FIFA (www.FIFA.com) Coaching Development programme aims to raise standards of coaching education globally; Technical development leaders from all six confederations in attendance; Successful pilot programmes share findings from technical workshops.

FIFA’s Coaching Development team joined up with technical experts from all six confederations for a FIFA technical development workshop in Dubai last week, learning and sharing methods to raise standards of coaching development across the world.  

Technical leaders from pilot programmes in the USA, Australia, Senegal and Brazil shared findings from their own workshops in the interest of spreading best practices globally.

In line with the FIFA President’s Vision 2020-2023 (https://fifa.fans/3rqBr2Z) to make football truly global, FIFA aims to align similar standards and benchmarks all over the world.

This involves high level collaboration between FIFA technical experts and FIFA member associations (MAs), who are also given access to the resources on the FIFA Training Centre (www.FIFATrainingCentre.com) platform.

“It is crucial for FIFA technical experts coming from different confederations and different regions,” said Branimir Ujevic, FIFA’s Head of Coaching Development.

“They are FIFA’s voice on the field in the development of coach educators and it is vital for each coach educator to be able to access the FIFA Training Centre platform where they’re going to learn in their own language.”

The workshop in Dubai consisted of classroom lessons, practical sessions on the pitch and demonstrations from MAs who have already undertaken their own programmes.

FIFA may be leading the programme but it is crucial that individual MAs are proactive and adapt the guidelines to suit their own situation and needs.

“We can give the kick-start but then it’s the responsibility of the member associations to move forward,” stressed FIFA’s Head of Technical Services Jürg Nepfer.

“We saw yesterday in the communications with the pilot projects in Australia, Brazil, Senegal, USA as well, that they are really thankful, even Brazil, that this programme is in place and they’re motivated to move forward with that.”

“I’m convinced that if everybody is working together, and if everybody is exploring his, her or [their] potential, then I’m sure the programme will be successful. And with this, also, the development of football can progress worldwide.”

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) are one of the MAs to already hold their own Coach Educators’ Development Programme in January (https://fifa.fans/37kge3N) and are in the process of getting their coach educators certified by CBF, supported by FIFA..

A delegation from the CBF delivered a presentation on their findings in Dubai.

“In Brazil, we’ve already implemented it. It was extremely successful,” explained Mauricio Marques, the Head of Coach’s Education at the CBF.

“We already have seven coach educators certified. We are going to have 20 coach educators certified already by the end of July, and I can guarantee it is already affecting the quality of the teaching, the quality of the interactions that the Brazilian instructors are promoting in terms of producing better coaches and obviously, producing better players.”

The Dubai workshop centred around the exchange of ideas.

Eduardo Rergis Pacheco, a former Mexico defender who is now a technical expert for CONCACAF, was one of those who participated in the workshop.

“We tackled very important issues, especially, how we can have a real impact on coaches, both from the professional side with the most important coaching licences and with regards to determining how to give players the best training possible,” he said.

“I believe that football is a living being which feels, breathes and constantly develops. We can’t just stand by. We’ve got to incorporate new ideas in which technology and communication gives us the option to have a positive impact.”

The next FIFA Coach Educators’ Development Programme takes place in Australia at the beginning of May.