Wenger nician’s need to watch his body
(finalist in the UEFA Champions League, language and to transmit positive
European Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA messages to players, directors and
Cup, and winner of leagues, cups and the public via the media.
super cups in France, Japan and England)
“You must love the game and Sir Alex Ferguson
want to share with the players (league, cup and Cup Winners’ Cup
a certain way of life, a way champion with Aberdeen FC and
of seeing football.“ winner of just about everything since
Technician: This wonderful sentence taking over at Manchester United
provokes all sorts of reflections on the in November 1986, including two
degree of dedication which needs to go UEFA Champions League titles)
with the love of the game, the sacrifices “Playing wing backs, while
that the technician is required to make, using three central defenders,
the importance of having a clear vision represents a far less aggressive
of the sort of football you want your attacking philosophy than
team to play, and the management and operation with wingers.“
leadership qualities which will allow the Technician: The sentence illustrates
technician to implement that vision. how Sir Alex has built teams which
What’s more, the ‘sharing’ aspect neatly reflect a club credo of playing attractive
highlights the need to transmit your attack-minded football based not only
vision, your footballing lifestyle, to the on wingers but also on overlapping
Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

players and the ‘team behind the team’. runs by adventurous full-backs. But
Arsène is one of the game’s most stim- this is more than a structural approach.
ulating philosophers – constantly offer- It represents a philosophy which re-
ing comments which provoke profound sponds to the wishes of the supporters
reflection. Talking of reflections, his and to the passion for football which
observation “the coach’s face is a has traditionally underpinned the club.
Sir Alex Ferguson sends his team mirror to the health of the team“ The need to transmit the right mes-
on the attack. not only expresses an opinion which sages in the dressing room and on the

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 5

RAFAEL BENITEZ

WITH STEVEN GERRARD,

ONE OF HIS

STALWARTS AT

Getty Images
LIVERPOOL

training pitch is nicely expressed by the feeling that you know it all is one prepared to take the initiative and to
another of Sir Alex’s firmly held con- of the great danger signs. permit themselves an element of risk.
victions: “the drive, the hunger, the Defensive strategies can win games,
passion must be inside you, be- Giovanni Trapattoni he always maintained, but they rarely
cause players need to recognise (winner of all international competitions win titles. He also insisted on the im-
that you care.“ with Juventus; league champion in Italy portance of positive dynamics within
(seven times), Austria, Portugal and the group and the value of leadership
Louis van Gaal Germany; national team coach of Italy qualities – among players as well as
(UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and and, currently, the Republic of Ireland) the coach: “If you have the leader,
UEFA Champions League winner with “With a club I was a sculptor – others adapt.“
AFC Ajax; league, cup and super cup with the national team I’m
winner in the Netherlands and Spain) a blender.” Carlos Alberto Parreira
“I do not think it is fair to judge Technician: This is a typically wonderful (FIFA World Cup finalist with four
coaches purely on results. You and colourful sentence by ‘Trap’ which different countries and champion with
have to see how they work, judge highlights the differences between club Brazil; set to make it five as national
their philosophy and assess their and national team coaching. The sculp- team coach of South Africa)
relationship with the players.“ tor bases his day-to-day work on shap- “When we talk about stars,
Technician: Louis, in his usual direct ing a chunk of rock or metal into a work I don’t like those who just make
fashion, hits a nail on the head – and of art – in other words, designing and smoke, I like those who make
one which, if you’ll excuse a mixed building a team and developing the fire – the ones who perform.“
metaphor, is a thorn in the technician’s players which form it. The blender can Technician: Carlos grew up in an
side. At one club, Louis was on his select his ingredients but, when he has environment which has, traditionally,
way to the door when the players pub- them together, only has time to hit the offered immense riches in terms of solo
licly asked him to stay. Their wish was switch and mix them into instant food. ball skills. But he is not impressed by
granted – and rewarded with a league He has to be good at building quickly ‘tricksters’ who make smoke but no fire.
title. But there is not always justice and shrewdly with a view to producing He is a firm believer that each player
in terms of rewards for good work or effective performances at the highest should contribute his individual box
attempts to implant a new philosophy. possible level. Then, success for the
Sadly, the majority of coaches are national team coach in qualifying cam-
judged purely on results and, in many paigns entails an abrupt change of
cases, purely on immediate results scenario in terms of getting the group
rather than on their level of perform- together for an extended period of
ance or their contributions to entertain- cohabitation at the end of a gruelling
ing games of football. club season. The blender then has
to deal with a very different mix.
Rafael Benítez
(UEFA Cup champion with Valencia, Rinus Michels
UEFA Champions League winner (champion of Europe with Ajax and
with Liverpool, and winner of domestic the Netherlands; winner of leagues
trophies with both) and cups in Netherlands, Spain and
“I am always questioning, Germany)
always looking for new solutions, “Those who focused on the
new ways to proceed.“ best result rather than the best
Technician: This is another short football were less vulnerable
sentence which highlights one of the than others.“
crucial areas in coaching. Rafa expresses Technician: This was Rinus, one of
the need for the technician to have a football coaching’s genuine gurus,
restless mind, to be curious, to ques- taking a typically analytical look at the
tion facets of the job which are taken ingredients of winning sides. This
for granted, and to search for new solu- sentence had a factual basis: teams
Empics Sport

