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Five wise tips for coaches

Focus on the present It’s good and reasonable to learn from the mistakes of the past, but you shouldn’t think too much about them. You should live and work in the present – it will bring a secure future.      Avoid working in an unsettled environment The organisation, management and operations of sports clubs, regardless of their ranking, are no secret. This data can be easily found by every coach. Don’t rush and don’t accept offers from clubs that are disorganised, with leaders who promise a lot yet perform poorly. Be sure …

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Reacting of the coach to a public criticism

 How many times have you found yourself in a situation feeling hurt due to criticism? I’m sure you’ve often thought for days about the harsh words or the sharp pen of a journalist. The eternal question that follows coaches is how to handle criticism. The answer depends on whether the criticism is justified and who it’s from, although there are some coaches among you who are convinced no criticism whatsoever is justified. If the criticism is justified, and expressed by people who know your work, you have to seriously take it …

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A persuasive technique to reach physical strength

The physical strength of players is one of the most important aspects of football training. Going back to physical training from my playing days, I still fondly remember today, how my coach used to ride a bicycle alongside us as we’d take on a twelve-kilometre run from the stadium to the nearby river. One thing’s for sure – thanks to such physical training, a player can become a good runner, but doubtful he could become a highly prepared football player. So it’s understandable I later spent quite a lot of time …

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Second title won for Branko Ivankovic on the Asian continent

Only few coaches / managers in the world have won the champions title with three different clubs in three different countries. A famous Croatian coach, my friend and former teammate Branko Ivankovic (63) managed to do it. As a coach of NK Dinamo Zagreb, he was Croatian champion in the 2006/7 season, in 2010 was the champion of China with Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C., and the finally he became champion of Iran’s with Persopolis F.C. in the season 2016/17. Along with these significants club’s successes Branko Ivankovic has also achieved significant …

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Noticing little thing creates tactical dominance

Not everyone shares the same gift of perception. Some evaluate the gift of perception as insignificantly small. At the same time it ranks highly when I think about some coach’s  virtues. Lucidity of mind, observational ability and quick decision-making are not only skills needed for pilots and soldiers – but also for coaches. After watching a 90-minute football match, a regular viewer would hardly remember all the disputable details, all the scoring opportunities and all the attacks. Unlike those, coaches fall into the category of people who have the power of …

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