Coaches Meet in Warsaw Ten Years of the UEFA Champions League 06
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10.02 Coaches meet in Warsaw 03 Ten years of the UEFA Champions League 06 Behind the scenes at a draw ceremony 10 500,000 CHF per association 14 no 07 – october 2002 COVER IN THIS ISSUE Bids for EURO 2008 12 Five-time winners of the champion clubs’ competition, AC Milan have made a thundering The keys to success 05 Executive Committee meeting 14 start in this season’s UEFA Champions League. With seven goals in the first three matches, The UEFA Champions League News from Filippo Inzaghi (opposite Coulibaly from RC Lens) in facts and figures 06 member associations 17 has played a prominent role at this early stage. PHOTO: RICHIARDI Draw in Nyon 10 Announcements 23 the importanceeditorial of the national teams Major events are remarkable in that they are talked about well before they happen and long after they have taken place. This summer’s World Cup finals in Korea and Japan are no exception, as borne out by the fact that coaches from all of Europe’s national football associations gathered recently in Warsaw to cast their expert eye on FIFA’s flagship competition. The European Championship falls into the same category. Interest in EURO 2004 was running high even before the qualifiers got under way, particularly since many national teams are embarking on this adventure under a new coach. The first results have boosted or damped initial hopes, and speculation on the chances of qualifying is high among officials and fans. At the same time, the host association for the final tourna- ment, the Portuguese Football Federation, is working closely with UEFA to accomplish a vast and ambitious task, that of providing all the conditions needed for a successful event in the summer of 2004. Progress is good. The importance of the European Championship is also evident from the number and quality of the bids to host EURO 2008. All the visits carried out by the UEFA inspection team these past few weeks have revealed considerable efforts, a high level of political support and a real enthusiasm to host the tournament. National-team football has remarkable rallying power. It allows rival club fans to forget their differences and to identify with each other as supporters of the same national team. For the players too, it represents both a feeling of pride in repre- senting their country and the special experience of playing on the international stage. Club football and national-team football have always comple- mented one another to shape the history and legend of European football. A feeling of pride for all players who, The mass interest generated by the major international national-team like Portugal’s Luis Figo, defend competitions complements the success of the club competitions and the colours of their nation. is necessary for the long-term health of the game. Gerhard Aigner Chief Executive EMPICS we care about football 02 uefadirect 10.02 ConferenceWorld forCup coaches under the in microscope Warsaw PHOTOS: BOZZANI PHOTOS: FOOTBALL’S MAJOR EUROPEAN AND WORLD TOURNAMENTS GIVE Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner told THE TECHNICAL SECTOR PLENTY OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT. participants. “As national coaches, your work and opinions are impor- TACTICAL TRENDS, TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS, KEY PLAYERS tant to us. National-team football AND COACHES’ EXPERIENCES ARE ALL ASPECTS THAT ARE RIPE remains an important part of top- FOR CONSIDERATION AFTER THE EVENT. level football.” Consequently, this summer’s The event has become FIFA World Cup in Japan/Korea was a traditional feature in UEFA’s packed put under the microscope by calendar. This year, European foot- Europe’s technical community at the ball’s governing body also gave the fifth UEFA Conference for European hosts, the Polish Football Association, National Coaches in Warsaw from the opportunity to send all of the 23 to 25 September. country’s top-division coaches to the National-team coaches, gathering as observers. “We want to their assistants, technical directors learn from the best,” said Polish FA and coach-education directors from President Michal Listkiewicz. throughout the continent gathered “As the umbrella organisa- in the Polish capital for three tion of European football, UEFA days of discussions which served considers it as its duty to bring you as an essential pointer to the future all together after a major event for all those involved in guiding such as the World Cup, and to give Berti Vogts (Germany,1996), Rinus Michels the fortunes of Europe’s 52 senior you the opportunity to exchange (Netherlands,1988) and Roger Lemerre (France, 2000) – three European Championship national squads. views at a European level,” UEFA winning coaches took part in the forum in Warsaw. The working group sessions