tions to perennial challenges. In other designed to be pragmatic and func-

words, his comment succinctly de- tional are less vulnerable. But Rinus’s
scribes coaching as a lifelong learning conviction was that the teams equipped Giovanni Trapattoni applauds his players
process and a profession in which to win titles were those who were at the end of a match.

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 6

Getty Images
OTTMAR HITZFELD AND OTTO REHHAGEL

of tricks to the collective team effort. theory that it takes a degree of genius to react to them or not, and being
He respects players with talent – but to create simplicity and that, if the open to changes in playing styles and
he wants talent to be translated into greatest teams are often described as lifestyles. The quick, short-passing game
team performance. “Top players do ‘making it look easy’, it is because a he mentions is epitomised by the cur-
things that others don’t expect,“ great deal of work has gone into the rent FC Barcelona team – but to what
he comments – and he places great creation of structures and environments extent can this style be implanted
value on creativity, with the proviso that in which talents can be expressed at elsewhere?
playmaking roles offers no excuses their maximum levels.
for laziness or for abstaining from the Roy Hodgson
collective effort. Ottmar Hitzfeld (successful with club sides and na-
(winner of 18 titles and the only coach tional teams in eight countries and, this
Otto Rehhagel to have won the UEFA Champions season, making history with Fulham’s
(league, cup and European Cup Win- League with two different clubs; current Europa League run)
ners’ Cup winner with Werder Bremen, coach of the Swiss national team) “The modern coach needs a philos-
league champion with Kaiserslautern, “Major changes have taken ophy, an expert eye and intuition.“
and champion of Europe with Greece) place during the last ten years. Technician: Eleven words which pro-
“I am the only man in Athens There was more space and the voke a lot of thought. The philosophy
who is allowed to drive in the passing was longer – now it’s has to be created, developed and imple-
bus lane.“ quick, short passing and every mented. The expert eye and the intuition
Technician: This comment, made at coach is well organised.“ are linked with footballing know-how, in-
a UEFA coaching event staged in the Technician: This is a significant com- nate talent and experience accumulated
wake of Greece’s victory at EURO 2004, ment by Ottmar because, despite over the years. But, amid today’s trend
is a lovely sample of Otto’s great sense the experience accumulated during towards sports science and performance
of fun. He was 65 when he allowed the decades of coaching, he has taken the analysis, are the expert eye and intuition
Greeks to don the European crown for time to step back and to analyse the being undervalued? Scientific input is
the first time, yet he never fails to trans- way the game has been constantly based on what has already happened;
mit a contagious youthful enthusiasm evolving. He believes that coaches intuition is an anticipation of what hap-
which creates a mood of confidence also need to evolve in terms of being pens next and what needs to be done in
in and around the dressing room. His aware of trends, deciding whether order to shape a team’s destiny.
humorous comment illustrates two
concepts: firstly, that the fun element
should never be allowed to disappear
from football and secondly, that, in
coaching, job satisfaction should not
be equated exclusively to financial re-
compense. The longer-lasting rewards
for a job well done are intangibles based
on admiration and public affection.

Luíz Felipe Scolari

(FIFA World Cup winner with Brazil
and silver medallist with Portugal
at EURO 2004)
“Everything must be kept simple –
do not complicate what is a sim-
ple business, a simple, beautiful
game.“
Technician: ‘Big Phil’ expresses one
of the concepts which has kept Brazilian
football at the top of the tree. But any-
Empics Sport

body who knows him will testify that his

method of ‘keeping things simple’ is
based on large doses of dedication and Roy Hodgson, with Zoltan Gera and keeper Mark Schwarzer, celebrates
hard work. His comment supports the as Fulham qualify for the Europa League semis.

