| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Mexxx |
Posted - May 12 2003 : 12:30:26 PM
"Since 1998, the world has taken notice of French football and asked, 'Where did this come from all of a sudden?'" remarks Aimé Jacquet, who selected and coached the French team that won the 1998 World Cup and has since directed France's national coaching and development program. "But this was the result of a long, painstaking, carefully planned process to organize and teach football in an entirely new way."
France's new approach to training and development began in the mid-1970s, when the French Football Federation (FFF), established the Institut National du Football, or INF, which assembled the nation's top recruits aged 16 and over for specialized training from élite coaches. The FFF also required all the country's professional clubs to establish and finance development centers where older prospects could combine studies with high-level footballing instruction and practice. Clubs in England, Italy, and Germany also train apprentice players, but they must find their future stars on their own. In effect, the INF provided French clubs with a pool of young, precociously gifted players to recruit from. As a result, the youth programs of French teams like Nantes, Cannes, Saint-Etienne, Montpellier and Auxerre became factories of exceptional young talent.
And that was just Phase I. By the late 1980s, the youth systems of many pro clubs had got so good that the INF's role as a talent incubator had become somewhat obsolete. So it launched programs to catch 'em even younger: 14 to 15-year-olds began receiving technique and ball-control instruction, awaiting the more physical training of the pro centers. "The result was that, before long, youngsters began entering pro training programs with technical skills no one had seen so early before," recalls FFF official Philippe Tournon.
The pre-apprenticeship program was launched under the direction of Gérard Houllier—a former French national coach who currently manages a resuscitated and rejuvenated Liverpool club. The program is built on seven regional training centers, where young players scouted and recruited from small youth clubs and FFF-organized tournaments follow normal educational programs supplemented with daily training in football technique. The best players from regional centers are periodically called to the INF camp near Paris for higher-level instruction with national team coaches. On the weekends, the players return to their local clubs for their league games. "This system doesn't work if the coaches and teams at every level don't feel they're getting something out of participation in the national program," Tournon notes.
That the system works is clear from the success of France's youth teams. The under-18 squad won the world title last year, and in 2000 the national team of 18-year-olds were European champs. France's national team was also quarter-finalists in the under-20 World Championships last year, losing to eventual champion Argentina. Many of the junior players are already on the wish-lists of top European clubs. Didier Deschamps, who captained the all-conquering senior squad until his retirement last year, says, "What should be scaring other nations is that our development system is producing younger generations just as good" as Zidane and company.
Unsurprisingly, other footballing nations are now aping the French system—including the country that invented the game. The English Football Association plans to open its own national football academy next year. "The French have this talent factory, and they are obviously doing something right," says F.A. spokesman Andrin Cooper. "Our strategy is to take the best of other countries and add a bit of our own." But can the French system be adapted to other football environments? The centralized approach to football, after all, is a variation on France's large, dirigiste state structure that liberals generally decry as reminiscent of Gaullist, if not Soviet, organization. Deschamps also notes France's system involves a collective effort between the FFF and French pro clubs that "can't afford to buy the best players the way foreign clubs do, so the only way they can survive economically is to produce them." Such cooperation is hard to imagine in more market driven football nations' where clubs find it easier to buy talent from overseas than to groom it at home.
From TIME Magazine |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Mexxx |
Posted - Oct 16 2003 : 1:24:51 PM
A must read interview from French World Cup winning coach Aime Jacquet
and current Technical Director.
An EXCLUSIVE COERVER interview with Aime Jacquet, coach of the World Cup champions, France, and former coach of Lyon and Bordeaux in the French league.
Now the Technical Director of the French Football Federation, Aime Jacquet spoke with the worldwide head of Coerver Coaching, Alf Galustian.
What did you tell your players in the dressing room before the World Cup Final against Brazil?
I was very relaxed and so were my players. I told them that they were psychologically and physically ready to win the Championship and that our semi final match was more difficult than this would be. I was confident that if we played well we could win ... I wanted my players to be confident, I knew they were totally committed.
What are the important things to improve the standard of Developing Soccer Nations?
Well, my opinion, which I think applies to all countries, especially developing ones, is to focus on youth development. That is the most important. Investment in young players is a must ... good facilities, a good program and well-trained coaches. In France the training of coaches is a big priority.
Under 15 players should focus on technique, technique, technique ... you know that is why I admire your work and the Coerver Coaching system so much.
Once there is a strong technical foundation at the early years then there is a better chance of producing winning teams. Another thing which is important is to produce a good team spirit and co-operation. Technical Skills need to be used effectively to help the team ... this is an important point.
What steps did you follow in France to get the success you have achieved?
Again it is essential there is a good and forward-looking youth development plan.
1) Identification of players
2) Facilities for them to train and play
3) A higher level of training of Youth coaches
4) A curriculum that focuses on technical improvement between 8 and 15 years old.
Mexxxxx Edit --- I say start at age 9 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In France we have spent many years doing this, you know yourself what a great job Gerard Houllier did.
Our Structure in France is as follows:
Under me ( I am technical Director) Responsible for the structure.
11 National Coaches all with specific responsibilities regarding Development of Players
Under this there are 22 Regions with 2 or 3 head Coaches in each.
Under this we have divided the country into 102 Districts each with a Head Coach.
