UEFA A Diploma

A UEFA A licence holder must have a clear understanding of player and team development and coaching at top amateur level, and must demonstrate competence in the following four areas:

Coach

• Working predominantly as the head coach of top amateur teams or in some cases as a member of the coaching staff at the professional level
• Working closely with coaching staff and support staff
• Being involved in developing and applying a club’s technical policy
• Ensuring the right balance between the players’ football, professional and private lives
• Working with players from different cultural backgrounds, of different ages and experience
• Dealing with all other factors affecting the team’s performance: media, parents, players’ agents, fans/supporters, scouts, sports ethics, etc.
• Being accountable to the club’s management: president, technical director, club board, etc.

Player and team

• Planning, executing and supporting individual player development, including their own objectives, and complying with the club’s technical policy
• Involving the players in the learning process and enabling them to take responsibility for themselves
• Working on the team’s development in cooperation with all support staff, i.e. technical, medical and performance staff
• Managing all aspects of the team’s performance
• Creating a winning mentality and a performance culture in a positive environment

Training environment

• Preparing and conducting individual and team training sessions at top amateur level
• Working with individual players and the team and understanding how the training session design can affect performance
• Designing the game-oriented training sessions in terms of opponents, pressure and intensity
• Planning, delivering and reviewing training sessions in accordance with the club’s coaching philosophy
• Embracing and adopting an interdisciplinary approach to physical preparation and development, wherever possible in cooperation with other members of the multidisciplinary team, e.g. performance analysts, fitness/sports scientists, medical and other performance staff

Match

• Preparing a team for and coaching them during top amateur level matches
• Using the game to develop each player and the team, but also to create a winning team mentality
• Preparing the match plan in accordance with the club’s playing philosophy, taking the opponent team into account
• Analysing the matches as an evaluation and learning tool for individual players and the team as a whole

(Adapted from the UEFA Coaching Convention 2020 edition)

Mode of Assessment:

•  Modular Tasks are given during each course module.These tasks take the form of individual, or group presentations, match or training-session observations with tutor feedback is given throughout.
• A Formative Task (Personal Coaching Log-book and Reflections) that is worked out throughtout the duration of the course is to be presented at the end of the course. A tutor will be provided to follow the candidates throughout the whole process.
• Work-placement and practical sessions in the coach’s own club environment are also part of the assessment.