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 7

JOSÉ MOURINHO GIVES I NSTRUCTIONS

TO JAVIER ZANETTI AND ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO

IN THE RETURN LEG OF THEI R

PA Wire/PA Images
ROUND OF 16 TI E AGAI NST CHELSEA

IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

Marcello Lippi champion with Olympique Lyonnais; up team spirit, being aware of
(steeped in Italian club and national currently France’s technical director) medical issues. Above all, you
team culture; currently back with “Win as a team – lose alone.“ have to develop your leadership
the national team; the only coach to Technician: In few words, Gérard skills.“
have won the FIFA World Cup and highlights one of the stark realities of Technician: The transition from
the UEFA Champions League) the coaching profession. Despite the playing to coaching is a path that has
“You have to make each camaraderie, it is essentially a solitary, been trodden by the majority of
player feel equally useful, but lonely job. The ultimate responsibilities modern technicians. Fabio’s descrip-
not indispensable.“ that go with the role include accepting tion highlights the importance of
Technician: Marcello’s comment is not only defeats but also the conse- working towards a vision while devel-
a neat way of summarising the some- quences of those defeats. The coach oping management and, above all,
times complex task of blending person- has to provide explanations to the leadership qualities.
alities into an effective unit and motivat- players, to the other echelons within
ing players without taking their feet off the club and to the public, via the
the ground. At national team level, the media. One of the coach’s major
ability to take a country’s top individuals challenges is to set the team back on
and build them into a workforce with track after a run of poor results.
a strong team ethic is one of the major
challenges for the technician. Marcello Vanderlei Luxemburgo
also comments: “Many coaches have (Brazil’s most successful coach with
had difficult relationships with 20 state and national titles and one
great attackers – at the end of the Copa América with the national team;
career the player thanks the coach UEFA Champions League participant
for helping him to understand the with Real Madrid)
whole game.“ In the meantime, the “To be afraid of losing removes
coach has to find the optimal method the willingness to win.“
of getting the best from each individual. Technician: Vanderlei, whose teams
play creative, attacking football, believes
José Mourinho that the fear factor is the greatest
(currently at FC Internazionale; UEFA enemy to a winning mentality – in both
Cup and UEFA Champions League win- players and coaches. Arsène Wenger
ner with FC Porto; winner of leagues also believes that, in major competi-

PA Wire/PA Images
and cups in Portugal, England and Italy) tions such as the UEFA Champions
“I use a global method. Yes, I use League, mental strength is a key asset.
direct methods when preparing Fear of failure rapidly translates into
our organisation, but I also use diluted ambitions. As Vanderlei also
Fabio Capello with England international
guided discovery where I create insists: “Victory goes to those who Wayne Rooney
the practice, dictate the aim, and are faster – to develop, to improve,
the players come up with differ- to play.“ In summary, without a clear phi-
ent solutions.“ losophy of the game, a coach is like
Technician: José has demonstrated Fabio Capello a ship without a rudder. Of course,
that, in getting the best out of players, (32 caps for Italy, 328 games in Serie A, players and circumstances can have
modern approaches on the training nine league titles as coach in Italy and an impact on performances, but in
ground and carefully thought-out coach- Spain, UEFA Champions League winner the long run, the technician is there
ing methodology have an important in 1994, and current England national to convey his beliefs and affect the
role to play. One of his talents is to set team manager) footballing behaviour of his players.
targets and achieve them. “You need “When you are a player, all you One of Andy Roxburgh’s favourite
to have a clear philosophy to know have to do is think about your proverbs comes from Spain: “It is
what you want and how to get it.“ own game, your fitness, your diet, not the same to talk of bulls as
etc. – you train, you go home, and to be in the bullring.“ Our leading
Gérard Houllier that’s it. But when you become a coaches have not only succeeded
(winner of four domestic cups, the manager, you have to think about in the football ‘bullring’ but also have
UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup the physical and mental prepara- enough wisdom to articulate their
with Liverpool; league and super cup tion of the whole squad, building views about that experience.

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 8

GÉRARD HOULLIER HIGHLIGHTS

THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL-ORGANISED

Sportsfile
‘TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM’.

ORGANISING
THE BACK ROOM IT IS A SIGNIFICANT SIGN OF THE TIMES THAT THERE IS A HEALTHY LEVEL OF
CROSS-FERTILISATION BETWEEN AREAS OF THE GAME THAT, IN THE PAST, WERE RUN AS ‘INDEPENDENT
STATES’ OR, IT HAS TO BE SAID, DIDN’T EVEN EXIST. IN THE PREVIOUS ISSUE OF THE TECHNICIAN,
ONE OF THE TOPICS WAS THE IMPACT OF SPORTS SCIENCE ON THE COACHING PROFESSION – AND THIS
WAS CROSS-FERTILISED BY SOME OF THE ISSUES RAISED AT THE RECENT UEFA MEDICAL SYMPOSIUM
IN SWEDEN AND RECORDED IN OUR MEDICAL PUBLICATION, MEDICINE MATTERS. ONE OF THEM WAS
“THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEAM DOCTOR AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COACH”.

