I N T E R V I E W : Valeriy Gazzaev

I N T E R V I E W

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR. 

HE HAS AN INFECTIOUS SMILE AND HE HAS MUCH TO SMILE ABOUT. VALERIY GAZZAEV, THE HEAD COACH OF PFC CSKA MOSKVA, WAS A TOP PROFESSIONAL PLAYER, HAS WON MANY TITLES AS A COACH, AND OWNS A SHARE IN AN OIL WELL. AS A PLAYER, HE WON THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AT UNDER-23 (1976) AND UNDER-21 (1980) LEVELS, WAS A BRONZE MEDALLIST FOR THE USSR AT THE 1980 OLYMPIC GAMES AND LIFTED THE SOVIET CUP (1984) AS A MEMBER OF THE FC DINAMO MOSKVA SQUAD - HE SCORED 89 GOALS IN 283 APPEARANCES IN THE TOP SOVIET LEAGUE.

IN HIS MANAGERIAL ROLE, THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL STRIKER (EIGHT APPEARANCES AND FOUR GOALS FOR THE USSR), HAS CAPTURED THE RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR TIMES (ONCE WITH SPARTAK ALANIA-VLADIKAVKAZ AND THE OTHERS WITH CSKA MOSKVA), THE RUSSIAN CUP THREE TIMES (ALL WITH CSKA MOSKVA), AND BECAME THE FIRST RUSSIAN COACH TO LIFT THE UEFA CUP (2005), WHEN CSKA MOSKVA BEAT SPORTING CLUBE DE PORTUGAL IN THE FINAL IN LISBON. THE MAN FROM VLADIKAVKAZ WAS RUSSIA'S COACH OF THE YEAR IN 2005, COACH OF THE NATIONAL TEAM FOR A SHORT PERIOD, AND RECEIVED THE ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP AND THE ORDER OF HONOUR FROM THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. IN HIS PLAYING DAYS, HE WAS KNOWN AS A WIZARD WITH THE BALL, AND AS A COACH HE HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS MOMENTS OF MAGIC TO BECOME ONE OF RUSSIA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL TECHNICIANS. A PARTICIPANT IN UEFA'S ELITE CLUB COACHES FORUM

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND A MEMBER OF UEFA'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP IN 2006 AND 2007, HE IS THE MAN WITH THE SMILE - HE IS...

VALERIY GAZZAEV

1 • What was the reaction in Russia when you won the UEFA Cup?

Of course, this was a great success because never before had a Russian club won a European trophy. It was a big celebration and recognition for the whole nation. The president of the country gave us a reception in the Kremlin and the reaction from everyone was amazing. We won because we had good players, a good president and a good coach (he laughs and the smile sparkles). The commitment was total and everyone did his job professionally.

The key was balance - the balance between our Brazilian and Russian players allowed us to benefit from the qualities of each group.

2 • What system of play do you use with CSKA Moskva?

All my career at CSKA Moskva, I have used the same system - with three defenders, five midfielders and two strikers. The two wing backs have always done a great job both defensively and offensively. Since 2001, we have won many trophies playing in this way and my players like this system of play. The most important aspect for us is that we are very well organised and responsible in our defensive work - everybody has his clearly defined job. The second key is having five in midfield, not just quantity but also quality. We can really build up the attacks, particularly with the use of our fast players on the flanks. The high level of our twin strikers completes the team unit and Produces a system which I am very comfortable with. Last season in the UEFA Champions League, we scored 16 goals and only conceded four, so the system works for us. I find that three at the back is more secure because, first and foremost, they know what to do defensively and they remain in place, while a zonal four can become stretched and imbalanced - the latter has quantity but for me the former has greater security.

3 • You have four Brazilians in your team. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

When we got our Brazilian players they were not famous - they were young boys when they came to us. During their time with us, they have matured into Brazilian national team players, and now CSKA is the only team giving

four players to the Brazilian national team. These players have great technical qualities, they are very professional, and they are a big plus for us because we win many matches on account of their quality. The big disadvantage is that we lose them when they are away with Brazil.

4 • How would you describe your training methods?

Firstly, we focus on intensity because today's game is very quick and high tempo. Therefore, my training is intense and close to the match situation. Of course, we do a lot of tactical work, together with coordination and fluid movement - these elements are combined. Usually, I incorporate the tactics we will use in the game - the physical aspect is also included, so it is a combined, complex approach. We do practical exercises on pressing, which are exhausting because they require everyone to work hard. I never hold training sessions for longer than one hour and fifteen minutes, but they are very concentrated and demanding in order to push everybody up to the match level.

5 • What are the tactical trends in Russian football?

I would say that the tactical trends are similar to those in the rest of Europe. Many use 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 but the quality of the play is not as high as the top UEFA Champions League teams. The only one who is not following the trends is me. Most of the clubs are playing cautiously, building from defence and playing counter-attack - the aim is mainly not to lose.

6 • The next UEFA Champions League final will be in Moscow. What can we expect?

Firstly, I hope that a Russian club will be in the final. It is a great honour for Russia to get the final and we will do everything to make it a big success. For the whole country and for the association, it is an important development. It will attract a great deal of attention to football and I am sure it will be a well-organised, spectacular final. I agree with the decision to play on real grass, although the artificial surface in Moscow is good. The level of organisation will be high and Moscow will do its utmost to welcome everybody.

