Variety is the spice of life

Good principles
The chairman of the UEFA technical development committee, Dr Jozef Venglos, also declared at the 14th UEFA Course for Coach Educators in Crete that it was essential for the coaches of today and tomorrow to receive the right training, which would mean that good principles are passed on to players.

Experienced expert
Dr Venglos has been a key member of UEFA's technical circles for many years, and has combined his work within European football's governing body with coaching jobs at national-team and club level all over the world. He helped mastermind Czechoslovakia's triumph in the 1976 UEFA European Championship, and has coached top clubs such as Celtic FC, Aston Villa FC and Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Styles and traditions
"I think it is very important to maintain the different faces of Europe's geographical football areas – the Latin way, the Nordic way, the British way. Central European and Eastern European styles," Dr Venglos told those present. "This is very important not only for Europe, but also for world football. Different football philosophies have things in common, but it is also equally important that (regions) maintain their own style and traditions."

Learning from abroad
Dr Venglos stated that players from other continents were also helping to shape the course of European football. "In talking to European coaches, they realise that we need to take care of our own [European] players, but also that we can improve our game by learning from the qualities shown by foreign players. From each continent, you can take some specialities and implement them in the development of world football."

Coach-player co-operation
The renowned Slovak coach said that the relationship between coaches and players had also evolved over the years to become less of a master-pupil relationship. "The relationship between coaches and players has become co-operation," he reflected. "It is no longer a case of a coach telling his players what to do, but there is a dialogue which helps to improve our game."

UEFA's policy bearing fruit
Dr Venglos said UEFA's philosophy that well-educated coaches will help breed quality footballers was bearing excellent fruit. "I think it's essential that we seek to improve the people who are dealing with the coaches, and I can see great progress. Courses like this help to spread the philosophy that the better the education of coaches, the better the players we produce. I am very optimistic that UEFA is on the right track."