football test

"IF I WAS ASKED TO FIND ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE ONE OF THE MAIN DIFFERENCES I HAVE NOTICED IN 25 YEARS OF COACHING," GÉRARD HOULLIER REMARKED AT THIS YEAR'S ELITE

CLUB COACHES FORUM,

"THE WORD WOULD PROBABLY BE 'WHY'? TODAY'S PLAYERS WANT TO KNOW THE REASONS BEHIND EACH SESSION ON THE TRAINING GROUND - AND, OF COURSE,

YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO GIVE THEM A GOOD ANSWER."

At today's multilingual professional club, this can become even more demanding - which is why some technicians, 'Takis' Lemonis among them, now open the proceedings with an explanatory talk, either on the training pitch or in the dressing room. Pragmatisms apart, the coaches at the forum emphasised that modern footballers tend to be top-level students of the game and, in order to attain maximum levels of motivation, need to feel involved and, to a degree, responsible for the shape of training exercises. José Mourinho voiced the opinion of many coaches when he said he encourages feedback from his players and prefers to implement a 'guided discovery' strategy on the training ground. "Sometimes an exercise starts in one way and finishes in a totally different way," he commented.

Everybody has his or her modus operandi but the clear message was that the days of "just do what I say" are past history.

It was a theme which cropped up again at the UEFA Coach Education Symposium in London, attended by representatives from all 53 member associations and, in addition, colleagues from FIFA and the other confederations. There was a clear consensus that, in today's dressing-room climate, the technician is required to devise training exercises which are motivating, interesting and totally relevant to matchplay.

"The important thing is to start with clear objectives that you can explain to the players," José Mourinho commented in Nyon. "And then you design the exercise to attain those objectives. But you want input from the players and, like matches, exercises can start in one way and end in a different way. But everything must be game-related. The game is the end, so it should also be the beginning."

"I use a global method," he told Andy Roxburgh during a recent interview. "I use direct methods when preparing our organisation but I also use guided discovery where I create the practice, dictate the aim and then invite the

players to come up with different solutions. My practices are aimed at developing an aspect of my team's play- they are specific for my style of football. Sometimes I decide I won't use a certain practice again because I am sure I can devise a better one with this specific outcome in mind."

During his time at Chelsea FC, José enjoyed the luxury of brand-new training facilities at Cobham - and one of the features he regarded as basic was the ability to conduct training sessions on two adjacent pitches. "This allows you to prepare exercises in advance without having to stop working to move cones or change goals. Players can simply switch from one pitch to the other, taking some fluid in the meantime, and that allows you to conduct a 95-minute session with match- like intensity. That has a big influence on the players' levels of concentration."

Some would argue that a peak-of-the- pyramid club like Chelsea are not the perfect example in that many of the players have been acquired rather than developed. Zico, who was poised to make his UEFA Champions League debut with Fenerbahçe SK, admitted that his training programme focuses as much on the development of the individual as on the construction of a winning team. "It's important to go back regularly to basics and to make the player feel responsible for his actions," he said. Claude Puel endorsed his viewpoint. "When you have a young squad like we have at Lille," he explained, "there is a need to develop players. Training therefore becomes an educational process as well as the means of preparing for a specific game. This is why competing in the Champions League was important. It helped us to raise standards."

"I think this is why many of us complain that we don't have enough time," FC Porto's Jesualdo Ferreira added. "Today's fixture list barely leaves us enough training time to prepare for matches, let alone work on player development. In my average week, the emphasis is firmly on team tactical work rather than anything else."

"The objectives are usually tactical variations for a specific game," Ottmar Hitzfeld agreed. "If you have time, you work on attacking and defensive patterns, passing options and transition. And to make training sessions successful, you need a fitness trainer who has hundreds and thousands of exercises!"

The role of the fitness coach was a theme which cropped up again in London. "Top-level football is so important," Gérard Houllier commented with a smile, "that we have to be careful about how much we leave to the fitness coach..."

For Gérard, the training ground is one of the places where the personality of the coach - as well as his methods -become highly relevant. "Today's play ers are usually top-level students of the game. They want to ask questions about what happens when we meet opponents who do this or do that. And the training ground is where the coach's philosophy and enthusiasm are passed on to the players."

