Jira Panel considers development of coach education

The technical evolution of the game through the continued development of education for coaches was the key theme of the latest meeting of the UEFA Jira Panel in Dusseldorf.

The Jira Panel is named after renowned Czech player, coach and administrator Václav Jíra and consists of experienced technicians and coach educators, many of whom have coached or played at the higher levels of the game. It convenes to discuss specialist steps in coach education.

In Dusseldorf, the panel considered the proposed steps for the 2015 edition of the UEFA Coaching Convention, as well as the parameters of research being undertaken regarding the impact of the convention since its creation in 1997 and the further boosting of the convention's support to education across UEFA's 54 member associations. The panel examined the specific revised qualification requirements and coaching profiles, as well as a code of ethics aimed at guides to best practice both on and off the field.

"The profile of coaching is changing all the time and it is important for us to move with the times in terms of the way that we educate and develop coaches," said panel member Peter Rudbaek, technical director of the Danish Football Association (DBU).

Requirements for coaches in UEFA club and national team competitions were debated by the panel, who also spoke about the development in the promotion of female coaches through a campaign to increase their qualifications. Updates were also shared on specialist coach education projects: goalkeeping, futsal and fitness, with the last-mentioned now integrated into the UEFA Study Group Scheme.

"The Coaching Convention is one of the most successful technical development projects that UEFA has implemented," said Michel Sablon, Jira panelist and former technical director of the Royal Belgian Football Association (URBSFA-KBVB). "Fifty-three countries are on board and have signed up to the UEFA Coaching Convention, with Gibraltar as member 54 being on the way into endorsement at basic membership level.

"This has been a big step to standardising and further increasing the level of coaching across Europe. By improving the coaches, you also improve the players and make a platform for European football. That was the main goal behind the establishing of the Jira Panel and we're working across Europe to keep building on those foundations."