Coaches approve new format

Excitement and appeal
The coaches, meeting at the fifth UEFA Elite Coaches Forum in Nyon, Switzerland, said that the new format for Europe's premier club competition, which involves a 32-team group stage followed by a 16-team knock-out phase, will enhance the competition's excitement and appeal on and off the field.

Coaches present
Present at the forum were Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan), Fabio Capello (AS Roma), Héctor Cúper (Internazionale FC), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United FC), Christian Gross (FC Basel), Ottmar Hitzfeld (FC Bayern München), Marcello Lippi (Juventus FC), Felix Magath (VfB Stuttgart), José Mourinho (FC Porto), Martin O'Neill (Celtic FC) and Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC).

Justified decision
The clear picture to emerge from the summit at UEFA's headquarters on the shores of Lake Geneva was that the decision of European football's governing body last year to revamp its major club event had been fully justified. The Champions League, the coaches said, was an excellently organised competition, in which the best players in the world performed in outstanding stadiums in front of large and enthusiastic crowds, in matches taken charge of by top-quality referees.

Highly motivated
The élite coaches said that they were always highly motivated by the challenge of trying to win the Champions League title. With the new format, there would also be a greater possibility for outsiders to cause a surprise against Europe's biggest teams when the competition reached the knock-out phase.

Right move
"The coaches are concerned about the calendar, and this is also one of the reasons why they are happy that the Champions League has been modified," said UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh, who chaired the meeting. "They think that UEFA has made the right move."

Different issues
Deliberations also centred on a variety of different issues ranging from the success of the silver-goal experiment, the international calendar, the number of substitute players and so-called passive offside.

Silver goal improvement
The coaches felt that the silver-goal ruling, introduced for last season's UEFA club finals upon the recommendation of coaches at last year's Elite Forum, was a better alternative than the sudden-death golden goal. They also went on to express the view that the link between the club and national-team calendars needed fresh study, particularly in terms of the release of players for national-team duty. They suggested modifications to national-team match dates, in particular to allow players to return to club duty at an earlier stage before the next domestic matches.

Two extra substitutes
There was unanimous agreement that coaches should be allowed two extra substitutes on the bench for European matches. This would give coaches greater flexibility as regards substitutions, and eliminate situations whereby international players were left sitting in the stands for major games. UEFA was also urged by the coaches to consider increasing the number of drug tests on players, particular out-of-competition tests

Passive offside
The meeting concluded that further investigations needed to be carried out into the complicated issue of passive offside. The coaches asked to be kept informed of UEFA's instructions to referees in this area, which had created considerable controversy and discussion.

Homegrown players debate
UEFA asked the coaches to give future input to an ongoing debate, in which the European body is a major participant, about whether a certain number of homegrown players who have risen through a club's ranks could be included in a club's squad. Supporters of the idea say that such a move would have a stimulating effect on youth development in particular.

Something to offer
UEFA is delighted at the progress of its annual coach forums, and has implemented a number of recommendations put forward at such gatherings. "A group like this has something to offer which is very valuable," said Andy Roxburgh. "Many of them were top players and are now top coaches who are dealing with the fine details of football on a daily basis."

Crucial forum
"It's very important to listen to them, and then actively try to do something about what they have told us," he added. "It's a vital exercise, and the coaches also find this a crucial forum in which they can express their opinions about various elements of the game."