It served to highlight the need for the coaches, fitness trainers, physios, kit ence. Medical information, nutrition
modern technician to organise and men, masseurs, doctors, sports scien- and the preparation of players has
captain an efficient ‘team behind the tists and other specialists in areas such reached another level. Today we have
team’ which, as Gérard Houllier insists, as sports psychology. As with a football a full-time doctor, five physios, a fitness
“not only performs specific tasks but team, one member who doesn’t per- coach, a weights coach, an optom-
also has a role to play in creating the form effectively can undermine the etrist...” Sir Alex is the first to admit that
atmosphere around the team”. As Andy results and morale of the entire group. a head coach is no longer a one-man
Roxburgh pointed out in Stockholm, band and that a boot room would be
today’s top coach is the leading edge “Things have changed in the last hard-pressed to accommodate meet-
of a group which frequently consists 25 years,” Sir Alex Ferguson comments, ings of the backroom staff. The chal-
of assistant coaches, goalkeeping “particularly in the area of sports sci- lenge is therefore to select staff as well
as players and to build teams – in the
plural – rather than just a team.

Having built a ‘team behind the team’,

the head coach is required to lubricate
the machinery to ensure that it runs
smoothly in all conditions. As György
Mezey, the former Hungarian national
team manager who now shares his
working life between FC Videoton
and the Puskas Academy, maintains,
“integration is a key word for the team
behind the team.”

This was the theme taken up during

the medical event in Stockholm by the
former Swedish national team coach
Lars Lagerbäck (now head coach of the
Nigerian national team) and a member
Getty Images

of his backroom staff, Dr Paul Balsom,

the Swedish national association’s per-
formance manager. They jointly high-
FC Barcelona are well aware of the importance of good cooperation between the medical team and lighted the importance of fully integrat-
technical staff in order to make the most of the talents of players such as Messi and Xavi Hernández. ing the backroom staff – including the

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 9

DR PAUL BALSOM MAKES

A PRESENTATION AT THE UEFA MEDICAL

Sportsfile
SYMPOSIUM IN STOCKHOLM.

medical team – into the daily life of the ery strategies, training/team selection ical/sports-science team and the tech-
squad. As they both agreed, one of the based on needs (considering require- nical staff. Other explanations included
premises for total integration is a clear ment to rest players, etc). This is where the contribution by assistant coaches
demarcation of responsibilities, allied the core values, beliefs and leadership in implanting a serious training ethic,
with fluent and regular flows of commu- qualities of the modern-day coach the importance of adhering to protocols
nication. Spheres of influence need to become critical.” He went on to add, of injury prevention and treatment, the
be precisely traced, with those respon- “the performance decisions made by ‘luxury’ of having a sufficiently strong
sible for medical care and performance the support team need professional squad for players nursing minor injuries
assessment offering input to leisure acceptance. Key decisions, such as to be rested, the implementation of
activities as well as the intensity of train- when a player can return, should NOT individualised nutrition, preparation and
ing sessions. In Stockholm, one of the be tainted by the opinion of the coach.” injury-prevention programmes, and
discussion points was the tendency for
coaches to take members of their ‘team
behind the team’ with them when they
move to a different team. In the past,
this was generally restricted to assistant
coaches. These days, it is not unusual
for the coach to arrive at his job with a
member of his medical staff at his side.

At the medical symposium, the team

doctor’s responsibilities were perceived
to focus on safeguarding the players’
health, injury prevention, the care and
rehabilitation of injured players, leading
the medical team, providing medical
advice and establishing links within the
medical profession. The physio could
be regarded as responsible for imple-
menting injury prevention, care and re-

Sportsfile
habilitation, and lifestyle counselling, in-
cluding the use of leisure time, hygiene
in living habits, nutrition and safety.
Discussions at the symposium in Stockholm
But areas of responsibility can differ
from team to team. One of the opera- This categorical statement illustrates work done on the psychological front
tional questions to emerge from Stock- the need to find the right balance to ensure that the players attain an
holm, for example, was whether the between the medical and footballing optimal mental balance.
fitness coach is to be considered a standpoints. The transcendental impor-
member of the coaching staff or part tance of certain matches can justify The modern coach therefore has to
of the medical team. In other words, is an element of risk-taking. With the full be prepared to take on board per-
there a need to mark a line in the sand consensus of all concerned – including, formance-indicating information when
between the concepts of ‘fitness’ and obviously, the player himself – Andrés it comes to making his team selection.
‘coach’? It is then up to the head coach Iniesta played all but the closing sec- The days of ‘my eye is the best judge’
to determine how, when and to what onds of added time in the 2009 UEFA are numbered – if not definitively
extent the fitness coach contributes to Champions League final in Rome, over. “It would be impossible to work
work on the training ground. aware of the risk of aggravating a thigh in the same way as I did in 1986,”
muscle injury. The grandeur of the says Sir Alex Ferguson. “It’s too big a
Paul Balsom, following up his presence fixture justified an exception to a rule. beast now to be hands-on with every-
in Stockholm by contributing an article thing. Delegating is essential. I’ve
to Medicine Matters, commented, “to FC Barcelona feature among the top learned at this level you need good
be effective, sports-science and medical teams who take part in UEFA’s ongoing people around you. I trust them and
practitioners must be able to influence injury study. Recently, the clubs with rely on them. There must be about
key decisions with respect to injury- the most favourable injury statistics 40 people who report to me now,
reducing or performance-enhancing were asked to offer opinions about why quite apart from the players.” Manag-
aspects such as training loads (duration they achieved such good results. Many ing the ‘team behind the team’ has
and intensity), training content (e.g. of them highlighted the importance of now become a significant part of the
gym-based v on-field activities), recov- good collaboration between the med- top technician’s responsibilities.

