UEFA technical observers at EURO 2024
Friday, June 14, 2024
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Everything you need to know about UEFA's technical observers and the role they will play at EURO 2024.
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UEFA's technical observers will be monitoring UEFA EURO 2024 in depth, with stats and video assistance enabling them to deliver detailed reports on the latest developments in coaching, which are shared among the footballing community to give a dynamic account of the state of the game.
Who are the UEFA technical observers at UEFA EURO 2024?
Fabio Capello – Widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, Italian Capello can boast a plethora of honours, including a Champions League title with AC Milan in 1994. Has also managed the England and Russia national sides.
Ioan Lupescu – Former Romanian midfielder who earned 74 caps for his country and was part of the squad at EURO '96 and 2000. Won silverware with Dinamo Bucureşti, Bayer Leverkusen and Al-Hilal.
Michael O'Neill – Coach of the Northern Ireland national team, ex-midfielder O'Neill played for Newcastle United, Hibernian and Wigan Athletic among others before turning his attentions to management.
David Moyes – One of the most experienced and widely-respected coaching figures in the British game. Has enjoyed spells at the likes of Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland, and guided West Ham to Europa Conference League glory in 2023.
Aljoša Asanović – The ex-midfielder spent the majority of his playing career at Hajduk Split, while he also won 62 caps for Croatia and featured as part of their 'golden generation' at EURO '96. Moved into coaching and was most recently in charge of the Zambia national team.
Rafael Benítez – Widely-admired Spanish coach who has taken charge of Valencia, Liverpool, Inter and Real Madrid among others. Has won a Champions League title, two Europa Leagues/UEFA Cups and a Super Cup along with seven other major trophies.
Avram Grant – Experienced Israeli coach who is currently in charge of the Zambia national team. Has also enjoyed spells at the likes of Chelsea, West Ham United and Partizan.
Packie Bonner – Former goalkeeper who won five Scottish Premier Division titles with Celtic and earned 80 caps for the Republic of Ireland. Played every game for his nation at EURO '88.
Frank de Boer – The Netherlands' third-most capped outfield player with 112 appearances during a glittering career. Has since coached Ajax, Inter and the Netherlands national team among others.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær – Renowned former forward who won 12 trophies with Manchester United and most memorably scored the winner in the 1999 Champions League final. Earned 67 caps for Norway, played at EURO 2000 and has also enjoyed coaching spells at Molde, Cardiff City and United.
Aitor Karanka – A three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid as a player, former defender Karanka has coached English sides Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City along with Granada and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Jean-Francois Domergue – Ex-France defender who scored twice in the EURO '84 semi-final to help his nation go on to triumph in the tournament. Went on to coach Le Havre and Montpellier.
What do UEFA technical observers do?
During every game, the technical observers analyse the proceedings from a coaching perspective, with the technical observers at EURO 2024 additionally charged with selecting the Player of the Match for each game, and come together to decide the Team, Player and Young Player and Goals of the Tournament.
After each game, the responsible technical observer will compile a report on the match, using video and data to illustrate intriguing technical and tactical features. They have access to multiple camera angles – broadcast images, tactical and behind-goals footage – which can be injected into the report. Video clips can then be enhanced with state-of-the-art visualisation tools to add support to the points the observer wants to highlight.
Match data – from numbers of passes, shots or crosses to more advanced data on distances covered, maximum speeds or average positional locations on the field of play – adds further depth in assessing topics like analysis of playing systems, goalscoring patterns, set plays, goalkeeping, counterattacking, roles of full-backs and change-footed wingers.
During a high-intensity tournament like EURO 2024, rapid access to video and data will open up more time for tactical analysis, debate and trends in comparison to past tournaments, offering a more complete picture to coaches and coach educators.
An experienced club competition technical observer who will be at EURO 2024 as Portugal coach is Roberto Martínez, who explained: "Instead of just watching the game for a specific reason – in my capacity as a national team coach – you are watching it in a more holistic way and appreciating the development of the game and the competition itself. It could be different types of performance – from young players, for example – or the way the competition getting tougher physically and cuter tactically with the new trends within the competition."
