Kolkata: Didier Deschamps was within the stands at Parc des Princes on Might 7 watching Luis Enrique’s Paris St-Germain (PSG) beat Arsenal within the Champions League semi-final. Hansi Flick’s Barcelona got here near doing that in a season the place they’ve regained La Liga and crushed Actual Madrid 4 occasions.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Spanish head coach Luis Enrique, posing after the French Cup win on Might 24, has remodeled the Ligue 1 champions after discarding the failed coverage of chasing European glory with tremendous stars. (AFP)
Deschamps, Enrique and Flick had been with nationwide groups within the final World Cup. Two-and-a-half years later, solely the Frenchman stays in his place. “Among elite teams, he is possibly the best example of what a national team head coach needs to be,” stated Stephen Constantine, the peripatetic head coach who was twice in command of India and is now with Pakistan.
However Germany’s Flick and Spaniard Enrique have revived their careers at golf equipment. Flick has prolonged his contract until 2027, which can be how lengthy Enrique is predicted to remain. “If I have the ball, I attack, if I don’t, I defend,” Enrique stated in an interview to PSG earlier than the season. It could have required hours on the coaching floor however PSG gamers have walked Enrique’s versatility speak. They’ve been strong in defence and sometimes spectacular within the center and entrance thirds.
Earlier than 2024-25, there was uncertainty over Raphinha’s future, speak of Robert Lewandowksi’s age and whether or not younger gamers would final the season at Barcelona. Nicely, Flick’s high-risk, high-reward, high-line model has fetched them three trophies this time period and Barcelona had been three minutes of regulation time away from taking part in the Champions League ultimate.
It’s some shift from how Enrique and Flick fared with Spain and Germany. Flick was eliminated in September 2023 after a run that noticed Germany win solely 4 of their final 16 matches. Enrique stepped down after dropping to Morocco within the spherical of 16 within the Qatar World Cup. For all their possession, the previous world champions solely went sideways, stated Morocco coach Walid Regragui. “I think he was unlucky to lose in the World Cup and Euros on penalties,” stated Enrique’s Spanish compatriot and India head coach Manolo Marquez.
To know how totally different the coach’s function is for membership and nation HT requested Constantine, Marquez and Igor Stimac, India head coaches since 2015 who’ve additionally labored at golf equipment. Lack of time – “it’s something I now know,” stated Marquez – is the largest distinction and all the things follows from that, they stated talking individually over the telephone.
The coach’s job within the nationwide staff is extra about man administration and hoping you’ve got your choice proper for that sport, they stated. “There could be players who are starters at their clubs but will start on the bench in the national team and you will need to keep them happy and motivated,” stated Marquez.
“You need to maximise time, from the moment they land in the airport to the moment they leave. In most cases, you are not going to work on their fitness or technical ability. What you have to work on is their mind and what position you are going to play them,” stated Constantine.
Generally, it helps if many of the gamers are from one or two golf equipment, stated Stimac, India’s head coach from 2019-2024. Prefer it was with Croatia in 1998 the place eight from the squad was from both Dinamo Zagreb or Hadjuk Break up. “They had similar styles,” stated Stimac, who was a part of the 1998 World Cup the place Croatia completed third.
However gained’t gamers from two rival golf equipment keep on with themselves within the nationwide staff? “I have heard about that happening in England, but for us the shirt and the national anthem knocked out whatever differences we may have had,” stated Stimac.
Constantine stated lack of time, which prevents a nationwide staff coach from engaged on a participant in the way in which Enrique did with Ousmane Dembele, shifting him from a right-side attacker to a false 9, is often not compensated by the provision of the nation’s finest gamers.
“If you are picking players from the Premier League, yes. I have had to work harder with most of the national teams,” stated the previous Rwanda and Sudan head coach.
That segued into what Stimac stated. In case you are not a high staff, you aren’t going to enhance simply by taking part in in each FIFA window, he stated. The uncommon highs for India – profitable LG Cup in 2002, the ultimate spherical of Asian Cup qualifiers in 2022 and profitable three tournaments in 2023 – preceded lengthy preparatory camps.
At golf equipment, gamers can construct relationships as Lewandowski and Raphinha have stated explaining the Barcelona entrance three’s tally of 92 objectives in all competitions this time period. Given the character of worldwide engagements the place gamers meet 10-12 occasions a season, typically 72 hours earlier than kick-off, such connections are unlikely.
That’s the reason nationwide staff coaches are usually extra pragmatic of their method.
It’s what has made Deschamps stand out in 13 years as France head coach throughout which he has performed two successive World Cup finals, profitable one. He has obtained millionaires and superstars to play the way in which he desires, stated Constantine. “For that the coach needs to be transparent and honest.”
It’s what Brazil shall be hoping Carlo Ancelotti can deliver to the nationwide staff.