One of our biggest priorities was to train youth coaches ... we were short of experienced and talented coaches in the young age group especially, as I am sure many countries are ... the coaching of the young being mainly left to volunteer coaches ... We wanted a more serious way and this we focused on.
Of course this takes time and is often a step by step process but we persevered and this is where Gerard did such a great job as Technical Director before me.
When I worked in Clairfointaine (French National Training Centre) with you and Gerard Houllier ... I noticed that even though you were the Coach of the National Team you were very interested in the under 14 and 15 boys and the girls. What is your opinion of women’s soccer and its future?
Yes, I am always interested to work with young players. I am also a great believer in the future of women’s soccer. While it is very well advanced in the USA and China, in the rest of the world it is growing also ... in Europe strong programs are emerging in Germany, Italy and of course Norway and Sweden and in Brazil there is great potential. In France we only have 26,000 registered players but we are taking more attention in developing the game and again improving the coaches for this sector.
You emphasise that good coaching at an early age is important; what do you think are the qualities of a good youth coach?
That’s a good question ... in my opinion:
1) You have to like working with young players ... this sounds obvious but many coaches work with younger players only as a step to move forward ... there has to be a genuine commitment to the young.
2) You need to be a good communicator ... generous, patient and adaptable and of course always open minded.
3) For technical teaching I think it is most important to be able to show young players the skills you want to teach them ... of course this is not always possible but I think being a good demonstrator can be inspirational to youngsters ... For example yesterday when you were working with the young players I could see the excitement and enthusiasm in their faces when you showed them all the different possibilities that good control can create.
4) Take time to understand and sometimes help in the family environment ... you know we lose so many good young players ... not because of their lack of talent but because between the ages of 15 and 18 there are many distractions. Unless there is total focus and commitment we lose the players. Did you know that in France we lose 40% of our best players between ages 16 and 19; that is why the coach should understand the whole picture and the possible dangers and difficulties that are many times outside football.
What qualities do you look for in a player?
Number One he must be a technician someone who has the skills to play quickly. I like players who are creative ... you know the language of Football to me is 'Pass and control' ... What you teach in the Coerver Method ... Ball Mastery, as a foundation is exactly right ... without Ball Mastery a player is always limited.
I also like players with personality ... players who think of their teammates ... who have team spirit as well as fighting spirit ... you know this is a team sport and this spirit is really important.
Aime ... you know in our new Coerver Coaching program we have made a Pyramid which has as its foundation as Ball Mastery but also focuses on creating and scoring more goals ... in relation to 1 v 1 what is the value of this to a player in a game?
The game is so quick now ... everyone knows well how to press and defend ... what your program does is provide players with options and more weapons ... all coaches and teams need this so we can score more goals.
At the French Football Federation (FFF) National Training centre how many young players do you have and what is their training schedule?
We have 20 boys at each age group ... 13, 14 and 15 and 2 groups of girls 20, at each age group. The players train 2 hours per day Monday to Friday. They go to a nearby school for academic studies. At the weekend they go home and play for their clubs.
I remember when I first worked at FFF centre one of the boys was Nicholas Anelka he was 14 then ... now he is a top star with Real Madrid ... can you see a player at 14 and predict that he will be a top star?
Again so many things can happen to young people as they grow up ... many not to do with Football so it is very difficult to predict. Maybe you can say 50% at this age this will be a top player. |
| Mexxx |
Posted - Oct 16 2003 : 12:19:49 PM
Improving technique
Sixty full-time staff are employed. Perhaps the three most influential are head coaches Claude Dusseau, André Merelle and Jean-Claude Lafargue. Merelle, who is in charge of the second years, believes the key to the centre's success is the large emphasis that is put on improving players' technique.
Players learn
"Ninety-five per cent of the work we do is technical," he said. "First and foremost a player must learn how to control, pass and shoot with both feet. Physical strength and competitive match practice comes later. At the end of the three years, we expect every player to have the technical skills necessary to integrate perfectly into the youth set-up of a professional club."
Training methods
Arsenal and France Under-21 striker Jérémie Aliadière took the unprecedented step of moving to England after completing his apprenticeship at Clairefontaine, and he admitted that he has noticed a difference in the training methods at Highbury compared to those at the INF. "In France it was all about technique but here it is more competitive and results-based," said the 20-year-old. "At Clairefontaine, they always made me use my left foot, but in England, that went out of the window."
Training success
Traditionally it has been the players who have taken most of the Clairefontaine glory, but more recently the work of the coaches has also been recognised. Brazilian Francisco Filho was the head of coaching at the INF before he earned a move to England to take charge of Manchester United FC's U17s last season. "I wouldn't call my move a seal of approval for me, it's more a recognition of the success of French training," said the modest Filho.
Coaches coveted
Jean-Francois Jodar, who led France U7s to the world title in 2001, is another coach to leave the Clairefontaine nest in the last 12 months following his appointment as director of football of the United Arab Emirates.
Quality coaching
France's World Cup winning boss Jacquet was hardly surprised to see two of the country's leading tacticians move abroad. "I have always said that rather than taking our players they'd be better off taking our coaches. And now that's what they're doing," he said. "These departures are harmful for us but it is also proof that French training methods remain of the highest quality." |
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