How do UEFA technical observers choose Player of the Match?
The UEFA technical observers will also have the task of selecting the Player of the Match at each fixture in Germany. When making their selections, they must consider which players have made an outstanding contribution in some or all of the following ways: by playing with exceptional skill in attack or defence; playing a part in decisive actions in attack or defence; displaying tactical maturity and efficiency; and playing with a positive and respectful attitude.
As well as the Player of the Match awards, the match observers will also contribute to the decision-making process for the individual Player of the Tournament and Young Player of the Tournament awards as well as the Team of the Tournament. For each of the two individual awards, they will look for the best-performing player throughout EURO, with the Young Player award open to any player aged 23 or under (that is, born on or after 1 January 2002).
Why does UEFA compile technical reports on its competitions?
Cascading information from the top to the bottom of the game is the raison d'être of the technical report. By providing detailed, reasoned explanations of current trends, UEFA enhances understanding of the game at every level. As technical observer and former West Ham and Manchester United manager David Moyes put it: "The ideas you get from watching the amazing coaching at top level can be exploited all the way down to junior teams."
When UEFA conducted a survey among national associations at a Coach Education Conference in Belfast in 2017, UEFA's technical reports received a rating of 82/100, and significant improvements in the quality of data have occurred since then.
When did UEFA start compiling technical reports?
Although members of the Technical Committee had previously contributed to tournament reviews, UEFA technical reports really kicked off at EURO '96 when UEFA deployed a team of five observers: Gérard Houllier, Daniel Jeandupeux, Rinus Michels, Tommy Svensson and Roy Hodgson.
Reports were regularly compiled on UEFA's youth, women's and futsal tournaments and then expanded into the club competitions, with the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern München the first club game to get the full technical observer treatment.
UEFA now has a significant library of reports and data from past tournaments, adding up to a detailed account of the evolution of tactics at every level of the European game, which will be as valuable to historians as it is to modern coaches.
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What qualifications do UEFA technical observers need?
Technical observers are chosen for their expertise and experience of coaching and their detailed understanding of the game.
Who uses the material produced by the Technical Observer Panel?
Content made by UEFA's Technical Observer Panel is shared with all national associations and clubs within the UEFA territory on a weekly basis. Content is tailored for practitioners working in grassroot, elite youth development or elite football.
Are there any innovations for EURO 2024?
UEFA are facilitating a performance analysis hub in Nyon, where 10–12 performance analysts, data analysts and data engineers will be working across all games throughout EURO 2024. Each game will be analysed by an UEFA technical observer supported by an analyst in Nyon.
By facilitating a performance analysis hub, UEFA can generate technical content for fans and wider stakeholders throughout the tournament.
Content will be consolidated into UEFA's official technical report, which will be published four weeks after the final in Berlin.
How do technical observers explain their role?
David Moyes, former West Ham and Manchester United manager
"The most rewarding thing is to discuss so many things with a group of football people who have different opinions and ways of seeing things. It's really good to be part of that and I've brought information and ideas back from both EURO and the Nations League. The ideas you get from watching the amazing coaching at top level can be exploited all the way down to junior teams."
Ole Gunnar Solskjær, former Molde and Manchester United coach
"My role entails travelling to matches and analysing the technical quality and tactical approach closely, as well as picking a Player of the Match. It's a really great way of watching the top teams closely and keeping up with trends. I also get to meet new and old football acquaintances in a more relaxed setting."
Aitor Karanka, former Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Granada coach
"Being a UEFA technical observer is an exciting role. It allows me to stay in close contact with football, through a coaching lens, and to share my vision with the UEFA team. The main benefit is that it allows me to be in contact with football at the highest level and to see new ideas, styles and systems and any footballing innovations. Also, I learn a lot from my colleagues' reports as they enable you to see other viewpoints."