gave rise to interesting discussions. BOZZANI The World Cup in the Far sheer pride at reaching an unex- East was the subject of a thorough pected third place, and France’s technical and tactical analysis, Roger Lemerre gave his impressions which was given additional weight of the problems he lived with in a by contributions from many of disappointing campaign for the 1998 the coaches who undertook the world champions and reigning Euro- adventure with their national teams. pean title holders. Germany’s coach Rudi Völler and The conference gave UEFA his assistant Michael Skibbe gave and the national coaches a chance to the conference a fascinating insight talk about refereeing, following a into their experiences in taking World Cup in which referees and their country to the runners-up spot, their assistants were regularly in the and how they handled the public headlines. Italy’s Pierluigi Collina, and press pressure that comes with acknowledged as a referee at the the job. summit of his “art”, who officiated at Republic of Ireland coach the final in Yokohama, was a guest Mick McCarthy explained the in Warsaw. Collina reminded every- particular pressures he had to face one about the tough demands in having to send home his key placed on referees and assistants, BOZZANI Zbigniew Boniek, polish FA president player Roy Keane. Turkey’s Senol given the pace and stakes of the Michal Listkiewicz and Andy Roxburgh at the press conference. Günes expressed his country’s modern-day game. “Referees must be allowed to make errors, just as coaches and players do,” said Collina, who also stressed the importance of referees having good tactical acumen to help them run matches. The coaches also discussed possible ways of helping referees in their task. The majority favoured experiments involving a human element – proposals included the use of two additional assistants on each goal line to tell whether a ball was over BEVILACQUA the line or not, or to have a better view of certain penalty- The coaches present area incidents, while there were in Warsaw appreciate the one-touch play of also calls for former top-class Valencia CF and their Argentine player players to be fast-tracked into Pablo Aimar, pictured here refereeing because of their opposite Liverpool’s German defender technical and tactical know- Dietmar Hamann. ledge of the game. 04 uefadirect 10.02 PHOTOS: BOZZANI PHOTOS: THE KEYS TO SUCCESS At the end of a fruitful three days, UEFA Technical Director Andy What do today’s top national and club teams need to keep them at the summit? This was one of the questions debated Roxburgh emphasised the European in detail at the Warsaw conference. Several key elements were body’s commitment to national-team identified in the discussions… football, and praised the coaches It was agreed that successful teams need individual players for their endeavours. “What a job, who can seize a decisive moment in a game to create or score and what pressure,” the former the goal that brings victory. With the exploits of Brazil’s striker Scotland coach told them. “But you Ronaldo at the FIFA World Cup in mind, UEFA Technical Director are stimulated by your work and Andy Roxburgh said: “Such players are gold”. you cope with that pressure The ability to capitalise on mistakes is also seen as an essential element in winning matches at the highest level. because you have an intense desire In the top competitions, such as the World Cup and UEFA Champions to be successful.” League, 89 minutes of intense concentration and effort can come “National-team football to nothing because one mistake in the closing seconds might be matters,” he added. “It is pure spirit. punished ruthlessly. We’re dealing with the passion of Europe’s national coaches insisted upon the paramount the national jersey, and an identity. importance of scoring the first goal in a match. Teams that took the We have to protect national teams. lead earned themselves a vital psychological advantage. The need Some people think that we don’t to go ahead in a game was backed up by statistical evidence, need them. This is not true. We now which showed that in the World Cup and UEFA Champions League respectively, 61% and 62% of teams went on to win matches have to keep searching for the cor- after grabbing the lead. rect balance between the demands The use of video “evidence” was a feature of the of club and national teams.” conference, and the partici- pants were shown several The centre passes of David Beckham examples of another way of (England and Manchester United) gaining the edge in the modern- are a real treat for the spectators… and for his team mates. day major competitions – the rapid collective counter-attack to catch the opposition unawares. Teams who win possession, break forward quickly in numbers and exploit the space left by opponents are seen as pos- sessing a crucial quality for high-level success.