Lippi shares lessons learned

Wednesday, 25 October 2006

by Simon Hartfrom Coverciano

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Italy's FIFA World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi described youth coaching as "a mission" as he addressed the 16th UEFA Course for Coach Educators in Coverciano.

'Not a stop-gap'
Lippi was the star attraction on the second day of the course yesterday and in a question-and-answer session with UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh, he recalled taking his first steps in coaching with the UC Sampdoria youth team in the 1970s. "Coaching young people is a mission – at least that is how I felt about it and that's what I want to say to educators who coach young people. After three years as a youth coach, I realised it was not what I wanted in the long term. But coaching youngsters should not be viewed as a stop-gap."

Technique is key
The former Juventus FC coach, who led the Bianconeri to the UEFA Champions League and European/South American Cup, said the key to youth coaching could be summed up in one word: technique. "When we talk about youth we always talk about the need to perfect technique and that's the most important thing. You ask about speed or technique but if you don't have good technique then you're not going to be able to do things quickly anyway."

Warning
Lippi explained his own preference during his time as Italy coach for promoting talented youngsters into higher age categories – "quality players should not be wasting their time" – but he warned that those players who break into senior football early must be encouraged to continue learning. "A common mistake with a young player called into a first team is that the process of developing his technique stops," he said. "Whatever natural gifts a player has, there is always room for improvement but all too often this process is abandoned. You need someone on your technical staff telling the player, 'You come with me after training and we need to work on this and that'."

Experience vital
Lippi stressed that coaches should never stop learning either – and that they should use the knowledge acquired to develop their own personality and vision of the game. "You have to feel the need to broaden your horizons and learn more because that is what you'll need to tap into when you're called to solve problems. A coach cannot coach by reading books – I always created my training sessions myself. Books give you concepts but the rest is experience. The most crucial thing is managing your men. It is important to have a good personality and to try to impose this without being overbearing."

Diploma under discussion
The proposed Elite Youth Coaching Diploma was on the agenda with a series of discussion groups devised to gauge the response to UEFA's new concept. Delegates also heard representatives of three major football associations - Jean-Pierre Morlans from the French Football Federation (FFF), Nico Romeyn of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and the German Football Association's (DFB) Erich Rutemöller - explain how their own national youth coaching diplomas work. According to Morlans, deputy technical director of the FFF, a specialised course was "indispensable if you’re going to advance properly".

Education
Day Two in Coverciano - which began with tributes to the late Guido Vantaggiato and Giacinto Facchetti, both former members of UEFA technical committees - closed with a presentation from Tony Higgins, senior organiser of the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association. This dwelt on the need to educate young players to prepare them for a life outside of football. Citing the fact that 85 per cent of 16-year-olds contracted to English clubs are out of the game by the age of 21, Higgins said: "If you are coaching football, you want that player to be good at football but you also want him to be a good all-rounded person as well."