FCB Escola Coaching Seminar Notes

Last summer I was fortunate enough to attend a coaching seminar conducted by FCB Escola, the youth division of FC Barcelona.  It was a fantastic learning experience.  The level of perfectionism in their coaching staff and detail in their training makes it obvious why FC Barcelona is a top club in the world of football, and will remain one for many years.

Below are my notes from the 2-day seminar.  In some area they are not quite complete simply because there was so much content I could not keep up with the presenters.  In all cases I tried to fill in any missing gaps based on my recollections.  Enjoy.

FCB Escola Coaches Seminar-Day 1

FCBEscola-day 2

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Natural Born Talent or Hard Work?

Do not talk about giftedness, inborn talents! One can name great men of all kinds who were very little gifted. They acquired greatness, became “geniuses” (as we put it), through qualities the lack of which no one who knew what they were would boast of: they all possessed that seriousness of the efficient workman which first learns to construct the parts properly before it ventures to fashion a great whole; they allowed themselves time for it, because they took more pleasure in making the little, secondary things well than in the effect of a dazzling whole.

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Gold Mine Effect

After travelling the world for six months visiting the world’s best performance hotbeds Rasmus Ankersen, author of The Gold Mine Effect, discusses the major problems with current talent identification methods and procedures and suggests a better approach to improve your ability to spot undervalued talent.

Franco Baresi – Legend

They broke the mold when they made Franco Baresi.  Tactically brilliant, technically excellent, unbelievably tough.  Defenders take note!  This is how it’s done.

Classic Video of the Italian 4-4-2 with Arrigo Sacchi

Outstanding look into the inner workings and training of the 4-4-2 (flat midfield) formation.  In particular, the description and training techniques for the “flat-back-four” defense are fundamental to understanding this now-standard defensive shape.  Sacchi didn’t invent it, but he definitely perfected it with AC Milan and Italy.

Books are available which provide diagrams and illustrations supporting this video.

Defensive Movement of Arrigo Sacchi’s AC Milan

Baresi and co. showing everyone how a unified, well-rehearsed, and impenetrable defense works.  Simply awesome.