At the symposium in London, Gérard stressed the importance of building your entire season as a coherent training project aimed at raising the level of competence, building confidence and mutual trust among the players and establishing a culture of constant progress and improvement. Both he and Ottmar Hitzfeld also highlighted the need for training sessions to combine fun and efficiency.

But what is efficiency? Is it simply measured by the next result? These are two of the many questions posed in Nyon by Arsène Wenger, a restless mind if ever there was one. "It's correct to say that we have limited time in comparison with other sports. So what is the most efficient way of using, for example, a one-hour session? Sometimes I think that a training session has been good. But that's a subjective assessment. How can we objectively measure the effectiveness of a session? What is the best way for us, as coaches, to work on aspects such as vision or reading the game? I still cannot unravel the mystery of exactly what makes a player suddenly improve and develop."

Sir Alex Ferguson maintains "a top coach needs an imagination - we all want to be the coach that created the perfect goal". Arsène would surely love to be the coach who created the perfect training session...

When someone asks you: "Can he play?", they are usually referring to a player's technical qualities and his ability to read the game. But when they ask: "Can he coach?", the question is much more complex because it depends on the coaching category and the specific role he plays. Although coaches come in many guises, they can be put into three general groups - front-line team managers, player developers, and coach educators. So what is the difference between the various branches of the coaching profession?

The high-profile prowlers of the technical area - club coaches such as Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC) and Frank Rijkaard(FC Barcelona) or national coaches such as Otto Rehhagel (Greece) and Oleg Blokhin (Ukraine) - have the task of winning top-level games. In the entertainment age, most of the time this has to be achieved with style and panache if the wrath of the media and public is to be avoided.

Roy Hodgson, head coach of the Finnish national team, summed up the requirements when he said: "The modern coach needs a philosophy, an expert eye and intuition." If we were building the winners' profile, we could add that he must also be articulate, focused, mentally strong, intelligent, decisive, and energetic. The perceptive and lively Giovanni Trapattoni emphasised that the day-to-day coaching of a club was an entirely different proposition from handling a national team. The Italian master coach once pronounced: "With a club I was a sculptor, and with the national team I was a blender."

In the field of player development, youth coaches, academy directors, technical trainers and grassroots organisers/teachers try to create a learning environment which nurtures young footballers. For me, the youth coach who works with talented players needs to be honest, open, passionate, fit, organised, patient, practical(a man of the pitch), knowledgeable (a football and teaching expert), demanding, and, above all, young at heart. Working with the young can be an exhausting business, and the coach needs to match the players' enthusiasm.

Academy directors, while playing the role of practical coach, also have overall responsibility for talent management. With the support of their staff, they must identify, attract, develop, manage, motivate and keep young players of potential at their club, guiding them along the road to football maturity. With elite youth players, either at a club or with the national youth squad, coaching is fundamentally an educational process. As Juan Santisteban, the excellent coach of the Spanish youth teams for the last decade, has often stated: "As usual, I was less concerned with results than with adding to the boys' education." Of course, coaches and players want to win, but not at the expense of a young player's health and development. Those who work in grassroots football have a similar philosophy because the grassroots players' welfare and enjoyment supersedes team outcomes - in fact, a win-at-all cost mentality has no place in the grassroots game or, for that matter, in elite youth football.

Technical directors, such as Sir Trevor Brooking (England) and Aimé Jacquet (France), oversee all aspects of technical work in their respective associations. One domain under their control is coach education, and in some countries this area is handled by a specialist coach education director: Andreas Morisbak (Norway) and Mariano Moreno (Spain) are two good examples of technicians who organise the training of student coaches, the reeducation of those in employment, and the further development of their own staff coaches. The Italian FA's Franco Ferrari and the German FA's Erich Rutemöller are recognised as two of the best European coach educators, particularly in the coaching work they have done with Pro-licence candidates in their respective associations. Many coaches at top clubs in Italy and Germany will testify to the support and wise counsel they received from their 'professors' - football teachers who taught them how to coach rather than what to coach.

Few coaches have the necessary background or diverse interests to work in all categories of the coaching profession.

Gérard Houllier, however, is one of the select few who immediately comes to mind when we talk of the 'all-rounder'.