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 10

ANDRÉS I NI ESTA (6) AND XAVI HERNÁNDEZ (8),

Getty Images
BARCELONA’S MI DFI ELD DUO, TEAM UP FOR SPAIN

AGAI NST GERMANY I N THE EURO 2008 FI NAL.

LEARNING TO READ
UEFA’S PRESIDENT, MICHEL PLATINI, ALWAYS MAINTAINS THAT HIS GREATEST GIFT AS A PLAYER WAS
HIS ABILITY TO ‘READ THE GAME’. THE EXPRESSION IS EXTENSIVELY USED IN THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL,
YET NO DICTIONARY DEFINITION CAN BE FOUND. MICHEL HIMSELF FINDS IT DIFFICULT TO
FIND A RATIONAL EXPLANATION FOR HOW THIS SPECIAL TALENT WAS DEVELOPED. HENCE FOOTBALL’S
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: CAN ‘READING THE GAME’ BE TAUGHT OR COACHED?

It is a quality which can certainly be Michel Platini was accompanied in responses to situations and capacity to
associated with clarity of vision – espe- midfield by Alain Giresse and Jean anticipate and cut out the through pass.
cially the sort of peripheral vision which Tigana, two creative players who, in
can broaden the picture. A team-mate terms of physical and footballing In both attacking and defending modes,
of Cesc Fàbregas at Arsenal FC recently stature, might easily be compared to reading the game could be defined as
said “he seems to see absolutely today’s FC Barcelona and Spain duo an ability to convert images into mes-
everything around him as if he also of Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta. sages and immediately translate them
had eyes in the back of his head.” Critical appraisal of all four focuses into actions.
on their contributions to attacking play
When assessing players, reading the and often obviates their talent for re- Those who have made the transition
game tends to be associated with the gaining possession. The ball is not won from playing to coaching can testify that
ability to locate opponents and team- by physical presence or crunching the game needs to be read in a differ-
mates and to detect spaces and exploit tackles – it is much more about reading ent way by the coach. There is less
them with passes or runs. But the the game well enough to anticipate the emphasis on immediacy and instant
expression is more seldom used when next movement or the next pass. For responses. The move from pitch to bench
discussing defensive aspects of team the defender, ability to read the game could be likened to a journalist who
play. In the French side of the 1980s, might become apparent in positional switches from live TV commentary to
writing more considered reports for a
newspaper. In reading the game, the
coach often has to curb his or her instinc-
tive attention to detail and be more
discerning in filtering the flow of informa-
tion. It is easy to become confused –
or confusing – by the sheer volume of
details. Reading the game requires
an ability to highlight the most relevant
sentences in many pages of text.

The coach will measure his capacity

to read the game by the number of deci-
sions that help to produce a favourable
outcome. The UEFA Champions League –
the competition where the coaches feel
they are being tested to the limit – pro-
duces some striking examples. Claude
Puel, for instance, laid the foundations for
Olympique Lyonnais’ victory over Real
Getty Images

Madrid CF in the first knockout round with

two changes during the half-time interval
of the second leg at the Estadio Santiago
Cesc Fàbregas, with an FC Porto player on each side, is an expert at reading the game. Bernabéu. Having started with a 4-1-4-1

