The venue for the conference organized by the Russian Football Union and UEFA has become symbolic. Coaches and methodologists, scientific and technical staff of football gathered in St. Petersburg, in the Center for Advanced Training of Coaches, which is located on the territory of the Zenit Academy. The purpose of the conference was the exchange of experience between coaches, and the main topics were the preparation of players in the system of youth football.

There were so many people who wanted to speak from the stage, listen to colleagues, answer their questions and ask their own people that additional chairs had to be brought into the hall.

We show where football is developing, where it is going ”

Andrey Vlasov, Technical Director of the RFU, spoke about the organization of the conference:

“I am proud of the work that my colleagues have done,” Vlasov said. I am grateful to Andrey Leksakov, Maxim Mitrofanov and other colleagues who work with me now – each has done his job. We sent an invitation to UEFA, and we were provided with speakers, thanks to Frank Ludolph from UEFA, who helped us in this matter.

The RFU Technical Director especially emphasized the importance of updating knowledge:

– Football is changing, and what was 20 years ago now looks, if not comical, then not very effective, – said Andrey Evgenievich. At the same time, a large number of specialists played themselves 20 years ago. At these conferences we show where football is developing, where it is going. In addition, it allows us to shake up our specialists so that they look into modern textbooks and understand which courses they should take and what they are missing.

Zenit General Director Alexander Medvedev also spoke to the conference participants:

– The international conference of UEFA and RFU, which takes place in our Academy, is aimed at gaining practical knowledge for coaches. After all, it is the level of knowledge and qualifications of children’s coaches that play a decisive role in the training of football players.

Our Center for Advanced Training of Trainers has a crowded hall, there is simultaneous translation for our foreign colleagues, so no one will miss anything.

The geography of the Russian guests at the conference was very diverse, like the profile of the specialists who came to St. Petersburg. Among the speakers and listeners were the heads of private schools, trainers from the state, and researchers and technical specialists. Pskov, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Moscow – this is just a superficial list of regions from which the specialists came to the conference.

It cannot be that the refereeing is at a low level, and football is at a high level “

The guests and the participants could expand their knowledge in the judging topic. On the second day of the conference, ex-FIFA referee Nikolai Levnikov, now director and teacher of the Academy of Sports Referee, spoke from the stage.

By the way, speaking about the modern rules of the game, Levnikov noted that Russian footballers do not know the rules very well. In addition, Nikolai Levnikov, using video materials, helped everyone to expand their understanding of the points that constantly become the subject of controversy and happen in almost every round. Namely:

– By what criterion should the referee choose the severity of punishment in case of foul play?

– When should a penalty be awarded even in the absence of a clear violation

– For which the judge’s score rises and falls

Also, the ex-FIFA referee emphasized two significant points. One of them dealt specifically with the referees, who are obliged to be on the field not just keepers of order, but also to contribute to the maximum manifestation of skill on the part of football players.

“The level of refereeing in the country is directly related to the level of football,” is another key phrase of Levnikov. It cannot be that the refereeing is at a low level, and football is at a high level. “

Talking about the best examples of European football, one speaker noted the ever-deeper introduction of scientific technology. For example, in Germany, not only professional clubs, but also Academies attract specialists from other fields – physicists and mathematicians – who help to interpret statistical data in the most understandable and effective way.

“In football, it is now possible to count everything that can be calculated. And only those who know how to apply these calculations in practice will be able to count on success for a long time ”- this is the main conclusion of the speaker.

The matches of the Russian national team reveal and show our problems “

The lecture was also delivered by the physical training coach of the Russian national team Vladimir Panikov. Stanislav Cherchesov’s assistant, using the example of work in preparation for the World Cup and during it, spoke about the planning of the training process and the latest research in the field of recovery.

“It is important to share your experience with colleagues, not getting off with general phrases, but backing everything up with suitable examples,” Panikov began. But these are not direct instructions for use. The main task is to make the coach think about his methodology and his vision of football and thereby help him in his coaching career. The matches of the Russian national team reveal and show our problems. We came here to change the approach to the training process and modern methods and after some time get a galaxy of players who can compete with the best teams in the world. We share our experience, coaches bring something of their own.

At the same time, the coach of the Russian national team urged not to overestimate the importance of physical fitness:

– Physical fitness is one of the three pillars in preparation, but not the most important, because brains play football first of all. We only help to realize our ideas better and more accurately. Football moves forward, new technologies appear. Conferences like the one held in St. Petersburg are a step forward for Russian football.