The Lyon coach is the current champion of France; a UEFA Cup winner with Liverpool; a European youth champion with a team which included Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and others; and a leading coach educator when he was technical director of the French Football Federation. Recently, the French newspaper L'Equipe asked me to describe Gérard's coaching qualities. I described him as a "Da Vinci Coach" because of his expertise in the art and science of football, and because he has shown his ability to make an impact on all grades and sectors of the game. Seeing the big picture in football can be invaluable, as UEFA Champions League winners Sir Alex Ferguson and Louis van Gaal have shown over the years.

"Can he coach?". Ultimately, the value of a coach depends on his ability to work in a particular coaching category and on how well he is able to perform in the specific role. Of course, certain fundamental skills are required by all coaches, including the ability to read the game. As Mario Zagallo once said: "A good coach is not the one who sees the game, but the one who reads the game." Winning a title, although great, is not the only way to contribute to the success of the game. Or to put it another way: Not all coaches of value live in the media spotlight.

 

Active ball-winning as a principle of the DFB football philosophy

Remaining active every second of the game, even when the opposition has the ball, is part of the playing strategy for our youth teams. The players' actions remain forward-looking and "attack-orientated" at all times. The only difference when the opposition has the ball is that the attacking objective is initially not the opponents' goal, but rapid retrieval of possession.

Principle

After the opponent plays the pass - either to the wing or to the midfield - the midfielders press tightly. The recipient of the pass is therefore put under pressure and attacked.

In order to rehearse the basic tactical principles and running patterns of this key element of our playing strategy, our training sessions regularly include a systematically structured and coached 8 v 8 exercise.

Organisation

The basic formation involves eight players on a three-quarter length pitch, attacking a goal with a goalkeeper. We do not use any central defenders, since they are not directly involved in this important tactical exercise.

The (simulated) opposition team, meanwhile, also has eight players, but their target consists of three small goals behind the halfway line. The opponents must dribble through the two wider goals, or pass the ball through the middle goal.

If the next opponent is expected to play with two strikers, we do not use them in this training exercise (see diagram). However, if three strikers are anticipated, we remove one attacking midfielder and the central striker.

HE HAS AN INFECTIOUS SMILE AND HE HAS MUCH TO SMILE ABOUT. VALERIY GAZZAEV, THE HEAD COACH OF PFC CSKA MOSKVA, WAS A TOP PROFESSIONAL PLAYER, HAS WON MANY TITLES AS A COACH, AND OWNS A SHARE IN AN OIL WELL. AS A PLAYER, HE WON THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AT UNDER-23 (1976) AND UNDER-21 (1980) LEVELS, WAS A BRONZE MEDALLIST FOR THE USSR AT THE 1980 OLYMPIC GAMES AND LIFTED THE SOVIET CUP (1984) AS A MEMBER OF THE FC DINAMO MOSKVA SQUAD - HE SCORED 89 GOALS IN 283 APPEARANCES IN THE TOP SOVIET LEAGUE.

IN HIS MANAGERIAL ROLE, THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL STRIKER (EIGHT APPEARANCES AND FOUR GOALS FOR THE USSR), HAS CAPTURED THE RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR TIMES (ONCE WITH SPARTAK ALANIA-VLADIKAVKAZ AND THE OTHERS WITH CSKA MOSKVA), THE RUSSIAN CUP THREE TIMES (ALL WITH CSKA MOSKVA), AND BECAME THE FIRST RUSSIAN COACH TO LIFT THE UEFA CUP (2005), WHEN CSKA MOSKVA BEAT SPORTING CLUBE DE PORTUGAL IN THE FINAL IN LISBON. THE MAN FROM VLADIKAVKAZ WAS RUSSIA'S COACH OF THE YEAR IN 2005, COACH OF THE NATIONAL TEAM FOR A SHORT PERIOD, AND RECEIVED THE ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP AND THE ORDER OF HONOUR FROM THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. IN HIS PLAYING DAYS, HE WAS KNOWN AS A WIZARD WITH THE BALL, AND AS A COACH HE HAS PRODUCED NUMEROUS MOMENTS OF MAGIC TO BECOME ONE OF RUSSIA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL TECHNICIANS. A PARTICIPANT IN UEFA'S ELITE CLUB COACHES FORUM

FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND A MEMBER OF UEFA'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TECHNICAL STUDY GROUP IN 2006 AND 2007, HE IS THE MAN WITH THE SMILE - HE IS...

