UEFA COACHES CIRCLE EXTRANET CASE STUDY No. 4 CASE STUDY No. 7: DEVELOPING ELITE YOUNG PLAYERS AT AC MILAN (ITALY) UEFA COACHES CIRCLE EXTRANET CASE STUDY No. 7: DEVELOPING ELITE YOUNG PLAYERS AT AC MILAN (ITALY) 1. DIRECTOR OF YOUTH The General Manager of the AC Milan Youth Sector is Angelo Colombo, a former player of Milan, Bari and Udinese with 16 years experience as a professional player in Italy. He holds the UEFA Pro Licence and has been in post at Milan for 9 years. Angelo reports to the Club’s General Manager He is assisted by Mario Bonfanti, the Technical Coordinator of the Youth Section. Mario- a graduate and holder of two Masters Degrees is also a University Professor - has been a player, and ten years as a Youth Coach with Monza as well as a prolific author (6 books and 3 videos) He has also been a lecturer on Courses for the Italian Football Federation. The Case Study Interview in the Trophy Room at AC Milan with (right to left) Angelo Columbo,Mario Bonfanti and Robin Russell (UEFA) 2 2 STRUCTURES and PHILOSOPHY The Mission Statement of the AC Milan Youth Sector is as follows: ‘To create Men, Citizens and to prepare Football Players who in the short or medium term will be ready to be included in the first team squad Milan operate 10 teams –from Under 10’s to Under 19’s underneath the first team, all of which are under the responsibility of Angelo.Milan,like most clubs in Italy, do not have a ‘Reserve ‘ team as such in that the team next underneath the First Team is the ‘Primavera’ –the Under 19 team . Milan subscribe to a ‘holistic ‘view of player development in stressing the overall educational and social development of the young player through liaison with the family and the player’s school. The Overall system in place at the moment ,including the ‘Partnerships with Amateur clubs’ (see next section) was established more than 20 years ago and has developed a number of the current first team including Maldini,Costacurta and Marzoratti The Club have initiated a Sports Science Study and Research Centre to service the physiological and psychological needs of the Youth Sector 3. TALENT IDENTIFICATION Milan has ‘Partnerships’ with 60 Amateur and Junior Clubs in Italy, 6 of which are in Milan. Most of these clubs have had an association with Milan for many years. Milan’s scouting is therefore provided by these clubs and dependent on them identifying players to recommend to Milan. If Milan take a player from a ‘Partnership’ club then Milan will provide a bonus payment to the club. Milan also provide a coach education service for all their 60 Partnership clubs : 8 times a year they organise an In-Service Training Day for the coaches at the 60 clubs and invite them to Milan at Milan’s expense Milan do not operate ‘Trial Days’ and the popular AC Milan Soccer Camps(A.C. Milan Junior Camp and A.C. Milan City Camp) available throughout Italy are organised by the club’s Marketing Department for Commercial reasons but such camps have identified the odd player from time to time. 4. TECHNICAL PROGRAMME 3 Staff There are 2 Fulltime Coaches with each of the 10 teams in the Youth Sector. An innovation has been to ensure that one of the two fulltime coaches with each team is a ‘Technical Coach ‘ responsible for the development of the players techniques to assist the ‘Head Coach’ for each team Each team has an assigned goalkeeper coach, athletic trainer and physiotherapist who are usually part time. Coaches move upwards with their team within age bands 10-14 years, 14-16 years, and 17-19 years AC Milan have a culture of employing former players of Milan as Coaches for the Youth Sector .They are encouraged to undertake the appropriate UEFA Coaching Courses and organise 5 In-Service Staff Training Days for their coaches each year Players - Milan has 235 registered players from the Under 19’s downwards. - The Club has 18 players aged 14-18 years of age at a Boarding School in Milan for players over 14 years of age from outside the Milan area. They continue to live and study there until they are 18 years of age if they are confirmed with the club. - Rules in Italy allow a maximum of 5 Non EU Players to be signed by the club to play at any age (subject to FIFA regulations). - The Italian Olympic Committee have recently proposed that that at least 50% of the players on the squad list for Serie A games must be trained by the youth teams of the Professional Clubs. This proposal has, however, yet to be approved by the Italian Football Federation The Club works on developing good relations with the players parents through social activities e.g. a Christmas Party involving players from First Team as Costacurta, Maldini and Ancelotti Teams The Structure for teams is as shown below with each squad having 20-24 players in each age range 4 Name of team Date of Nature of Competition birth of players PRIMAVERA 1987 National 11v11 BERRETTI 1988 National 11v11 ALLIEVI NAZIONALI 1989 National 11v 11 ALLIEVI REGIONALI 1990 National 11v11 GIOVANISSIMI NAZIONALI 1991 National 11v 11 GIOVANISSIMI REGIONALI 1992 Regional 11v 11 ESORDIENTI REGIONALI 1993 Regional 11v11 ESORDIENTI PROVINCIALI ‘A’ 1994 Provincial * 11v 11 ESORDIENTI PROVINCIALI ‘B’ 1995 Provincial * 11v11 PULCINI 1996 Provincial * 7v7 (and 9v9) *Whilst Regional and National Competition is against the youth teams of other professional clubs the regulations of the Italian Football Federation require the youth teams of professional clubs to play against the youth teams from otheramateur clubs in their province for palyers born from 1994 to 1996. The Club augments the programme of regular season matches by accepting invitations to youth tournaments from throughout the world for all teams at all ages. The Club see enormous technical, social and educational benefit from such tournaments The Youth Sector teams do play to an agreed playing style of 4-3-3- but this is not imposed until 14 years of age and then not rigidly to allow flexibility for each of the team’s Head Coaches Access / Time 10-12 years of age: 2 sessions per week x 2hours + one game per week. 13- 15 years of age: 3 sessions per week x 2hours + one game per week. 16 -19 years of age: 4 sessions per week x 2hours + one game per week. 5 Content A Balanced Technical Programme is provided for all players with emphasis upon both the development of techniques and game understanding through a ‘problem solving’ learning approach All players follow a basic programme until 13 years of age ,followed by a more in depth intensive programme until 15 years of age with positional specialisation not being dominant until 16 years of age Athletic Development has been increased for older players in recent years Bridging the Gap to the First Team . The Overall aim of the Youth Sector is to provide players for the first team squad The gap between the Primavera to the First Team is a big one and to assist in this Process AC Milan have a system of loans. At the moment they have 10 players Currently out on loan with other Serie A and Serie B for one season loans. Current first team squad (further details of the players are available from Wikipedia by clicking onto the players name) As of January 31, 2006 No. Position Player No. Position Player 1 GK Nelson de Jesus Silva (Dida) 16 GK Zeljko Kalac Marcos Evangelista de 17 DF Dario Šimić 2 DF Moraes (Cafu) 18 MF Marek Jankulovski Paolo Maldini (captain) 3 DF 20 MF Clarence Seedorf 4 DF Kakhaber Kaladze 21 MF Andrea Pirlo 5 DF Alessandro Costacurta Ricardo Izecson dos Santos 22 MF 7 FW Andriy Shevchenko Leite (Kaká) 8 MF Gennaro Ivan Gattuso 23 MF Massimo Ambrosini 9 FW Filippo Inzaghi Sergio Claudio dos Santos 27 MF 10 MF Rui Costa (Serginho) 11 FW Alberto Gilardino 31 DF Jaap Stam 12 GK Valerio Fiori 37 FW Marcio Amoroso dos Santos Matteo Ardemagni (from 13 DF Alessandro Nesta 41 FW youth team) 14 MF Johann Vogel 6 Lino Marzoratti (from youth 46 DF team) Retired numbers 3 Paolo Maldini, left fullback, 1984-, 6 Franco Baresi, sweeper, 1977-1997 5.FACILITIES The Main First Team Training Facility is 30 kms outside Milan City Centre so up to the Primavera (under 19’s) and so the Club use three venues, split by age range, within the major Milan Conurbation for the training up to 18 years of age The Primavera (Under 19’s) train at the First Team’s Training Facility under the supervision of the Primavera Coach and former Milan Captain, Franco Baresi 7 .