What is a UEFA Pro Licence?

[Touches]

Source : BBC Sport


What is a Uefa Pro Licence?
By Alistair Magowan



Avram Grant during his first game in charge of Chelsea
Grant will have to undertake about 240 hours of study

In order to be a football manager in the top divisions of countries like Spain, Italy, Germany and France, coaches must have the Uefa Pro Licence qualification.

In England, special dispensations have been given to the likes of Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate as English coaching catches up with the rest of Europe.

And Chelsea are hoping to do the same for new manager Avram Grant, who does not have the required Uefa coaching paperwork.

It is argued by some that qualifications alone will not make you a good manager but what exactly is a Pro Licence and is it actually relevant to what a Premier League manager does day-to-day?

WHAT IS A PRO LICENCE?

The Uefa Pro Coaching Licence is aimed at Europe's elite band of coaches but it is actually more about management than coaching itself.

The Uefa 'A' Licence, a step below the Pro Licence, covers matters more suited to the football pitch.

That takes at least a year and encompasses 180 hours but Uefa guidelines suggest that coaches should have a further year's experience before progressing to the top qualification.

The Premier League only signed up to Uefa's coaching rules in 2003 and English football has been playing catch up since.

The result is that, as well as the major European footballing nations, the likes of the Czech Republic now has more coaches with the A Licence and Pro Licence than in England.

Coaches on the continent tend to do the Pro Licence before they manage in their respective top divisions but in England the FA has had to tailor the qualification to suit managers already plying their trade in the Premiership.

Recent graduates include Newcastle's Sam Allardyce and former Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce but the course also suits assistants such as Blackburn's Mark Bowen and coaches who aspire to work in the top division.

While an increasing number of British coaches have now passed the Pro Licence, the more established coaches such as Harry Redknapp or Sir Alex Ferguson, have been awarded an FA coaching diploma to recognise their experience.

But any coach hoping to manage in the Premiership after 2010 must have the Pro Licence.

WHAT DOES THE COURSE CONSIST OF?

The qualification takes a year to complete and consists of a minimum of 240 hours, of which 90 hours are practical, and is aimed at dealing with situations familiar to fans of the Premiership.


Modules such as handling top-class players, using the latest technology, analysing opponents' strengths and weaknesses and dealing with player's problems on and off the pitch are all covered in the course.

To pass the coach has to prove that he or she is competent in the following areas:

# How to plan and evaluate your team's strategic season programme
# How to succeed in one key fixture during the season
# Improving the performance of one key player
# Improving your own interpersonal skills
# Building upon your existing coaching skills with specific emphasis

While there are residential weeks, a lot of the work is done by the coaches within their clubs.

The bonus for the coaches is that they will be coaching nearly every day anyway so in effect they will complete many more hours than the 240 required.

HOW IS IT STRUCTURED?

As well as covering a wide range of topics, there are three meaty projects that the coaches must complete: handling professional players, match-related training methods and analysis of a key fixture.

In England, the course begins in June at Warwick University with a 10-day residential where there are guest speakers, workshops and practical tasks.

Practical topics are specific to the extent where a coach might be put in a situation where he or she is in charge of Tottenham Hotspur facing the second leg of a Uefa Cup tie against Russian opposition.

Alongside two colleagues, the coach would then prepare for the fixture and deal with different scenarios within the game such as sendings off or injuries.

The reality for most coaches is that from August to December they are based at their clubs and while the course is tailored to fit in with their day-to-day duties, the modules actually complement the challenges they face.

Some of the modules are completed via conference call tutorials and, with more football-related areas, the coaches will use the players at their club.

   
PRO LICENCE MODULES
Handling professional players
Styles of play
Key game analysis
Mental preparation
Sports medicine
Specialist training
Game related training
Fitness and conditioning
The media and technology
Ethics and code of conduct
Business management
Club structure
Contracts and agents
Planning including rest and recovery
Study visits
Practical work and problem solving

In January there is another two-day residential which has in the past had guest speakers such as Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson and former Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello. Past and present England managers also attend this gathering.

Later in the year, the coaches will again gather over the phone to cover topics on sports medicine, goalkeeping, fitness and conditioning, and business management.

The last project is for a key fixture and takes place in the second half of the season featuring a particularly tough match such as a top of the table clash or an FA Cup tie.

For this, the coach will have to create a file using scouting reports, opposition video analysis and training methods used in preparation for the fixture. Following the match, the coach will review the preparation and the match with FA technical staff.

Also incorporated into the course is a study visit which consists of a trip to a European club, such as Real Madrid or Inter Milan, to get a technical and structural overview of the club.

At the final residential in June the coaches will provide a debrief of the study visit and finish with modules on pre-season and fitness testing ready for the new season.

While the course takes a year to complete, it is fully flexible to allow coaches to pick up modules the following year.

England head coach Steve McClaren is one of the candidates who chose this option and he took 18 months to complete the course.

[Observer]

That Pro course and even the A Licence is extremly expensive. You could end up paying close to 15-20 grand upon completion.

[Mango Chow!]

That Pro course and even the A Licence is extremly expensive. You could end up paying close to 15-20 grand upon completion.

   Is that TT, U$ or the almighty Pounds?

[KND2]

It cost $1000 US to get a USFF A Licence which is the equivalent to the UEFA one.