VALERIY GAZZAEV

1 • What was the reaction in Russia when you won the UEFA Cup?

Of course, this was a great success because never before had a Russian club won a European trophy. It was a big celebration and recognition for the whole nation. The president of the country gave us a reception in the Kremlin and the reaction from everyone was amazing. We won because we had good players, a good president and a good coach (he laughs and the smile sparkles). The commitment was total and everyone did his job professionally.

The key was balance - the balance between our Brazilian and Russian players allowed us to benefit from the qualities of each group.

2 • What system of play do you use with CSKA Moskva?

All my career at CSKA Moskva, I have used the same system - with three defenders, five midfielders and two strikers. The two wing backs have always done a great job both defensively and offensively. Since 2001, we have won many trophies playing in this way and my players like this system of play. The most important aspect for us is that we are very well organised and responsible in our defensive work - everybody has his clearly defined job. The second key is having five in midfield, not just quantity but also quality. We can really build up the attacks, particularly with the use of our fast players on the flanks. The high level of our twin strikers completes the team unit and Produces a system which I am very comfortable with. Last season in the UEFA Champions League, we scored 16 goals and only conceded four, so the system works for us. I find that three at the back is more secure because, first and foremost, they know what to do defensively and they remain in place, while a zonal four can become stretched and imbalanced - the latter has quantity but for me the former has greater security.

3 • You have four Brazilians in your team. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

When we got our Brazilian players they were not famous - they were young boys when they came to us. During their time with us, they have matured into Brazilian national team players, and now CSKA is the only team giving

four players to the Brazilian national team. These players have great technical qualities, they are very professional, and they are a big plus for us because we win many matches on account of their quality. The big disadvantage is that we lose them when they are away with Brazil.

4 • How would you describe your training methods?

Firstly, we focus on intensity because today's game is very quick and high tempo. Therefore, my training is intense and close to the match situation. Of course, we do a lot of tactical work, together with coordination and fluid movement - these elements are combined. Usually, I incorporate the tactics we will use in the game - the physical aspect is also included, so it is a combined, complex approach. We do practical exercises on pressing, which are exhausting because they require everyone to work hard. I never hold training sessions for longer than one hour and fifteen minutes, but they are very concentrated and demanding in order to push everybody up to the match level.

5 • What are the tactical trends in Russian football?

I would say that the tactical trends are similar to those in the rest of Europe. Many use 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 but the quality of the play is not as high as the top UEFA Champions League teams. The only one who is not following the trends is me. Most of the clubs are playing cautiously, building from defence and playing counter-attack - the aim is mainly not to lose.

6 • The next UEFA Champions League final will be in Moscow. What can we expect?

Firstly, I hope that a Russian club will be in the final. It is a great honour for Russia to get the final and we will do everything to make it a big success. For the whole country and for the association, it is an important development. It will attract a great deal of attention to football and I am sure it will be a well-organised, spectacular final. I agree with the decision to play on real grass, although the artificial surface in Moscow is good. The level of organisation will be high and Moscow will do its utmost to welcome everybody.

7 • Do you think that a team from Russia is capable of winning the UEFA Champions League in the near future?

There has been a lot of investment in the game in Russia, including the infrastructure, and the competitive level has improved, with eight or nine top clubs of a similar standard. I believe that in the near future we are capable of having a team in the final of the UEFA Champions League. It is really only in the last six years that we have become fully professional in Russian football and we are now experiencing a rapid development in the game. I think that in five years' time we can have one of the top five championships in Europe. Now we are investing in quality players, and top coaches are coming to Russia, so the trend is towards the top European level.

8 • Who were your favourite players and coaches?

I believe every coach should have his own way. We should not copy - yes, I like Sir Alex Ferguson and I respect his work, but the key is to find your own way. Oleg Blokhin, who I played with, was a great player, as was Lev Yashin and, of course, Valerii Lobanovskyi was an outstanding coach in the former USSR.

9 • Is there still a distinctive Russian style of football?

