The Federal Coaching School has completed the second goalkeeping course for the UEFA A-GK license

These are needed by goalkeeper coaches from teams in professional European football leagues starting with the next competitive season.

The first day started with the topic “Goalkeeper Psychology”, presented by Leo Toader, goalkeeper coach of the Romanian National Football Team and SFA lecturer. The session was centered on the analysis of the relationship between the coach and the goalkeepers he trains, the ways and types of motivation he must use in different moments and situations. The students analyzed and exhibited their own techniques used, which bring them positive results in the activity.

The “Opponent Analysis” course was held by Eugen Anghel, goalkeeper coach at FC Argeş and SFA lecturer, with the aim of introducing students to the use of platforms dedicated to databases, statistics and tools that can complement and develop their current activity. For example, they familiarized themselves with the Wyscout platform and learned to analyze key players, system and style of play, as well as fixed phases, in order to prepare matches.

Starting from the theoretical part presented in the session “Building the training according to the opponent”, each working group had to follow a team and create a training meant for a counter. The practical part consisted in the presentation of the designed trainings, which were then worked on with an U18 team. Throughout the session, the students self-assessed and provided feedback, and at the end, the lecturers drew the conclusions of the first day of work.

The next day, Eugen Anghel held the sessions on “Coaching” and “Development of the game from the defensive phase with the goalkeeper”. In the first of them, he detailed to the students the learning styles and methods and the components that the coach must keep in mind during training and matches in order to achieve his proposed goals; in the second, the emphasis was placed on the game and construction routes from the goalkeeper, and then each working group had the opportunity to apply the presented theoretical aspects in practice.

Leo Toader concluded the module with “Analysis of the goalkeeper’s playing situations”; thus, the students identified errors made by goalkeepers in some game situations presented in video sequences. On their basis, they brought arguments for and against, explanations and methods of correction.

Each group then received the task of creating a training plan, and this time each member took care of one training component: warm-up, functional exercise, game phase and theme game.

The participants were observed and evaluated by SFA lecturers, Ioniţă Marian, former goalkeeper coach at FC Şahtar Doneţk and FC Rapid 1923, but also SFA mentor, and Daniel Gherasim, goalkeeper coach at the Romanian Women’s National Football Team. They watched how they presented their training in front of players, colleagues and lecturers, but also how individually prepared parts were demonstrated.

Thus, the 16 trainees completed the 3 modules of the learning process, and after completing the mentoring activity within the clubs in which they are active, they will take the final exam between May 15-16.