But you also need to pay the $1000 US for the B and $1000 US for the C and wait the year inbetween each one.

With the A licence you also have to renew every other year I think Which cost $500US

The 25K Price I have heard before was in TT at the center of excellence.

But remember they have a Jack Warner tax added to those which make it more expensive.
Plus the added expense of having to bring in the Instructors from foreign.


One day we will have a TTFF A license which can be run by the likes of the Top coaches from TnT such as Gally Vidale Corneal etc

And that one will only cost about $1000TT

When that day come That will be a great day for Trinidad and tobago football.

The mere fact that we have no structure in place to get our coaches locally certified speaks volumes as to how serious we are about coaching as a Profession.

[asylumseeker]

It cost $1000 US to get a USFF A Licence which is the equivalent to the UEFA one.

But you also need to pay the $1000 US for the B and $1000 US for the C and wait the year inbetween each one.

With the A licence you also have to renew every other year I think Which cost $500US

The 25K Price I have heard before was in TT at the center of excellence.

But remember they have a Jack Warner tax added to those which make it more expensive.
Plus the added expense of having to bring in the Instructors from foreign.


One day we will have a TTFF A license which can be run by the likes of the Top coaches from TnT such as Gally Vidale Corneal etc

And that one will only cost about $1000TT

When that day come That will be a great day for Trinidad and tobago football.

The mere fact that we have no structure in place to get our coaches locally certified speaks volumes as to how serious we are about coaching as a Profession.

I was thinking about this recently, but my conclusions are somewhat different. I think there is ample evidence that the climate is changing. I also believe it's premature re: the local structure because the infrastucture is not there yet but it will come ...

It may not involve some of the names you mentioned but I think it'll come. As you likely know, a key is reciprocity in recognition of the credentials.

[Coop's]

Knd2 just to add a little more info to what you are saying here,you are right about the USSF Courses but i think the A lisence is more than that,the last i knew was $1600,00 US.
If i'm not mistaken isn't Lincoln doing these courses in T&T?he have started with the E and D and the next step will be C and moving up,he was on the panel that run these courses when he was out here,we have Alvin Corneal who does courses all over the world (FIFA Coach),the thing is we have the people to improve our Coaches.
Coaches that don't have playing experience have to start from the bottom and work their way up,may be they have others but College Coaches are given exceptions,people that have Pro/international playing experience are moved straight to the B lisence before you do the A lisence,B lisence down you don't have to renew but the A lisence have to be renewed every four years. 
   

[MATADOR]

And on the idea of a TTFF A License..back in the day and COOPS ah sure you would remember they used to have TTFA A licenses... Courses were conducted in South, North etc etc.

[Coop's]

And on the idea of a TTFF A License..back in the day and COOPS ah sure you would remember they used to have TTFA A licenses... Courses were conducted in South, North etc etc.

 

         You are correct,i was on one of those courses back in 1975,TTFF funded the national team Coaches that participated,myself,Isa Mohamed,Eddie Hart,Staurt Charles,Sharkie Henry etc etc it also had Coaches from the islands like Barbados,Guyana.
          Coca Cola used to run these courses but it was sponsored by the National Brewing Co/Olympic Association,it was residential because we were housed for a week in Chaguaramas,the instructor was a FIFA Coach called Leon Walker from Switzerland,one thing though we did not have licenses we were handed participation certificates which is no good today.
       

[MATADOR]

Yea Coops I did mine in South with the likes of Ian "Sheppy" Shepherd, Kazim Mohammed, Ken Headley, Mike Bartholew...the instructor was an English guy William Bill Evans... THose were the days..

[Observer]

KND in do not believe UEFA will give you an equivalency if you have the US "A" licence. It may allow you to enter their courses at one of their stages maybe UEFA "B" but certainly not UEFA A

I remember those FIFA courses good general knowledge setting a foundation for people who really want to get into coaching.

MATADOR in my books Ken Headley is one of the best coaches (especially with youth) to pass through T&T Football and yet was never given the opportunity to coach a National team at any level.

[SHOTTA]

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT IT WAS

great thred touches

[asylumseeker]

KND in do not believe UEFA will give you an equivalency if you have the US "A" licence. It may allow you to enter their courses at one of their stages maybe UEFA "B" but certainly not UEFA A

I remember those FIFA courses good general knowledge setting a foundation for people who really want to get into coaching.

MATADOR in my books Ken Headley is one of the best coaches (especially with youth) to pass through T&T Football and yet was never given the opportunity to coach a National team at any level.

I think that's right on the $$$ Observer. Also I don't know (strictly speaking) that USSF 'B' is treated directly as UEFA 'B' or vice versa ... it's not a matter of standard per se at that level  ... there is a fair amount of protectionist stuff involved across the (con)federations and associations ... and the way the 'B' is structured is different from the way the UEFA 'B' is structured.

As Coop's states there are no waivers into the 'A'.

 

[KND2]

It is good to know the History that we used to have a coaching course back in the day. this is good to know and should be rejuvinated.

As far as I am concerned

A UEFA A and USFF A is the same thing.

Yes UEFA will not just give you the license but in terms of curriculum and coverage and standard it is the same thing.

The are both the highest level in that region but based on politric UEFA would not want to to just get the license they would want you to do over the course.

It is the same as getting a PHD from UWI and from Oxford Same PHD but degree not transferable.