7 • Do you think that a team from Russia is capable of winning the UEFA Champions League in the near future?

There has been a lot of investment in the game in Russia, including the infrastructure, and the competitive level has improved, with eight or nine top clubs of a similar standard. I believe that in the near future we are capable of having a team in the final of the UEFA Champions League. It is really only in the last six years that we have become fully professional in Russian football and we are now experiencing a rapid development in the game. I think that in five years' time we can have one of the top five championships in Europe. Now we are investing in quality players, and top coaches are coming to Russia, so the trend is towards the top European level.

8 • Who were your favourite players and coaches?

I believe every coach should have his own way. We should not copy - yes, I like Sir Alex Ferguson and I respect his work, but the key is to find your own way. Oleg Blokhin, who I played with, was a great player, as was Lev Yashin and, of course, Valerii Lobanovskyi was an outstanding coach in the former USSR.

9 • Is there still a distinctive Russian style of football?

I don't think that there is a Russian style of playing football because we have many foreign players and coaches.

Of course, there is South American and European football, and we are part of the latter. Maybe there was a Soviet style, but now modern Russia does not have a distinctive way of playing.

10 • How do you handle today's top professionals?

It is a big problem to handle top professionals nowadays, but I can deal with that. I am constantly working on psychology and I have intense discussions with the players, trying to make them understand that money is only

part of the equation. They need to work for their name - their reputation. It is not an easy task, but I feel that I can cope. I am always touching the human aspect - they are football players, but their behaviour is also important. They need to learn from their experiences because it will benefit them later in life, and I communicate regularly with the players on a one- to-one basis. Strict discipline in the team is a priority for us - it is the base.

Then come the individual discussions and the personal development. Of course, you cannot make players from the outside (such as the Brazilians) love Russia, but you can get them to respect the traditions here and to do their job as professionals. The Brazilians love Brazil, naturally, so we experience a difference in mentality between our Russian players and those who have come from South America.

11 • What do you think are the most important qualities of a modern coach?

As a coach you need to be aware of the culture where the players come from and react accordingly. There needs to be a very good relationship between the coach and the player, no matter their place of origin. The coach needs to be a strong character and a good psychologist. I read a lot and I prepare myself to deal with the various psychological problems. When the players think that the coach is not a strong character, then everything can be lost, even if he has all the tactical knowledge and an outstanding ability to read the game.

12 • Do you see a difference between Eastern Europe and the West in the approach to the game?

I think there is a difference between the East and the West. We in Russia have just started with a professional life, including the contractual duties of a player, dealing with the owner/president, etc. All of this is new to our people and the mentality is different in the East. But I see things changing and gradually we are moving towards the same standards as those in the leading Western countries. However, I must admit that there is a difference today, although respect for the players and the coaches is going up and up.

13 • For you, what are the best and the worst aspects of football today?

For the last 100 years, football has been the most popular game and I love it. However, some developments have disappointed me. I do not agree with the current interpretation of the offside law because many are afraid and therefore play cautiously. This is a negative trend in the game. Also, football is so popular that it can create jealousy when some get too much money or too much fame. From a positive perspective, I will never forget the emotion of winning the UEFA Cup. Winning and collecting trophies is always a wonderful experience in football, and the game's appeal continues to grow throughout the world.

14 • What does the future hold for Russian football and for Valeriy Gazzaev?

I think that the future of Russian football is bright and I see myself coming back to the national team one day -I would like to do something for my country. There is a boom in Russian football, with five new stadiums being built, and support coming from the government and the private sector. People now understand the role of football in our society, so we see growth, also at grassroots level. Many of the stadiums are full and the management around the clubs is improving. Our victory in the UEFA Cup even gave a boost to the activities of the football schools - the kids want to play and they know after our success that Russian clubs are capable of winning.

Continue reading →

I N T E R V I E W : MORTEN OLSEN

I N T E R V I E W

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
 

IN AN ILLUSTRIOUS PLAYING CAREER THAT SPANNED 20 YEARS, MORTEN OLSEN MADE 102 APPEARANCES FOR DENMARK, WHICH INCLUDED CAPTAINING A GIFTED NATIONAL SQUAD AT THE 1986 FIFA WORLD CUP IN MEXICO. HIS MAJOR CAREER SUCCESSES CAME IN THE 1980S, WHEN HE WON THE BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP (THREE TIMES) AND THE UEFA CUP WITH RSC ANDERLECHT, PRIOR TO MOVING TO 1. FC KÖLN IN GERMANY. HE WAS TWICE VOTED DENMARK'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1983 AND 1986). MORTEN WAS A THINKING-MAN'S PLAYER WHO MOVED EASILY INTO COACHING, AND IN SUCCESSFUL SPELLS WITH BRØNDBY IF, 1. FC KÖLN AND AFC AJAX, HE WON THE DANISH CHAMPIONSHIP TWICE AND A LEAGUE AND CUP DOUBLE IN THE NETHERLANDS. SINCE JULY 2000, HE HAS BEEN AT THE HELM OF THE DANISH NATIONAL TEAM AND LED HIS COUNTRY TO THE KNOCKOUT PHASES OF THE 2002 WORLD CUP AND THE QUARTER-FINALS OF EURO 2004. MORTEN HAS THE RARE DISTINCTION OF WINNING A GROUP PHASE AT A WORLD CUP BOTH AS A PLAYER AND AS A COACH. THE DANISH NATIONAL COACH IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED TECHNICIANS IN EUROPE AND HIS THOUGHTS ON FOOTBALL ARE ALWAYS STIMULATING. HE IS TRULY A MAN OF THE PITCH. HE IS

MORTEN OLSEN

1 • What is your view of the forthcoming EURO and the World Cup qualifiers?