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 11

Sportsfile
FITNESS TEST FOR THE REFEREES I N MALTA

structure, he moved his midfield pivot Among them were the ten European and methods of improving this ability.
(Jérémy Toulalan) into the back four referees who, hours later, appeared on Discussion was sparked off by DVD
and injected Kim Källström and Maxime the list of match officials selected for clips from EURO 2008 and the UEFA
Gonalons in the midfield holding roles the FIFA World Cup. So, the best of Champions League which illustrated
of a 4-2-3-1 formation. By changing wishes to Olegário Benquerença (Por- the importance of positioning – and,
the shape of his team, he changed the tugal), Massimo Busacca (Switzerland), in refereeing, ‘positioning’ is all about
shape of the game. Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium), Martin making the right runs at the right time.
Hansson (Sweden), Viktor Kassai But, whereas a player’s running is all
During the 2008 final between Man- (Hungary), Stéphane Lannoy (France), about making the best angles to receive
chester United and Chelsea, Sir Alex Roberto Rosetti (Italy), Wolfgang Stark passes, the referee’s running is about
Ferguson did likewise, but in a different (Germany), Alberto Undiano Mallenco making the best angles for a clear
situation. By the middle of the second (Spain) and Howard Webb (England). vision of play.
half, Chelsea were enjoying territorial
advantage and threatening the United In Malta, the programme featured a The referees were also confronted
goal. Sir Alex reorganised his 4-2-1-3 practical session aimed at coaching the with a number of situations where
into a 4-3-3 formation to mirror Chel- referees’ judgement and positioning in they needed to be on ‘red alert’, with
sea’s three-man midfield, with Wayne player simulation situations, and assess- Andy Roxburgh explaining some of the
Rooney in a wide right berth and Carlos ing their reactions in terms of how of- moves rehearsed on training grounds
Tévez at the apex of the attack. “We had fences should be most appropriately and examining examples of legit-
to make sure at that moment that they punished. Extensive DVD analysis was imate and not so legitimate blocking
didn’t get control of the game, because aimed at unifying criteria and reactions, manoeuvres frequently employed to
I knew we would get stronger the longer protecting players from reckless or over- gain space for an attacking team-mate
it lasted,“ Sir Alex said afterwards. In zealous challenges, appropriate punish- at corners or free-kicks.
other words, this was a coaching answer ment for holding, pulling and pushing
to the nimble ball-winning midfielders, offences in the penalty area, and a “The more you know, the easier it be-
with shrewd reading of the game trans- best-practice approach to detecting and comes to see things during the game,”
lating into anticipation. Sir Alex was read- dealing with simulation. he commented, “and the better you
ing the writing on the wall. are at reading the game, the easier it is
All this dovetailed with Andy Roxburgh’s to make the right calls and the greater
When questions about educating session, which addressed the impor- the chance of the game being exciting,
players and coaches in reading the tance of being able to read the game fair and spectacular.”
game are extended to referees, even
more fundamental differences become
apparent. Unlike players and coaches,
match officials do not have the same
opportunities to ‘live the game’ in sus-
tained sequences of training and match
play. Preparation can certainly help –
and Pierluigi Collina was among the
frontrunners in terms of doing his
homework on the modus operandi of
the teams and their defensive mecha-
nisms. On the one hand, anticipation
is less critical for the referee; on the
other hand, referees and players share
the need to read situations and take
decisions in fractions of a second.

These factors prompted a session

directed by UEFA’s technical director,
Andy Roxburgh, when over 100 inter-
Getty Images

national referees (evenly split between

international newcomers and experi-
enced campaigners already in the elite
and premier categories) got together in Cristiano Ronaldo soars above the rest in the 2008 Champions League final
Malta for UEFA’s annual referee courses. between Manchester United and Chelsea.

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 12

THE NATIONAL TEAM BRI NGS

Getty Images
TOGETHER THE FOOTBALL FANS

OF AN ENTI RE COUNTRY.

NATIONAL TEAM FOOTBALL:

AN IDENTITY PARADE?
FIVE YEARS AGO, BEFORE HE LED ITALY TO VICTORY IN THE FIFA WORLD CUP,
MARCELLO LIPPI COMMENTED: “THE NATIONAL TEAM REPRESENTS THE FOOTBALL OF THE COUNTRY.
ITALIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL IS NOT REPRESENTED BY ITS CLUBS. NOT BY JUVENTUS
OR MILAN OR ROMA, IN THE SAME WAY THAT GERMAN FOOTBALL ISN’T REALLY REPRESENTED
BY FC BAYERN OR DORTMUND OR BREMEN. NATIONAL PRIDE AND CHARACTERISTICS COME TO THE
FORE IN THE NATIONAL TEAM. AT A CLUB, YOU CAN’T CLAIM THAT A SQUAD WHICH CONTAINS
17 OR 18 IMPORTED PLAYERS REPRESENTS NATIONAL IDENTITY. IT’S ONLY THE NATIONAL TEAM THAT
CAN CLAIM THAT. SO FAR, I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT HAS BEEN A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ME
TO WORK WITH AN ALL-ITALIAN GROUP AND TO FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL IDENTITY.”

Since Marcello pronounced those emotional scale of an entire nation, The challenge is to translate these
words, the globalisation of club foot- from joy and happiness to frustration unanimous sentiments into a plan of
ball has marched onwards, making and despair” (Holger Osieck), “players action for establishing and protecting
the question of developing and main- represent their nation for love, glory national identity. Marcello Lippi’s will-
taining a football identity within a and pride in a team that unites the ingness to accept responsibility for the
national association an even more supporters of the whole country” Italian identity is underpinned by the
relevant topic – one which has been (Gérard Houllier), and “the national fact that a vast majority of his squad
extensively discussed by UEFA’s team is the lifeblood of a country’s play their football in Serie A and are
Football Committee, chaired by Franz football” (Berti Vogts). therefore steeped in Italian football
Beckenbauer, and one which has,
more than once, also appeared on
the agenda of the Development and
Technical Assistance Committee.