I don't think that there is a Russian style of playing football because we have many foreign players and coaches.

Of course, there is South American and European football, and we are part of the latter. Maybe there was a Soviet style, but now modern Russia does not have a distinctive way of playing.

10 • How do you handle today's top professionals?

It is a big problem to handle top professionals nowadays, but I can deal with that. I am constantly working on psychology and I have intense discussions with the players, trying to make them understand that money is only

part of the equation. They need to work for their name - their reputation. It is not an easy task, but I feel that I can cope. I am always touching the human aspect - they are football players, but their behaviour is also important. They need to learn from their experiences because it will benefit them later in life, and I communicate regularly with the players on a one- to-one basis. Strict discipline in the team is a priority for us - it is the base.

Then come the individual discussions and the personal development. Of course, you cannot make players from the outside (such as the Brazilians) love Russia, but you can get them to respect the traditions here and to do their job as professionals. The Brazilians love Brazil, naturally, so we experience a difference in mentality between our Russian players and those who have come from South America.

11 • What do you think are the most important qualities of a modern coach?

As a coach you need to be aware of the culture where the players come from and react accordingly. There needs to be a very good relationship between the coach and the player, no matter their place of origin. The coach needs to be a strong character and a good psychologist. I read a lot and I prepare myself to deal with the various psychological problems. When the players think that the coach is not a strong character, then everything can be lost, even if he has all the tactical knowledge and an outstanding ability to read the game.

12 • Do you see a difference between Eastern Europe and the West in the approach to the game?

I think there is a difference between the East and the West. We in Russia have just started with a professional life, including the contractual duties of a player, dealing with the owner/president, etc. All of this is new to our people and the mentality is different in the East. But I see things changing and gradually we are moving towards the same standards as those in the leading Western countries. However, I must admit that there is a difference today, although respect for the players and the coaches is going up and up.

13 • For you, what are the best and the worst aspects of football today?

For the last 100 years, football has been the most popular game and I love it. However, some developments have disappointed me. I do not agree with the current interpretation of the offside law because many are afraid and therefore play cautiously. This is a negative trend in the game. Also, football is so popular that it can create jealousy when some get too much money or too much fame. From a positive perspective, I will never forget the emotion of winning the UEFA Cup. Winning and collecting trophies is always a wonderful experience in football, and the game's appeal continues to grow throughout the world.

14 • What does the future hold for Russian football and for Valeriy Gazzaev?

I think that the future of Russian football is bright and I see myself coming back to the national team one day -I would like to do something for my country. There is a boom in Russian football, with five new stadiums being built, and support coming from the government and the private sector. People now understand the role of football in our society, so we see growth, also at grassroots level. Many of the stadiums are full and the management around the clubs is improving. Our victory in the UEFA Cup even gave a boost to the activities of the football schools - the kids want to play and they know after our success that Russian clubs are capable of winning.

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
 

IN AN ILLUSTRIOUS PLAYING CAREER THAT SPANNED 20 YEARS, MORTEN OLSEN MADE 102 APPEARANCES FOR DENMARK, WHICH INCLUDED CAPTAINING A GIFTED NATIONAL SQUAD AT THE 1986 FIFA WORLD CUP IN MEXICO. HIS MAJOR CAREER SUCCESSES CAME IN THE 1980S, WHEN HE WON THE BELGIAN CHAMPIONSHIP (THREE TIMES) AND THE UEFA CUP WITH RSC ANDERLECHT, PRIOR TO MOVING TO 1. FC KÖLN IN GERMANY. HE WAS TWICE VOTED DENMARK'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR (1983 AND 1986). MORTEN WAS A THINKING-MAN'S PLAYER WHO MOVED EASILY INTO COACHING, AND IN SUCCESSFUL SPELLS WITH BRØNDBY IF, 1. FC KÖLN AND AFC AJAX, HE WON THE DANISH CHAMPIONSHIP TWICE AND A LEAGUE AND CUP DOUBLE IN THE NETHERLANDS. SINCE JULY 2000, HE HAS BEEN AT THE HELM OF THE DANISH NATIONAL TEAM AND LED HIS COUNTRY TO THE KNOCKOUT PHASES OF THE 2002 WORLD CUP AND THE QUARTER-FINALS OF EURO 2004. MORTEN HAS THE RARE DISTINCTION OF WINNING A GROUP PHASE AT A WORLD CUP BOTH AS A PLAYER AND AS A COACH. THE DANISH NATIONAL COACH IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED TECHNICIANS IN EUROPE AND HIS THOUGHTS ON FOOTBALL ARE ALWAYS STIMULATING. HE IS TRULY A MAN OF THE PITCH. HE IS

MORTEN OLSEN

1 • What is your view of the forthcoming EURO and the World Cup qualifiers?