I think that the tournament in Switzerland and Austria will be fantastic, especially for the game itself because of the level of football. EURO '96 was not of particularly great quality, but since then, the European Championship and World Cup final rounds have been of a high standard. Of course, these tournaments are also big events, and the overall experience in Germany in 2006 was excellent. But it is also extremely important the way we play the game. Yes, it is about winning, but with all the attention from fans, sponsors, TV, etc. we must make the game itself better and better because that is the

only way that we can continue to make football interesting. So a tournament like EURO 2008 is vital for the image of the game - this is extremely important for the future.

When you see qualifying games,it takes about a year and a half, and the key is stability and consistency. But the finals are held over a three-week period and then it is all about the form and fitness of the players at that specific time. Often the stars of such a tournament are players who were injured during the season, recover, and come into the event fresh. Marco van Basten was an example of that back in 1988. On the other side of the coin are some players who have played throughout the season, who are physically and mentally tired, and who may not compete at their peak. For the moment, it is very difficult to say who will triumph in June 2008 because I think that 10 or 12 countries are capable of winning the European Championship. As we saw last time with Greece, anything is possible. The gap between the teams is very small. Looking further ahead to the World Cup qualifiers, from a coach's perspective, it is a pity that we play Sweden again, but there is always something special for the fans in these matches. Portugal are in our group and I appreciate very much the way they play football, and we mustn't forget Hungary, a traditional football country, that will be anxious to reach a final after a long absence.

2• What, for you, are the main challenges in managing a national team today?

The first thing is that there are a lot of foreign players playing in the top leagues, even in a small country like Denmark. It is good for the domestic competition to have new faces and quality players. But the consequence

is that we don't have so many top players eligible for the national team. In addition, we don't have enough Danish players playing regularly in the big clubs in other parts of Europe, as was the case 20 years ago. A major problem for a national coach is the lack of time with the players, particularly for detailed preparation. And globalisation has had an impact on many things, including the attitude of the press. The media demands on all top coaches have increased, although we have to say that such intense interest is good for the promotion of the game.

3 • What is the impact of the homegrown players rule in Denmark?

In Denmark, I have not seen any benefit from this ruling. In fact, many clubs are bringing young players from abroad to their academies and they soon satisfy the home-grown regulation. This situation will have an effect on the national teams in the future.

4 • In what way does the UEFA Champions League have an influence on the work of the national team coach?

It is good for Danish football if we have a team in the UEFA Champions League but at the moment we don't have a club playing regularly at this elite level. Last season, we did have FC København and we saw one negative aspect, because some people were more interested in the UEFA Champions League than the fortunes of the national team.

However, at the end of the day, having our clubs participating at this level is good for Danish football in general. In case there is any doubt, I must emphasise that our players are still proud to wear the national team jersey and there is no clash of loyalties for them. It is invaluable that our players gain playing experience in the UEFA Champions League because this know-how transfers into the national team. The biggest problem in Danish football is that we don't have as many top players as we had in the past, but we had a number of FC København players in our squad last season and this was a help to us. At the moment we have around 50% of the squad based in Denmark and exposure to European competition is extremely beneficial to those players.

5 • How would you describe your style of play?

We have to use the qualities within the squad and to build a solid team. Of course, there needs to be some flexibility, but a playing philosophy is also vital. Every time the national squad is together, you need to have a consistent approach. Whatever we want interms of style, we must be realistic and remember it is about winning. But you must also think about the way you playbecause I think it is important for the image and the future of football. Of course, the way we play doesn't just depend on us but on the opponent and the form we are in on a particular day. In general, however I take a very positive approach. We try to keep the ball, to dominate possession, but at the same time always look for possibilities to play in the depth. Without doubt, in modern football you must be very good in transition, both in exploiting space and in quickly forming the defence. I may have a personal philosophy, but I can only use players with a Danish passport - I can't buy players to create a perfect fit for my favourite style. However, I have been lucky that I have had in my time a number of players who fit the bill for me and for my approach. For example, we have always had wingers. I like to play with quick, wide players because they can cause the opponent particular problems, and we often defend better by blocking the attacking tendencies of the other team's full backs.

6 • Do you involve yourself in the preparation of the under-age national squads?

Yes. We have produced a new strategy in the Danish FA to develop individual players who can reach international level. It is not about systems of play, but about trying to develop the players' attitude in the game - trying to educate the players in the best way in terms of playing performances. Once a month, I meet the coaches of our national under-age teams and work on the development programme. We have a dialogue about football and the way to nurture young players. Today is the most important moment for the A team national coach, ecause we are in the results business, but for the sake of the association, we should have an influence on what happens tomorrow.

