Football Coach: The Leader on the Pitch.

A football coach is a very important person for a team. The coach is not a player. The coach stands near the pitch and watches the game. The coach helps players to play better. Football is a very popular sport in the whole world. In Russia, many people love football. Coaches in Russia work hard to make good teams. A coach teaches, gives advice, and makes decisions.

A coach has many jobs. First, the coach makes a plan. The plan says how the team will play. Will they attack a lot? Will they defend a lot? The coach decides. Second, the coach chooses players. There are eleven players on the pitch. The coach picks the best eleven for the game. Sometimes a player is tired. Then the coach picks another player. Third, the coach gives instructions. During the game, the coach shouts. The coach says: «Go left!», «Run fast!», «Defend!». Players listen to the coach. Fourth, the coach makes substitutions. A substitution is when one player leaves the pitch and another player enters. The coach does this to help the team. Fifth, the coach talks to players after the game. If the team wins, the coach says: «Good job!». If the team loses, the coach says: «Next time will be better».

What a Coach Does During Training. Training is very important. The team trains every day. The coach organises training sessions. Here is what players do with the coach:

• Warm-up. Players run slowly and stretch their muscles. This helps to avoid injuries.
• Passing drills. Players kick the ball to each other. They learn to pass accurately.
• Shooting drills. Players try to score goals. The coach shows the best technique.
• Defending drills. Players learn to take the ball from opponents.
• Tactical drills. Players learn where to stand on the pitch.

The coach watches everything. If a player makes a mistake, the coach corrects him. The coach says: «Do it again, but better this time».

Different Types of Coaches. There are different kinds of coaches.

1. The strict coach. This coach is very serious. Players must follow all rules. No jokes. This coach wants discipline.
2. The friendly coach. This coach is kind and calm. Players can ask questions. The coach creates a happy atmosphere.
3. The tactical coach. This coach loves tactics. The coach studies opponents a lot. This coach uses video and statistics.
4. The motivator coach. This coach gives great speeches. Players feel strong and confident after talking to this coach.

Many good coaches combine all these qualities.

Famous Football Coaches. Here are some famous coaches from different countries.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson. He is from Scotland. He coached Manchester United for 26 years. That is a very long time. He won 13 titles in England. He also won the Champions League two times. Ferguson was very strict but fair. Players respected him a lot.
2. Pep Guardiola. He is from Spain. He coached Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. His teams play beautiful football. They keep the ball for a long time. Guardiola is very clever. Many young coaches want to be like him.
3. Jürgen Klopp. He is from Germany. He coached Liverpool and won the Premier League. Liverpool waited 30 years for this title. Klopp is very emotional. He runs, jumps and celebrates with fans. Players love him.
4. Arsène Wenger. He is from France. He coached Arsenal for 22 years. In 2004, his team went a whole season without losing one game. People called them «The Invincibles». Wenger changed English football with new nutrition and training methods.

Russian Football Coaches. Russia has good coaches too.

1. Valery Lobanovsky. He was a great Soviet coach. He used science and computers for football. That was very new at that time. His team Dynamo Kyiv played very well.
2. Leonid Slutsky. He coached CSKA Moscow. He won the Russian Premier League. He also coached the Russian l team.
3. Stanislav Cherchesov. He coached Russia at the 2018 World Cup. Russia beat Spain. That was a big surprise. The whole country was happy.

How to Become a Football Coach. To become a coach, a person must study. There are special coaching licenses. FIFA and UEFA give these licenses. The first license is for beginners. Then coaches study more and get higher licenses. A good coach knows about tactics, fitness, injuries and psychology. Many former players become coaches because they understand the game well.

Important Qualities of a Good Coach. What makes a coach good? Here are important qualities:

• Knowledge. The coach must know football rules and tactics.
• Communication. The coach must explain things clearly.
• Patience. Players learn at different speeds.
• Leadership. Players must believe in the coach.
• Calmness. Sometimes the game is stressful. The coach must stay calm.
• Fairness. The coach treats all players equally.

Football coaching is a difficult but beautiful job. It requires knowledge, patience and love for the game. When a team wins a trophy, the coach is very happy. That happiness is the best reward. Football is magic, and the coach is the magician who makes everything work together.