I think that the tournament in Switzerland and Austria will be fantastic, especially for the game itself because of the level of football. EURO '96 was not of particularly great quality, but since then, the European Championship and World Cup final rounds have been of a high standard. Of course, these tournaments are also big events, and the overall experience in Germany in 2006 was excellent. But it is also extremely important the way we play the game. Yes, it is about winning, but with all the attention from fans, sponsors, TV, etc. we must make the game itself better and better because that is the

only way that we can continue to make football interesting. So a tournament like EURO 2008 is vital for the image of the game - this is extremely important for the future.

When you see qualifying games,it takes about a year and a half, and the key is stability and consistency. But the finals are held over a three-week period and then it is all about the form and fitness of the players at that specific time. Often the stars of such a tournament are players who were injured during the season, recover, and come into the event fresh. Marco van Basten was an example of that back in 1988. On the other side of the coin are some players who have played throughout the season, who are physically and mentally tired, and who may not compete at their peak. For the moment, it is very difficult to say who will triumph in June 2008 because I think that 10 or 12 countries are capable of winning the European Championship. As we saw last time with Greece, anything is possible. The gap between the teams is very small. Looking further ahead to the World Cup qualifiers, from a coach's perspective, it is a pity that we play Sweden again, but there is always something special for the fans in these matches. Portugal are in our group and I appreciate very much the way they play football, and we mustn't forget Hungary, a traditional football country, that will be anxious to reach a final after a long absence.

2• What, for you, are the main challenges in managing a national team today?

The first thing is that there are a lot of foreign players playing in the top leagues, even in a small country like Denmark. It is good for the domestic competition to have new faces and quality players. But the consequence

is that we don't have so many top players eligible for the national team. In addition, we don't have enough Danish players playing regularly in the big clubs in other parts of Europe, as was the case 20 years ago. A major problem for a national coach is the lack of time with the players, particularly for detailed preparation. And globalisation has had an impact on many things, including the attitude of the press. The media demands on all top coaches have increased, although we have to say that such intense interest is good for the promotion of the game.

3 • What is the impact of the homegrown players rule in Denmark?

In Denmark, I have not seen any benefit from this ruling. In fact, many clubs are bringing young players from abroad to their academies and they soon satisfy the home-grown regulation. This situation will have an effect on the national teams in the future.

4 • In what way does the UEFA Champions League have an influence on the work of the national team coach?

It is good for Danish football if we have a team in the UEFA Champions League but at the moment we don't have a club playing regularly at this elite level. Last season, we did have FC København and we saw one negative aspect, because some people were more interested in the UEFA Champions League than the fortunes of the national team.

However, at the end of the day, having our clubs participating at this level is good for Danish football in general. In case there is any doubt, I must emphasise that our players are still proud to wear the national team jersey and there is no clash of loyalties for them. It is invaluable that our players gain playing experience in the UEFA Champions League because this know-how transfers into the national team. The biggest problem in Danish football is that we don't have as many top players as we had in the past, but we had a number of FC København players in our squad last season and this was a help to us. At the moment we have around 50% of the squad based in Denmark and exposure to European competition is extremely beneficial to those players.

5 • How would you describe your style of play?

We have to use the qualities within the squad and to build a solid team. Of course, there needs to be some flexibility, but a playing philosophy is also vital. Every time the national squad is together, you need to have a consistent approach. Whatever we want interms of style, we must be realistic and remember it is about winning. But you must also think about the way you playbecause I think it is important for the image and the future of football. Of course, the way we play doesn't just depend on us but on the opponent and the form we are in on a particular day. In general, however I take a very positive approach. We try to keep the ball, to dominate possession, but at the same time always look for possibilities to play in the depth. Without doubt, in modern football you must be very good in transition, both in exploiting space and in quickly forming the defence. I may have a personal philosophy, but I can only use players with a Danish passport - I can't buy players to create a perfect fit for my favourite style. However, I have been lucky that I have had in my time a number of players who fit the bill for me and for my approach. For example, we have always had wingers. I like to play with quick, wide players because they can cause the opponent particular problems, and we often defend better by blocking the attacking tendencies of the other team's full backs.