The biggest challenge in football today is to find a way to play that can motivate the players to perform. If they are interested, committed and involved in the game that is what makes them ambitious. I don't like footballers who are looking at their watch - the game must be primarily a hobby and a passion. They must be motivated through the game, because they like to play. Of course, structure is necessary - without that there is no freedom to play.

7 • How can the relationship between the clubs and the national team be improved?

I can understand that in some countries this is difficult, but we are small and I have close cooperation with the club coaches. If you can't have such a relationship, it is a bad day. I have no problem about the release of players from our domestic clubs. Sometimes the difficulties arise when we have friendly games, but if a player is not playing regularly at a top club abroad, those clubs are often happy to let him play for us.

8 • How has the game evolved since you were a player?

The game has undoubtedly got quicker and more compact, and this means you need better technique and an ability to read the game faster. Players today don't have the space that we had in my era as a player. But, I'm sure that most talented players of former days would have adapted to today's conditions.

Another factor that has influenced the quality of the modern game is the standard of the pitches. When you see most games in the UEFA Champions League the surfaces are fantastic. You cannot play a great passing game on a poor field. During my playing career, many of the pitches were poor and this was not helpful. Nowadays we even have artificial training pitches for year-round practice. If you see Arsenal FC's pitch in London, it is like a billiard table, and this is important for their type of football. When it is muddy, the solution is often to resort to a long-ball game.

9 • What are the key elements for success at the top level?

Assuming you have good players, you need to be talented in a variety of ways to be a successful coach. I think that experience is a prerequisite. The ability to be innovative is also important -never resting on your laurels and always looking for new solutions. And, of course, you need to be lucky. With today's players, I think you need to be better in coaching because they are more knowledgeable and inquisitive. It is good that players are happy to ask why. They want to know why, and this also means they know something about the way we want to play the game. This, of course, depends on which culture you are coming from. When players have the confidence to ask you why, you know that you have them fully involved in the process. Positional power is not enough for the coach today - top players react badly to verbal attacks. Communicating with the media and the marketing side has also become more demanding than in the past. You have to sell your team and your club - you could also say that you need to 'brand' yourself.

10 • Are you optimistic about the future of the game?

Yes, I am optimistic. As I said before, you need good organisation, discipline and structure. But I also see the freedom to play as a must. Often it is this freedom of expression by gifted players that decides top-level games. The two most important things in football for me are the public and the players. If these two groups are satisfied, then I'm satisfied. Yes we need to win, but everyone is happier if we win with some style. We in Denmark were one of the progressive countries in football education, but now everyone has developed and invested heavily in coaching and training. The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Bosman Ruling were two major influences on football during the last 20 years. The fall of the wall created more countries, and therefore more competition, and the Bosman case gave more players from smaller countries the chance to play in the big European leagues. We will, I'm sure, continue to develop good coaches and footballers in Denmark, but the competitive environment has definitely changed.

11 • What next for Morten Olsen?

Following my 20 year career as a professional player, I have enjoyed being both a club manager and a national team coach, and after 17 years on the bench, I'm still happy to work in football and to be a technician - it is a great job. Some day, I may return to the club scene, but for now I am focused on Denmark's forthcoming World Cup campaign. In football, we must always be looking ahead to the next goal, to the next challenge.

Continue reading →

Interview: Alex, and Barcelona Youth Academy

I N T E R V I E W

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR.

 

FC BARCELONA WERE CROWNED UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS, AND THE SPOTLIGHT WAS MAINLY ON THEIR FOREIGN STARS. WHAT MAY HAVE GONE UNNOTICED WAS THAT NINE OF THE BARÇA UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD WERE HOME-GROWN PLAYERS, INCLUDING CAPTAIN CARLES PUYOL, LIONEL MESSI, VÍCTOR VALDÉS AND ANDRÉS INIESTA. BARCELONA'S YOUTH ACADEMY HAS THEREFORE BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CLUB AND ITS SUCCESS. THE DIRECTOR OF THE YOUTH PROGRAMME IS JOSÉ RAMÓN ALEXANCO, A STAR WITH FC BARCELONA FOR 13 YEARS. HIS RECORD INCLUDES CAPTAINING THE EUROPEAN CUP WINNING SIDE IN 1992, COLLECTING TWO EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS' CUPS, FOUR SPANISH CUPS, FOUR SPANISH LEAGUE TITLES, TWO SPANISH SUPERCOPAS, AND TWO UEFA SUPER CUPS. THE MAN WHO STARTED OUT AT ATHLETIC BILBAO AND REPRESENTED THE BASQUE CLUB IN THE UEFA CUP FINAL AGAINST JUVENTUS PLAYED FOR LEGENDARY COACHES SUCH AS KUBALA, HERRERA, LATTEK, MENOTTI AND CRUYFF, BEFORE BEGINNING HIS COACHING CAREER UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF BARÇA LEGEND JOHAN CRUYFF. TODAY JOSÉ RAMÓN ALEXANCO USES ALL HIS EXPERIENCE AS A PLAYER, COACH AND SCOUT TO RECRUIT AND DEVELOP PLAYERS FOR FC BARCELONA.