In the meantime, the immense public

interest in major tournaments for na-
tional teams has highlighted the im-
portance of national identities. And it
doesn’t take too much delving into the
archives to find compelling testimony
from leading technicians, such as “the
national team is part of the national
culture and, during great events, teams
and their supporters form something
of national value” (György Mezey),
“the national team remains the focal
point of a nation’s football, capable
of rousing great fervour and emotions
Empics Sport

and of unifying the whole country

behind their team” (Roy Hodgson),
“the national team provides the full Universal pride and joy in Italy

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 The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 13

LARS LAGERBÄCK, SURROUNDED BY

Getty Images
SWEDISH PLAYERS AT EURO 2008, IS LEADI NG

NIGERIA TO THE 2010 WORLD CUP.

charge of the Ivory Coast’s Group G

campaign against North Korea, Portu-
gal and Brazil.

Barring further changes, there will

be 18 European technicians on the
benches in South Africa. Many of
them are on short-term contracts
and, as also pointed out in our last
issue, 8 of the 13 coaches who’ll be
heading for South Africa at the head
of European national teams were
appointed as recently as 2008. There
are therefore legitimate questions
about whether it is reasonable to ask
Marcello and his coaching colleagues

Empics Sport
to be solely “responsible for the
national identity”. This is evidently an
issue to be faced on wider fronts
at national association level.

Fernando Torres’s goal in the EURO 2008 final Policies and action plans are in-
evitably influenced by the scenario
culture week in, week out. Other na- Looking at the topic from a different within an individual association.
tional team coaches are confronted with perspective, how difficult is it to de- But there are common denominators.
very different scenarios. At EURO 2008, velop a national identity if the coach Sweden could be taken as an exam-
only 52.4% of squad members – and is from a different country? Since taking ple of a country where the tendency
less than half of the regular starters – the England job, Fabio Capello has is for top players to emigrate. Seven
were playing in their home countries. been at pains to promote English of their 23-man squad (including
But was it purely coincidence that the virtues, to fast-track players through the two goalkeepers) at EURO 2008
percentage of home-based players was age-limit teams, and to embrace the were home-based. The preservation
81.5% among the four semi-finalists? English football culture. This, it has to of a national identity can therefore
Or that 17 of the 22 starters in the be said, it not always easy. For example, be traced back to the social and
final were playing at home in Spain’s a European technician appointed as footballing contexts in which players
La Liga or Germany’s Bundesliga? coach of a national team on another have been brought up, the coaches
continent may find that over 90% of who have moulded their skills and
The reality of national team football in his potential squad members are at their way of thinking, and the valu-
many other associations is that the top European clubs. This has logistical ad- able international experience gained
players are widely spread around the vantages in that watching them be- from pulling on the national jersey
continent. A look at the squads who comes relatively easy. But it becomes to play in the youth teams.
are heading to South Africa in a few more difficult to assess the national
weeks will reveal that in other confeder- identity of the country where the hopes The relevance of age-limit compe-
ations the tendency is magnified, with and dreams of millions are pinned to titions in terms of developing a na-
a majority of players based at long-haul performances by him and his players. tional identity was spectacularly illus-
distances from their native country. trated by the Spanish national side
Gravitation towards Europe has given Incidentally, there are now five Euro- which took the European title in
birth to a trend towards playing interna- pean technicians who’ll be leading non- Vienna two years ago. From goal-
tional fixtures on neutral European soil, European national teams into the FIFA keeper Iker Casillas to striker Fer-
leading to even less frequent contact World Cup finals. Following the most re- nando Torres, the team had amassed
between players at European clubs and cent appointments, Lars Lagerbäck will tremendous riches in terms of expe-
their home countries and cultures. be at the Nigerian helm against Argen- rience – and gold medals – at youth
p cs Spo t

tina, South Korea and Greece, while his levels from Under-16 to Under-20.
And what about the increasing cross- compatriot Sven-Göran Eriksson, taking Torres, who scored the only goal in
border movements of technicians? over from Vahid Halilhodzic, will be in the Vienna final, had done the same

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Sportsfile
ENGLAND V UKRAINE

