No one could have predicted the results of the first-leg semi-final matches of the 2013 Uefa Champions league. Not even Paul the Octopus. No one saw it coming–at least not to the extent of the complete overhaul of two of the greatest football clubs in the world in the past 14 years (both of them Spanish) by two German clubs.
Perhaps, the most appropriate way to explain it would be to say that the matches were a loud announcement of the shift of European football power once again. This time from Spain to Germany! ?It was Real Madrid FC that started the Spanish ascent to the top of European football some 14 years ago. Between 1998 and 2000, the club won the Uefa Champions League three times in 4 attempts.
FC Barcelona were then handed the baton, and from 2006 won the championship three times, in 2006, 2009 and 2011.?This infection caught on even at national team level. This period became, undoubtedly, the best era of Spanish football in the world influenced in no small way by the arsenal of Spanish players in Real Madrid FC and FC Barcelona. Their performance for Spain enabled the country to realize their full potential of winning the European Nations Cup in 2008 for the first time and again in 2012.
In between those two victories in 2010, at the World Cup level, Spain also won her first World Cup title.?It is no surprise that Spain has since been the world’s dominant and highest ranked national team for some years now, no thanks to the brand of football hewn and mastered in Nou Camp.
The story of German football is slightly different. It has a deep and rich history even if it now takes a little bit of dusting off of the archives to recall it. At Club level, in the modern era, German teams have only 1997 (Borussia Dortmund FC) and 2001 (Bayern Munich FC) to show as victories in European club football.
At the European Nations Cup level, before Germany won again in 1996, they had only recorded two previous cup victories – in 1972 and in 1980. Since 1996, and for 18 years, it has been one long night.?The World Cup presents the ultimate test in football. This is where as a World football power there is no question about Germany’s towering height and record of achievements. Only very few countries in the world have better credentials with 7 appearances at the finals, at least getting to the quarter-final stage in every competition since 1982, and winning it three times – in 1954 in Switzerland, in 1974 at home in Germany, and the last time in 1990 in Italy. It seems like eons ago!
When Germany lost to Brazil in 2002 at the Korea/Japan World Cup finals the Germans were so distraught about the state of their football that it was reported they went back to the drawing board, assembled the country’s best coaches for a football retreat where it was decided a new football philosophy was needed in order to regain its past glory several years down the line. They also knew that developing a new football culture is a marathon, not a sprint race.
Here at IFS we share the same philosophy, with a clear vision and established plan that sets the route for the marathon that is development.
We take randomness out of training sessions. Other coaches may have to plan their training session in the car when driving to training. Not us!
Each objective should be practiced for up to 3-5 weeks with players not moving on until they are ready for the next step. This is only possible if time is on your side. Here at IFS, time is on our side.
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