HE IS KNOWN TO HIS COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS SIMPLY AS...

ALEX

1 • How would you describe FC Barcelona's development philosophy and goals?

The first thing is to develop a footballer - we are not looking for results. We try to develop the footballer and the person, both socially and intellectually. We are living and working with kids from 12 to 19 years and we have to be 'parents', teachers and coaches, and we know we have a responsibility for leading them correctly in social terms. We organise meetings with the parents, and it is very important that we explain to them what we are doing with their children during the hours we spend with them at the club. We get excellent support from all the parents because they know exactly what their children are doing at any given time.


2• What is the organisation and structure of the Barça academy?


We have a coordinator who oversees the development of players between the ages of 10 and 15. They all get match play, but it is at the older level that you get more of a competitive element. We prepare them in the younger categories to be able to compete when they get older. It is at the 16 years and over stage that we concentrate on the technical, tactical and physical requirements which will equip them for the first team.
The technical leaders of the club prepare the guidelines for all the training sessions. In the current first team squad, nine of the players have come through the Barça academy programme. Young Lionel Messi, for example, arrived here from Argentina when he was 12 years old. His family came to Barcelona to live and, soon after, he started training with the club.
At FC Barcelona, we have 12 boys' teams and eight women's teams, although the latter are in a separate section. In the academy, each squad has two coaches and there are 23 or 24 players in each group. At least half of the coaches have a UEFA Pro licence. The club provides the budget, around six million euros per year, and is fully responsible for the academy facilities and training programme.


3 • How do you deal with the grassroots and the recruitment process?


Firstly, we concentrate on technical/tactical work. We play football. We have a football school where kids can play from the age of six upwards - this is a grassroots phase below the academy structure, with 16 to 20 coaches working there. They all travel here to the club's training centre. We also have about 30 clubs throughout Catalonia that cooperate with us on a regular basis. There are also nursery teams which develop the grassroots. Barça has 25 scouts throughout Spain - at least one in each province. Elsewhere in Europe, we also have people who watch games and send us reports.


Obviously scouting and recruitment are important parts of our job. At least twice a year, we bring all our scouts to Barcelona because it is important that they see the standard of work we do here. We hold workshops and explain the criteria and the quality we are looking for in young players.


4 • What qualities do you look for in a young player?


We search for players with the extremely high standard that is required by this club. We look for pace, technique, and someone who looks like a player. The speed of decision-making, the way he approaches the game, the vision to pick off a long pass - in other words, the mental qualities to go with the technical ability. These days, we do put an emphasis on speed because we think it is one of the fundamental qualities required, and when this speed is combined with top-quality technique, then we think we have the ingredients.


5 • Cesc Fabregas was one of your talented academy boys. Why did he leave?


When a boy reaches 15 years old and his family decides to move residence, then under Spanish law he can go, and only a small amount of compensation for training and education can be claimed. Cesc Fabregas took advantage of this ruling and when he was 16 years old he simply moved to London with his parents. This was classed as a relocation of the family, and there was nothing we could do to stop him signing for Arsenal FC. We have just lost another two of our players - one to Manchester United and another one to Arsenal. The only thing we can do is to project the image of the Barcelona club to the youngster and his parents. We sell the idea that this is one of the best clubs in the world and let each player know that he has a great opportunity to develop by working with us. We try to create a wonderful environment for the players' football education. We hope they will stay, but legally there is nothing we can do about it if they decide to move. Cesc Fabregas could very easily have been playing here in our first team, but all we can do is keep looking for talented players and creating the best conditions for their development.


6 • What is your games programme and your approach to training?


The boys play one match a week, Saturday or Sunday, and sometimes we have friendly games during the week against touring sides - many teams from places such as Africa and South America come here and want to play
against our boys. We also have many of our players selected for the various national squads (even as low as Under- 12s), and therefore we have some weeks when players from every level up to Under-21 are away on international duty. In our assessment, some kids play too many games in a season. With our teams we also take part in tournaments at Easter and pre-season, and we have to be careful not to accept too many invitations. So during the season a lot of our players can play as many as three games a week. We have a close contact with the schools to get the players released for training. With players aged 12 years and upwards, we bring some of them into our residential school in La Masía, although we prefer them to be at least 14 years old before they leave home. We have about 60 youngsters in our centre at any given time. Carles Puyol, the first team captain, is a graduate of La Masía.


Regarding our methods, we use the same playing system as the first team, so all our youth teams operate a 4/3/3 formation. The development teams have to reflect the personality of the first team. This also means we have to play attacking, attractive football. Our view is that if we do everything well, the winning comes as a consequence.
By the time a player reaches 16 years, we try to have him in his best position, but we like to keep an open mind and not be too restrictive when the players are developing. We like to expose them to different playing roles as part of their education.


We have two coaching coordinators, plus two coaches with each team, and all of us are on the field every day. We work intensely on the individual skill, but also on group play, including each line of the team. We train the Barça way which involves fast movement of the ball, player mobility, use of the width, and a lot of fast, effective finishing. We get them to watch the passing movements of the first team as they provide the role model for the youth teams.


7 • How do you re-train your staff coaches?