I N THE FI NAL OF THE EUROPEAN

UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP

for Spain’s Under-16s against France focusing more tightly on candidates Some national team coaches still
in Sunderland in 2001, when Andrés who are national residents. In other suffer frustrations when it comes to
Iniesta was one of his squad-mates. words, if the development and mainte- securing the release of players for
Captain Iker Casillas had built up an nance of a football identity is to feature youth tournaments by clubs who turn
immense track record at Under-16 and in a national association’s educational a blind eye to the benefits of giving
Under-18 tournaments, Meridian Cups programmes, it would make sense to their budding talents opportunities to
and Under-17 and Under-20 world concentrate on pupils who can identify encounter other football cultures –
championships – winning gold at the with and contribute to the project. something which can only be positive
latter level alongside Xavi Hernández preparation for participation in interna-
in 1999. David Silva and Cesc Fàbregas In a context of increasing globalisa- tional club competitions. There have
won silver medals at the 2003 tion, the effectiveness of player devel- even been cases of players’ agents
U-17 World Cup. opment programmes take on even instructing their young protégés to
greater importance. Very often, young stay in pre-season training camps with
It was generally accepted that one players need opportunities to pull on their clubs rather than gain interna-
of the major contributing factors to and identify with the national jersey tional experience at UEFA’s U19 finals,
Spanish success was the extension before career paths might be diverted traditionally staged in July. In this
of the youth teams’ playing culture into towards distant shores. In this area, respect, the elaboration by UEFA and
a senior team with a distinct identity UEFA’s committees have reflected FIFA of an international youth calendar
based on technique, ball possession deeply on the value of national centres represents a major forward move.
and nimble short-passing combinations and schools of football in helping to
among players who were, physically forge skills, styles and philosophies. Another area where significant
at least, by no means in the giant progress is being made is in the
category. Marcello Lippi is convinced At the same time, the feeling is that graphic expression of national identi-
that “Italy could never play like Spain”. there is a tendency for grassroots ties. When it was conceived at the
and youth football to be undervalued. beginning of the 1990s, the UEFA
The whole process of developing a Promotion work needs to be strong Champions League set benchmarks
national identity therefore permeates enough to persuade clubs to recognise in terms of branding the competition
deeply into a coach education philoso- the value of international experience in and giving it an easily discernable
phy, where there may be grounds for the development of elite youth players. identity. Once the impact had been
measured, national associations be-
gan to take notice and to work on
ways of ‘branding’ their national teams
and giving them a visual identity to
go with the sentimental attachments.
Although the concept of branding
is traditionally linked with the world
of marketing, it can also represent
a non-commercial way of allowing
supporters to visually display their
allegiances – as spectacularly illus-
trated by the 4.2 million fans who
brought life and colour into the fan
zones in Austria and Switzerland
during EURO 2008.

“Recent major tournaments have

not only reconfirmed the sporting
value of national team football,”
comments UEFA’s technical director,
Action Images/Sibley

Andy Roxburgh, “but have also

demonstrated the public’s commit-
ment to the international game
and their desire to express a national
One of the EURO 2008 fan zones in Vienna identity through their team.”

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 15

TRAINING
ROUTINE
BY GYÖRGY MEZEY
AG E N DA
UEFA-Woods

Coach of FC Videoton (Hungary) and

Head of the Puskás Academy 2010
May 12
● UEFA Europa League Final
(Hamburg)

May 18 – 30
● 9th European Under-17 Cham-
pionship – Final Tournament
(Liechtenstein)

May 19
● 1st
UEFA Grassroots Day
(Madrid)

May 20
● UEFAWomen’s Champions
League Final (Madrid)
Aim
● To combine technical, tactical and fitness elements into May 22
a finishing exercise. ● UEFAChampions League Final
(Madrid)
Rules
a) A player from each line plays a one-two and shoots at goal. May 24 – June 05
● 9thEuropean Women’s
b) The same players immediately take part in a 2 v 2 challenge, with
a cross from the right. Under-19 Championship –
Final Tournament
c) The same players continue forward and repeat the 2 v 2 challenge,
(FYR Macedonia)
this time with a cross from the left.
d) The players then return to the back of their original line.
June 11 – July 11
e) The practice continues with the next two attackers. ● FIFAWorld Cup (South Africa)

Timing June 22 – 26
● At a top professional club, this can last up to 45 minutes. ● 3rd European Women’s
The target is for each player to complete ten runs. (The goals tally
Under-17 Championship —
of each player is recorded.)
Final Tournament (Nyon)

Coaching
July 18 – 30
● Work on combinations and finishing.
● 9th European Under-19
● Develop twin-striker movement and finishing (usually in the air) Championship – Final Tourna-
from well-delivered crosses. ment (France)
● Maintain quality, despite intensity.

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The Technician N°46•E:Anglais 15.4.2010 16:11 Page 16

UEFA
Route de Genève 46 Union des associations
CH-1260 Nyon européennes de football
Switzerland
Phone +41 848 00 27 27
Fax +41 22 707 27 34
uefa.com