6 • Do you involve yourself in the preparation of the under-age national squads?

Yes. We have produced a new strategy in the Danish FA to develop individual players who can reach international level. It is not about systems of play, but about trying to develop the players' attitude in the game - trying to educate the players in the best way in terms of playing performances. Once a month, I meet the coaches of our national under-age teams and work on the development programme. We have a dialogue about football and the way to nurture young players. Today is the most important moment for the A team national coach, ecause we are in the results business, but for the sake of the association, we should have an influence on what happens tomorrow.

The biggest challenge in football today is to find a way to play that can motivate the players to perform. If they are interested, committed and involved in the game that is what makes them ambitious. I don't like footballers who are looking at their watch - the game must be primarily a hobby and a passion. They must be motivated through the game, because they like to play. Of course, structure is necessary - without that there is no freedom to play.

7 • How can the relationship between the clubs and the national team be improved?

I can understand that in some countries this is difficult, but we are small and I have close cooperation with the club coaches. If you can't have such a relationship, it is a bad day. I have no problem about the release of players from our domestic clubs. Sometimes the difficulties arise when we have friendly games, but if a player is not playing regularly at a top club abroad, those clubs are often happy to let him play for us.

8 • How has the game evolved since you were a player?

The game has undoubtedly got quicker and more compact, and this means you need better technique and an ability to read the game faster. Players today don't have the space that we had in my era as a player. But, I'm sure that most talented players of former days would have adapted to today's conditions.

Another factor that has influenced the quality of the modern game is the standard of the pitches. When you see most games in the UEFA Champions League the surfaces are fantastic. You cannot play a great passing game on a poor field. During my playing career, many of the pitches were poor and this was not helpful. Nowadays we even have artificial training pitches for year-round practice. If you see Arsenal FC's pitch in London, it is like a billiard table, and this is important for their type of football. When it is muddy, the solution is often to resort to a long-ball game.

9 • What are the key elements for success at the top level?

Assuming you have good players, you need to be talented in a variety of ways to be a successful coach. I think that experience is a prerequisite. The ability to be innovative is also important -never resting on your laurels and always looking for new solutions. And, of course, you need to be lucky. With today's players, I think you need to be better in coaching because they are more knowledgeable and inquisitive. It is good that players are happy to ask why. They want to know why, and this also means they know something about the way we want to play the game. This, of course, depends on which culture you are coming from. When players have the confidence to ask you why, you know that you have them fully involved in the process. Positional power is not enough for the coach today - top players react badly to verbal attacks. Communicating with the media and the marketing side has also become more demanding than in the past. You have to sell your team and your club - you could also say that you need to 'brand' yourself.

10 • Are you optimistic about the future of the game?

Yes, I am optimistic. As I said before, you need good organisation, discipline and structure. But I also see the freedom to play as a must. Often it is this freedom of expression by gifted players that decides top-level games. The two most important things in football for me are the public and the players. If these two groups are satisfied, then I'm satisfied. Yes we need to win, but everyone is happier if we win with some style. We in Denmark were one of the progressive countries in football education, but now everyone has developed and invested heavily in coaching and training. The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the Bosman Ruling were two major influences on football during the last 20 years. The fall of the wall created more countries, and therefore more competition, and the Bosman case gave more players from smaller countries the chance to play in the big European leagues. We will, I'm sure, continue to develop good coaches and footballers in Denmark, but the competitive environment has definitely changed.

11 • What next for Morten Olsen?

Following my 20 year career as a professional player, I have enjoyed being both a club manager and a national team coach, and after 17 years on the bench, I'm still happy to work in football and to be a technician - it is a great job. Some day, I may return to the club scene, but for now I am focused on Denmark's forthcoming World Cup campaign. In football, we must always be looking ahead to the next goal, to the next challenge.