It is a continuous process for us which includes roundtable discussions. At these meetings we analyse everything and make suggestions about our training programmes. We are always trying to improve, always learning -
and, of course, searching for good players who can one day play in the blue and red of FC Barcelona.

Continue reading →

Lippi and Capello analyzing the game.

I N T E R V I E W
Source: The Technician N°43•E

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR. 

THEY ARE BOTH ITALIAN, BOTH GRADUATES OF THE ITALIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION'S COACHING SCHOOL IN FLORENCE, BOTH SERIE A COACH OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS, BOTH UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS, AND BOTH CURRENTLY MANAGING INTERNATIONAL TEAMS.

MARCELLO LIPPI, THE WORLD CHAMPION IN 2006, IS IN HIS SECOND SPELL AS ITALY'S HEAD COACH, WHILE FABIO CAPELLO, TWO YEARS HIS SENIOR, HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE ENGLAND

NATIONAL TEAM SINCE DECEMBER 2007. THE FORMER, A TOP PLAYER AT SAMPDORIA, HAS LED CLUBS SUCH AS NAPOLI, JUVENTUS AND INTER MILAN, WINNING THE SCUDETTO FIVE TIMES,

THE UEFA SUPER CUP, THE INTERCONTINENTAL CUP, AS WELL AS THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (1996); THE LATTER, WHO SCORED THE WINNING GOAL FOR ITALY AGAINST ENGLAND AT WEMBLEY IN 1973, HAS WON DOMESTIC LEAGUE TITLES WITH EVERY CLUB HE HAS MANAGED (AC MILAN, REAL MADRID, ROMA AND JUVENTUS), INCLUDING FOUR SERIE A TITLES AND TWO LA LIGA SUCCESSES, NOT TO MENTION THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND UEFA SUPER CUP TRIUMPHS WITH AC MILAN IN 1994. MARCELLO AND FABIO ARE RECOGNISED THROUGHOUT FOOTBALL AS TWO OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST COACHES. THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL, TOP-LEVEL PROFESSIONALS AND ARE EXTREMELY WISE - THEY ARE THE MASTER COACHES...

1 • What impressed you most about this season's UEFA Champions League?

Lippi: I was very impressed by the high quality of technical play, in particular FC Barcelona, but also the power and the winning mentality of Manchester United throughout the season. Both of these clubs were worthy of reaching the final. Something that did strike me was the reduced number of centre forwards or target players. In general, we only saw one main attacker and he was left detached when the others went into defensive mode. The great speed, the intense velocity of the attacking play, was the main feature for me from a technical/tactical point of view.

Capello: I would like to highlight the ability of a coach such as Guus Hiddink, who played against FC Barcelona and caused great difficulties for them –in fact he nearly eliminated them.

Guus underlined the need to know your opponent and to plan the game in the right way. It is said that sometimes great players can make the difference, but they can only do that if the game is properly planned by the coach. Another team that really impressed me was Liverpool FC - they are really made for the Champions League and their performance against Real Madrid was great. That is why I was very surprised when they were knocked out by Chelsea. Normally, when Liverpool play at home, it is really difficult for opponents to get a result, but they were not able to play their normal game in this instance. Both Guus Hiddink and Pep Guardiola, especially in the final, were able to cause problems for their opponents, and it is the coach's ability which I would like to highlight on this occasion

2 • Was there anything from a tactical perspective that was important?

Lippi: From a playing point of view, Barcelona's ability to keep possession of the ball was outstanding and, because of this and their good organization, they had very little expenditure of energy - it is 'chasing the ball' that is demanding on fitness. And then tactically, as Fabio mentioned, it was the great ability that was shown in denying space, for example, Chelsea against Barcelona in a tie that lasted 180 minutes. Chelsea were a little un- lucky and this clash was probably the only negative experience for Barcelona during the Champions League season. The tradition, the great technical skill, the way of playing, the football culture of Spanish players, their strong midfield players - they even played like that when they were children - are things we always knew about. But now they have added the capacity to win, because until EURO, Spain were not able to deliver the prize. These players have definitely grown up and they believe they can win.

Capello: I believe that this victory by Barcelona will be very important, but it must be assessed in the right way. I hope English players or German players will not try to copy the Spanish players. Every team has its own features. Some coaches came to England, for example, successful coaches such as Juande Ramos and Phil Scolari, and they tried to bring their type of game to their English clubs in a short time, but it did not really work out because it is difficult to introduce a style which does not suit the characteristics of the players you take over. The top four clubs in England have different approaches -Liverpool's way is different from Arsenal's because Arsène Wenger has a similar approach to Barcelona's passing game. It was more of an issue about defending for Arsenal this time around than one of style. In the future, the key for coaches will be to understand what they have in their hands and how to get the best out of what is available.

3 • What are your expectations for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

Lippi: Well, first of all, we have to qualify for it. We have not qualified yet but we are hopeful. Whenever big teams like Italy, England, the Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil and France take part in major events, they do not take part just to participate or to look good - they go to the tournament to win. But the process that leads to victory is a long one. First you need to qualify and, in my case, I need to rebuild the team, making sure I do not throw away too much of what we have. We have some very good players on the team, even though a few are getting older. Then I have to find some good new players to fill the vacancies. So my objective is to try and recreate a group that has the same psychological attitude as my former group which won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. My aim is clear: to try to win the World Cup.

