08 Jun 2023
Aspire Academy once again provided the performance module for those undertaking the Asian Football Confederation Coaches’ Pro-Licence course.
The programme was run in collaboration with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and featured 26 coaches from around Asia.
There was a total of 16 nationalities on the nine-day course that was hosted at Aspire Academy and featured practical and theoretical sessions.
All the material for the performance module was prepared by the Football Performance & Science department of Aspire Academy and all the lectures and practical sessions were overseen by Academy staff.
The performance module is one of four that coaches must undertake to obtain their pro-licence, which is coaching’s highest qualification.
The director of QFA’s Development Department Fahad Thani al Zaraa explained the importance of the course and the advantages of hosting it at Aspire Academy.
“This Pro-Licence coaching course has become a prerequisite for all professional coaches, whether they work in the Qatar Stars League or other professional leagues on the continent,” he explained.
“Aspire has several advantages including at the level of player development, high performance and in terms of resources and facilities when it comes to pitches and well-equipped classrooms for example.”
Aspire Academy’s Director of Football Performance and Science, Professor Valter Di Salvo added that the course is based on experiences gathered at the highest levels.
“We were really proud to run this nine-day performance module with practical and theoretical classes all based on applied situations with several references to experiences on the field performed by Aspire staff at the highest international levels,” he explained.
“Aspire strongly believes in supporting the educational programmes that help the development of football coaches in Qatar and across Asia.”
Among those on the course was Syria’s all-time leading international goal scorer Faras Alkabtib, who was named coach of the year in Kuwait for his work with Al-Fahaheel.
“We are learning from specialized people, it is easy for them, when you ask, to give you the direct answers you need,” he said.
Former Qatar international Talal Al-Bloushi, who is now the assistant coach with Al-Shamal SC in the Qatar Stars League, also attended the course.
“It was a very special module on performance from which we learned a lot,” he said.
“Everyone knows Aspire Academy where there are very distinguished cadres of coaches, who we have learnt from.”
Another high-profile attendee was the ex-Iraq defender Salim Shakir, who also works in Qatar now as an assistant coach at Al Khor.
“As a player, you may have the information, but you don’t go deep into the details related to training issues, in Aspire we did it” he added.
“There is a lot of information which we have benefited from in relation to the physical aspect, how to develop a player's fitness and how to recover.”
Other coaches on the course worked in Mongolia, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The course covered a wide variety of topics including the importance of physical performance in football, the different physical demands of playing positions, the concept of injury prevention as well as coaches' blind spots.
There was also a talk on nutrition that was given by Ms Maria Luisa Cravana, the Performance Nutritionist for Italy’s under-21 side, who was visiting Aspire Academy as part of the UEFA Assist project.
This was the second time that Aspire Academy has provided this AFC Pro-Licence course, having done so in 2021.