Coaches welcome ref advice

Top European coaches have given a positive reaction to UEFA's new refereeing guidelines on jostling in the penalty area and stoppages for player injuries. Refereeing provided the opening topic at the latest UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday.

Stellar lineup
Coaches present included Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC), José Mourinho (Chelsea FC), Ottmar Hitzfeld (FC Bayern München), Roberto Mancini (FC Internazionale Milano), Alain Perrin (Olympique Lyonnais), Jesualdo Ferreira (FC Porto) and Juande Ramos (Sevilla FC). Talks focused on various elements of the élite European game.

Firm on jostling
At UEFA's summer referee gathering this week, referees had been urged to be proactive and firm on holding, pushing and jostling offences in the penalty area. (Click here for uefa.com's story.) The coaches welcomed UEFA's initiative but also asked that consistency be applied when such offences were penalised.

Referee's decision
On the issue of stoppages for treatment to injured players, it was highlighted that such stoppages could be misused – for example, if the ball is put out of play, the team throwing the ball back into play can put it downfield and unfairly press their opponents into a defensive position. The coaches accepted UEFA's recommendation that players should leave it to the referee to decide when to stop the game should a player be injured.

Turning defence to attack
Moving to tactical and technical trends, the coaches concurred that a quick transition from defence to attack was crucial in modern football. The tendency is for teams to defend deeper in blocks, making them difficult to break down. Patience is required in trying to find space. However, sides are more vulnerable when attacking themselves if opponents manage to counterattack at speed. "More than a third of the goals in last season's UEFA Champions League came from such fast breaks," said UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh.

Leaving it late
In addition, the last 10-15 minutes of a match are now seen as vital, even dramatic at UEFA Champions League level. Coaches often wait until then to make substitutions or to go all-out for victory. "It is interesting to note the number of goals scored in that period," said Roxburgh. "Coaches save their 'ammunition' until then, and then go for it – they are then either successful or their ploy works against them."

Quick reactions
The instruction of today's leading players includes training them to react quickly and see opportunities, given the difficulties faced – particularly against weaker teams – in trying to break down deep-lying, massed rearguards. "Build-up in the [UEFA Champions League] can sometimes be less demanding than in domestic leagues, but penetration against sophisticated UCL defences can be especially difficult. Teams retreat, and the problem comes in trying to find the space to open them up," Roxburgh explained.

Format proposals
UEFA President Michel Platini presented his proposals to the coaches for future changes to the format of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup, which he had unveiled in Monaco last week. (Click here.) "The coaches very much appreciated that the President gave them details of his proposals," said Roxburgh.

Top pitches – top performances
In addition, the coaches called for a positive approach to yellow-card suspensions – for example, if a player has not been cautioned for a number of matches, a previous yellow card could be dropped. They also argued that top-quality pitches helped players perform to the best of their ability: poor pitches had a negative impact on the game from a playing and spectating point of view, they said.

Helpful to coaches and UEFA
"These meetings have become crucial, both for UEFA and the coaches," Roxburgh told uefa.com. "The front-line coaches voice their opinions and exchange ideas with each other and with UEFA. It's extremely helpful and some of their recommendations have been taken on board in recent years. The coaches are very good on details, and UEFA benefits from such detailed thinking."