Capello: Well this is a question that the whole of England has been asking for years. We will try and get as far as possible in the tournament but, before we can think about that, we have to qualify, as Marcello said. The England team is a good team, but we all know that in football there is a fine line between the ball hitting the post and going into the net or the ball going wide of the goal. So, sometimes there is a tiny difference between a positive and a negative result, but we will certainly try and reach the final in South Africa.

4 • What are the difficulties of managing a national team?

Lippi: The main difficulty is a lack of time in order to deliver to your players everything that you have in your heart and in your brain. That is, trying to deliver messages - messages which can build up a team. Today, we cannot afford to overlook everything that goes into building up a team. The national team is not representative of the best players of a nation - I am not even sure that I took the best players, technically speaking, to Germany. Maybe some very good ones stayed at home, but certainly I had super players in terms of belonging to a group, and all the positive effects that come with that. So the difficulty is you have very little time available, but you have to produce this sense of belonging, this team spirit, and you have to do it quickly.

Capello: To me, it was something really new. I was used to working every day as all the club coaches do. I had to address all the problems and constantly talk to the players - I spent a lot of time with them in happy times and difficult times. So creating a group with the national team was really a new experience because there is simply no time available. Also, you have to listen to the clubs' needs, especially when there are friendly matches. They may have some requests and you have to understand them, because we use the players, but they pay them. And the difficulty I have is that I need to prepare a match and immediately afterwards to say goodbye. Then maybe 40 days later they reappear and you have prepared everything for the next game, and the two players you need to talk to most are injured and not with you. Often all the work you have done needs to be scrapped and you start from scratch all over again. So, as a national coach, I agree with Marcello, it is more of a psychological thing than tactical, because you cannot do much in four days. There may be some new players and you need to instruct them. But the important thing is to set up the group and to have players who can express their personality. I had an experience in England at the first training when I thought: 'they are wonderful, they play very well technically, with the ball moving at great speed'. Then we played against Switzerland at Wembley and it was a different scene. They showed fear, were lacking in self-confidence and were not positive. It was a totally different scenario, so it was a mental thing, a burden for them, due to the importance associated with the national team.

Lippi: Referring to what Fabio said, during my first spell with the national team, after we had qualified, we went to play a friendly match in the Netherlands. It was a wonderful game against a very good side, and we won 3-1. But there was a problem because it was November, and I was not due to see them again until the following March three and a half months later, when we had to play against Germany in Florence. So I remember that I told the players that we would stay in touch and talk about the national team, about our qualities, our strengths, and the fact that we had grown up as a group. We did not want to lose everything we had built because we were forced to be apart for so long. When we met in Coverciano, our technical centre in Florence, the day before the match against Germany, I said to our players: 'I believe we will play a very good match against Germany, just as we did last week against the Netherlands'. They looked at me and I said: 'Do not worry, I have not gone mad, but I believe we will play as if we had just played last week'. And, indeed, we did play a wonderful game, and at that point I knew we had grown up as a group and that this was a very important team.

5 • Talking about Coverciano, what did you gain from being a student coach at the Italian FA centre in Florence?

Lippi: Well, your training in Coverciano basically gives you everything you need to be a coach. As a player, if you feel inclined to go into coaching after your playing career, you think you know football - you have discussed tactics with your coach, you have experienced the training programme, etc. After three months at Coverciano, you realize that you are doing things that you never thought about before. All the knowledge you accumulated throughout your career needs to be bound together, and this can be done by studying sports science, physical preparation, technical and tactical training, methods and so forth. The Coverciano experience is useful for organizing all the things you picked up as a professional player.

Capello: When you are a player, all you have to do is think about your own game, your fitness, your diet etc. - you train, you go home, and that is it. But when you become a manager, you have to think about the physical and mental preparation of the whole squad, building up team spirit, being aware of medical issues. Above all, you have to develop your leadership skills. You also realize that you do not focus on yourself, or an individual player, but on the team as a whole. So you are taught all these concepts in Coverciano and this is extremely helpful. Of course, results also depend on luck, but luck is only one element. You are chosen for the job because of your coaching know-how and the training at Coverciano gives you that.

6 • How would you describe your style of leadership?

Lippi: There is a difference between coaching with a club and with a national team. Fabio may not have reached this stage yet, but when you prepare the squad for the World Cup, not just a qualifying match, you have 50 days to deliver something and you spend a lot of time on the field. I believe there are a lot of similarities between Fabio and myself in terms of management. I think players from big teams do not want a father figure, but rather a strong guide, a competent coach who can lead them to the objective they have to achieve - which is winning. Then, whether the coach is nice or not is not very important. When I talk to my players I say: 'I am not your father or your older brother but, of course, if you need to talk to me, I am here for you'. What you need in this role as head coach are the necessary competencies in terms of tactics and skills. But I believe that managing human resources is fundamental today to train at the top level.

