Youth Football in the Spotlight Spanish Double in the Under-19S World Cup
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9.04 Youth football in the spotlight 03 Spanish double in the Under-19s 05 World Cup qualifiers kick off 10 League revenue 14 No. 29 – September 2004 No. 29 – September COVER IN THIS ISSUE World Cup qualifiers: 13 places at stake 10 Spain (Nuria) won their first Disciplinary matters: No excuse European Women’s Under-19 title Youth football for not knowing the suspension rules 12 within weeks of their male counter- celebration in Nyon 03 parts celebrating their third victory UEFA Champions League in the same category. Spanish double money for the leagues 14 PHOTO: J. ESKOLA in the Under-19s 05 News from member associations 17 EditorialA special moment The history of football reflects predominantly the finals of the big competitions and the tournaments in which those competitions culminate, events which attract a far wider audience than just the supporters of the partici- pating teams and stir up excitement in the world of football as a whole. There is, however, another moment in the season when a different kind of shiver runs through the football world. It is the moment when the new season com- mences and when the teams get ready to embark on a new adventure which awakens all sorts of speculation and dreams, and when everyone can nurture the wildest of hopes. There is no doubt that it is a special time, even though it is often followed by a rapid and brutal return to reality. As the new season gets under way, the way in which last season ended, both in the UEFA club competitions and EURO 2004, makes all those dreams all the more justifiable. If the favourites were knocked out last season, why not this year too? If the “underdogs” believe that anything is possible, they will have greater confidence in their ability and we will see other surprises, as we already did at the beginning of August when Spain beat favourites Germany in the final of the European Women’s Under-19 Championship in Finland. The competition organisers do not mind the surprises either; after all it keeps interest in their competitions alive. However, this abundance of surprises also raises questions. What is it that is causing the long-established hierarchy to be chal- lenged? Are the top players victims of a choked-up calendar which takes the wind out of their sails at the end of the season? Or are we seeing a gradual levelling out of the game? And if it is a question of the game becoming more even, is that because of the advances and quality of coaching throughout Europe, or is it furthered by the inter- mixing of players and the clubs losing their national identity? We will have to take a serious look at all of these questions, and more besides, since they affect the future of our game. But, for the time being, they do not stop us from savouring the first action of the new season! Lars-Christer Olsson Chief Executive The clubs involved in the qualifying rounds embarked on their UEFA campaigns in July/August already (SL Benfica – RSC Anderlecht). PHOTONEWS we care about football 02 uefadirect 9.04 UEFA Golden Jubilee Youth football celebration UEFA THE HOUSE OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL WAS THE VENUE FOR A SPECIAL CELEBRATION to a review of the current status of youth football in a presentation enti- OF YOUTH FOOTBALL ON 23 AND 24 JULY, AS UEFA COMBINED THE CELEBRATION tled “The Way We Are” by the Chair- OF ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A LOOK INTO THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE man of the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee, Jim Boyce. OF THE YOUTH GAME ACROSS THE CONTINENT. In examining youth football today, Boyce paid particular atten- National youth coaches and A history of youth football tion to the education today’s young experts from throughout Europe revealed the development of the youth players are getting from experi- attended the conference organised game in Europe from the 1960s, enced ex-players who have played by UEFA’s Football Development which included talents such as Becken- at the highest level. Boyce said the Division under Technical Director bauer, Cruyff, Voronin and Facchetti, combination of better education, Andy Roxburgh. through the 1970s and the 1980s to further financial investment, closer The seminar began on the 1990s, when the French Under-18 cooperation between football and Friday 23 with a look back at the team that won the 1996 European local authorities and improved beginnings of youth football in Europe Under-18 Championship included stars conditions for training meant that during the 1950s under the influ- such as Henry, Trezeguet, Gallas today’s players were showing an ence of Sir Stanley Rous, when and Anelka, amongst others. increased maturity at an earlier age. matches were played as friendlies In the afternoon’s session, “Europe’s youngest footballers are and at a time when the players did after a break for a practical training doing very well indeed,” said Boyce. not even wear their own national session at Nyon’s Colovray stadium “Recent matches in Portugal (at team jerseys. and lunch, the participants listened EURO 2004) confirmed this – there 03 The The only goal seminar in the participants Under-19 final. got some exercise as well. were some very good examples of was felt to be outweighed by the grown players per club being youth talents. There are also many benefits of a proper organised tourna- implemented. This would allow and more gifted young players available ment and the help that this tourna- encourage youth players to stay at this point in time to make sure ment gave players in stepping up to with their club and receive contin- that European football remains on under-21 level and then to the full uous and proper training from top of the football pyramid.” national A team. the club’s youth coaching staff, Boyce also paid particular enabling the player to mature, tribute to the work being undertaken any of the players who not only as a player on the pitch, shone at EURO 2004 by UEFA in the area of youth football. M but also mentally. in Portugal, including Wayne “UEFA’s commitment and attitude This was in line with the Rooney of England, Johan to youth football are tremendous,” Vonlanthen of Switzerland overall view expressed by the he said. “Without that investment, and Cristiano Ronaldo of speakers at the seminar that youth we could not do what we are doing Portugal, are all the products is a precious talent to be developed today.” of youth schemes and have and nurtured and not exploited. The session on Friday fin- been nurtured carefully. “All of us have a challenge to develop ished with the seminar splitting into our young talents,” said UEFA different language group workshops In addition, the seminar asked Technical Director Andy Roxburgh. to tackle some of the most topical UEFA to further expand its involve- “The contributions to this can come issues in youth football, including, ment in the youth area, with continu- from all sorts of sources – the reducing the number of youth tourna- ing financial support through the clubs, coaches, parents, adminis- ments back from the current under-17 HatTrick programme, through further trators. In 50 years, when UEFA and under-19 to a single under-18 exchanges with other continents comes to celebrate its centenary, competition only, seeing how to (e.g. Meridian Cup), via assistance in let’s hope that the football leaders further develop Europe’s youth talents coach education through the UEFA of the time praise the officials, and looking at what further areas Coaching Convention, and with a view administrators and coaches of our could be improved upon to raise to looking at a specialised youth generation as visionaries.” European youth football to a higher coaching licence. level. The main problem areas were short question and Saturday commenced with seen to be the involvement of player A answer session held on feedback from Friday’s working agents and their way of handling Saturday with former players groups. All the working groups were young talent, the lack of facilities in who had passed through unanimous in their view that UEFA some countries, and in particular, their respective youth systems right to the top should not revert back to one simple the difficulty for young players to break involved Sergei Aleinikov, under-18 youth category tournament, into club first teams as a result of Zvonimir Boban, Gabriel as a way of streamlining the number the number of foreign players being Calderon, Horst Hrubesch, of competitions and matches the recruited by the clubs in the post- Richard Bate and Michal youth are playing. The problem of the Bosman era. This led to clear support Globisz. release of some players for the UEFA for UEFA’s recent proposal on some Under-19 competition by their clubs form of minimum number of home- Perhaps the words of Andy Roxburgh and his colleagues are already coming true. As the partici- pants in the youth conference sat in the Colovray stadium in Nyon on Saturday evening, watching the final of the European Under-19 Champi- onship between Spain and Turkey, it was a piece of individual skill in the 90th minute that unlocked the game as Spain’s No. 8, Borja Valero, chipped the Turkish goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty area to score. Tomorrow’s talents are already on their way. PHOTOS: UEFA PHOTOS: 04 uefadirect 9.04 France The UEFA pose a threat president presents in front the trophy of the to Spain’s captain, Italian goal.