Friday 23 January 2015 10:14, UK
The PFA have been to Brazil to find out why they are the most successful football nation on the planet – Sky Sports News HQ’s Alan Irwin reports on what they found out.
Nobody is brushing aside Brazil's 7-1 defeat by Germany at the World Cup in 2014, but one disaster does not wipe out the stunning achievements of the world’s most successful football nation.
So, for a group of coaches who stand at the forefront of coaching development in this country a study visit to the five times World Champions and World Cup hosts was top of their agenda.
The PFA delegation were looking at not just the detail of the Brazilian coaching methods but also the culture, context and colour that form a vital part of Brazil's footballing DNA.
The day for a young player up to the age of 14 can last as long as nine hours. They're often getting up at 6am to travel 50 miles to undertake a day that would tax an adult
PFA chairman Gordon Taylor, was not particularly surprised by the results of his teams visit, but was certainly impressed by the dedication and commitment of the Brazilian youngsters.
"One thing that amazed me was the number of hours they spend actually playing games," he said. "Some of the kids are playing four times a day and it doesn't appear to be a major concern for them. The day for a young player up to the age of 14 can last as long as nine hours. They're often getting up at 6am to travel 50 miles to undertake a day that would tax an adult"
Training for young Brazilian players can see sessions last for two and a half hours with minimal intervention from coaches.
"Unless they were giving praise coaches rarely intervened," Taylor added. "They make a big point of the fact they are not just being taught but learning themselves and therefore acquiring mental strength that can hold them in good stead"
Brazilian clubs see Futsal as a major building block of any young player. Taylor pointed out that "they don't play eleven a side until the age of twelve.
Futsal gives them control and technique in difficult conditions and congested areas with coaches allowing them to develop. Futsal forces players to improve their positional and tactical awareness.
"Futsal gives them control and technique in difficult conditions and congested areas with coaches allowing them to develop. Futsal forces players to improve their positional and tactical awareness."
In Brazil football is often the only way to escape poverty.
"We had to get permission to visit the favelas from the local drug dealers" said Taylor. "They are used not only to recruit young players but also to remind them where they might go back to if they fail to make the grade.
"Football for a lot of them is a root to get out of the poverty trap. All the clubs in Brazil regularly scout the favelas, and in some cases, hold trials there and in return those clubs provide free food for local inhabitants."
As you may have expected football in Brazil often becomes a 100% focus in life for youngsters, but their desire to succeed is paramount.
"The level of application from players at all levels from grassroots to senior pros was excellent," said Taylor.
Brazil are determined to move on from their humiliating World Cup semi final exit and are now beginning to merge the best of Brazilian and European practices and tap into the country's relatively undeveloped football regions...meainng Brazil's best footballing years may yet still lie ahead.