Capello: Well, I totally agree with what Marcello said; and he is right, we are very similar. I would also say that as a trainer, every day you have 23 or 25 players, depending on whether it is a national squad or a club, and each one is judging you. You are always under the spotlight in every moment - your reactions when you win, your reactions when you lose. How you manage this, how you manage that, and the way you work on the field. I have not won the World Cup like Marcello, but I think there are certain things which you learn that can be transferred from the club environment to the national team. For example, we lost against France and naturally everyone was very unhappy because of this sad result. But I said: 'Hi guys, today I am very happy'. They all stared at me because they thought I was mad. I went on and said: 'Yes, I am very happy with the way we played the first 30 minutes against the runners-up of the 2006 World Cup. We played at a very high level and we made their lives very difficult. These 30 minutes can provide us with a basis and in the future we will need to extend this 30-minute performance into the full 90-minute match'. From that time forward, we started with a different way of thinking on the field.

7 • How has the game changed since you started coaching?

Lippi: What has changed today is the fact that you have to play in different ways depending on the characteristics of the players you have. In the past, there was usually a common way of playing by most teams. All you had to do was pick the best players for the formation. But now, you need to select good technical players, players who are very strong mentally. In Italy, the teams play in different ways, with various formations, and at national level I need to choose the best formation for the players I select. In general, coaches today need to use different systems to best exploit the skills and characteristics of the players that are available at that particular time.

Capello: I think there have been certain changes, certain evolutions. When I was a player, the Netherlands started playing in a way that resembles modern football. Then Arrigo Sacchi made an impact as an innovator, and we have been following that development for a number of years. As Marcello was saying, I think today you need to consider different formations which you can use against different opponents. You also must be flexible and be able to change, even within a particular game. You need to be able to alter your players' positions in order to hit your opponents at their weakest points. So, as a national coach, you have to pick the best players, the fittest players, but above all you have to be able to create a basic group. This can then be added to, as we did with Theo Walcott who played against Croatia. When the journalists saw the line-up and saw that I was going to play this 20-year-old, they thought I had gone mad. But, in fact, he was the fittest in that role for England at the time, so it was the right thing to do. You need to be flexible, to find the best players for the job, and to make brave decisions.

8 • What is your assessment of Italian football today?

Lippi: I really believe that the real expression of a country's football is not given by the club teams but by the national side. We are still in the process of building up our squad for next year. We are the world champions, our

Under-21s are strong, and there are a number of good youth players coming through, so I think there is a very positive future for Italian football.

Capello: We are now having players born in Italy whose families came from other countries, like Mario Balotelli of Inter Milan, which was not the case in the past. Players like that could be in Marcello's team in the future. It is the same in England where I have some very good Under-21 players and will include them in the national side when the time is right. With regard to football in Italy, and I am sorry to say this, I think that we lack continuity in our way of playing because, in my opinion, though we have great referees, they are obliged to stop the game too often in the Italian league. We are used to a refereeing style which is very strict and this means when any player falls down, the game is stopped. It takes time for our teams to adjust to the European approach. It is the Italian audience, the Italian spectators, who ask for this rigid refereeing - if anything happens and the referee does not stop the game, he will be criticized. We need to improve a lot in this aspect of the game. Italian football is a very good environment for young talents and the young players are really good. So I firmly believe that the future will be a positive one for the national team, but whether it is one, two or three Italian clubs doing well in the UEFA Champions League, we will have to wait and see.

Lippi: Yes, I agree. And I recognize that there is sometimes a bad attitude by the players towards referees and their assistants in Italy. In international football, the referees do not accept certain types of behavior from the players, things which sometimes happen in Italy, so they expel them and then the players are suspended.

Capello: Yes, indeed. This is something which I have seen in England and is very important. Players used to contest everything that the referee decided. The public, the journalists and the managers wanted this to stop, they wanted to see more respect, and this has more or less happened. I think FIFA and UEFA should really push the idea of respect for the referees. It is really disappointing to see all the players crowding around the referee and being abusive. We have to realize that referees can also make mistakes, and this 'attacking the referee' is a very bad example for young players, and stopping it should be official policy.

9 • Is there something that you would like to change or improve in today's football?

Lippi: There are probably many things that could be changed or improved. But for me, it is vitally important that countries maintain their football characteristics. Clearly, South American football has become a bit more European in the sense that they try to be more practical, more organized than before. Meanwhile, European football has acquired some South American elements, in particular technical quality with the ball. But it is important for each country to stay faithful to its 'footballing tradition'. I think English football will always be English at its core, but its national team will be the best expression of that. Regarding Italian football, I think improvements can be made, especially when it comes to attitude.

Capello: If we talk about innovation, I think the use of additional referees beside the goals could prove to be an important development. Also, it is a positive move that we play with the same model of ball in a particular competition - something that has been promoted in the UEFA Champions League. Improved technology has continued to have an impact on the game. When we consider football even seven or eight years ago, it was almost unthinkable to shoot from the kind of distances which are common- place today. Ronaldo's long-range efforts immediately come to mind. So certainly progress has been made thanks to technology, but I think there is still some work to be done in terms of attitude towards the referee and in minimizing the number of mistakes made by the referees themselves, especially in the penalty area, for example, with handling of the ball. We have seen some teams suffer because of these mistakes. With all the efforts that are put in throughout a season, we should try as much as possible to avoid penalizing teams because of such errors. It is really frustrating for a coach to see his work spoiled in this way as he strives to reach the finishing line.

Continue reading →