The morning after another unforgettable day in Madrid. After breakfast we headed to Atletico de Madrid's main training complex. They actually have 4 complexes because of the massive number of academy teams they have (around 75), but we headed to Majadahonda where the First Team and Reserves train. The excitement of arriving and seeing the big Atleti emblem was boosted by the fact that just the night before we had all watched them earn a place in the Champions League Final. For the same reason, the First Team was not training - having only returned from Germany that morning. The fields were pristine and the whole facility was very impressive. We watched a full training session with the Reserves team. The players are generally from ages 19-22, and it is common for some of them to train with the First Team. One player from the Reserves made his debut in La Liga this season. The session was intense from start to finish and you could feel the Atletico passion and commitment in everything they did. Disappointingly, there didn't seem to be much of a theme running through the various activities, they seemed to be 4 or 5 unrelated exercises which has been the case with a number of practices we have seen. I am assuming that they will address more tactical and game-specific topics as they move closer to the weekend. I really want to see how one of these teams prepares in training for a specific opponent, so I am hoping that we'll get that on our various visits later in the week. Atletico de Madrid - Reserves Dynamic Warmup (~15 mins) Players standing on perimeter of center circle and coach instructing from the center. SAQ Training (4 different sets, each player went through each set once) (VIDEO 1) (VIDEO 2) Players in opposite lines started simultaneously on coach's whistle to make it a race. The coaches served difficult balls for the players to control and finish. Possession Exercise: 6 v 6 + 6 (3 x 5 minute round - each team takes one shift on the outside) 40 x 40 grid We have seen every team do this or a variation of it - 2 teams play 6 v 6 keep away in the grid, 1 team is positioned around the edges of the grid and can be used a neutral players. It is a general possession exercise and there didn't seem to be much specific coaching involved except for pushing the intensity. Crossing and Finishing. (1 round of 10 minutes, stopped for coaching, then another round of 6 minutes) (VIDEO) Up, back, and through pattern with 3 players. Player 'A' in diagram below gets in the box along with players '1' and '2'. As soon as ball is finished, 'A' sprints back to top of box and gets ball to feet to start the same pattern on the other side of the field. The coach emphasized clean, fast passes and runs in order to get into scoring position before the opponent has time to drop in and organize. 6 v 6 + 6 'Bread & Butter' Game (40 x 44yds) (3 x 5 minute rounds) 6 v 6 game plus GKs. Third team of 6 positioned around outside of pitch. Players on the outside had 1 touch. The game was done for time, they did not switch on goals. One player made a poor decision, trying to dribble in front of his goal which led to a loss of possession and a goal for the opponent. The coach made him take a lap of the pitch while his team had to play 5 v 6 until he retuned. After the session we met with Dani, Director of Scouting for Atletico, who gave us an overview of how the Academy functions. Similar to the model that is being implemented in the U.S., there is the 'high performance' academy (the top youth players who play for free) and then there are plenty more 'development academy' teams which follow a pay-to-play model. All Atletico Academy coaches must have a UEFA Pro License at a minimum. We heard about the 3 stages of player development: Initial Phase (U6 - U11), Development/Teaching Phase (U12 - U15), High Performance Phase (U16 - U19). Each phase has specific objectives that must be met in order for the players to move on. To end the day, we attended the small event of the Champions League semifinal - Real Madrid vs. Manchester City. We got into the city early to absorb the atmosphere and were again treated to some incredible tapas at a local bar - La Vicenta. Fully fed, we arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu to watch the match. The atmosphere was incredible with 81,000 screaming/chanting/whistling/smoking fans in one of the world's most famous cathedrals of football. Real Madrid won 1-0 to seal a place in the final where they will face city rivals Atletico de Madrid. What a time to be here in Madrid - right now the world of football is revolving around this city!
1 Comment
Dr. Huckleberry
5/6/2016 12:19:03 am
Thank you Coach Hurdle!!! It's been an amazing trip. Your documentation is greatly appreciated.
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Jeremy HurdleSoccer coach from Philadelphia traveling to Madrid for 10 days with a group of 15 coaches to experience the coaching and soccer culture at some of Spain's finest clubs.
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