Coach Education Goalkeeping: Chiarabini and Gasperoni at the UEFA seminar in Dublin

The UEFA Share Goalkeeping seminar, focused on the role of the goalkeeping coach, came to a close in Dublin on Thursday 16 March. It was three days of discussion and exchange between those responsible for coach education in the various national associations and UEFA experts, who led the activities with the aim of further raising participants’ awareness of the importance of this role in the modern game. Alongside hosts the Football Association of Ireland, representatives from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Croatia, France, Andorra, Slovakia, Portugal, Wales, Italy and San Marino were also in attendance. Representing the FSGC in Dublin were Carlo Chiarabini – Head of the Coach Education Department – and Federico Gasperoni – current goalkeeping coach of the San Marino National Team. Among UEFA’s goalkeeping experts present were Pat Bonner, Hans Leitert and Frans Hoek, three of the most prominent figures on the international scene, with outstanding expertise and seminar-management skills. Numerous activities were proposed, based on maximum integration and participation, so that ideas and best practices could be shared among the participants. The main topic and guiding thread of the seminar were the new training courses for goalkeeping coaches in football: delivery methods, duration, planned activities, assessment systems and more, to be shared within a common framework developed by UEFA for all national associations. The aim is to standardise the level of the various courses, so that the official licence obtained can then be recognised and used across all European countries. It is an ambitious target, in light of increasing globalisation, which also in sport sees people moving from one country to another in search of new professional experiences. Other key topics covered over the three days were fitness and women’s football, which will need to be integrated into course programmes in a way that is functional to the game and not limited solely to specific content. This is another push towards new ways of delivering activities within education pathways, an area in which UEFA has been investing for years. For San Marino, a first national introductory course, National Goalkeeping Grassroots, is planned to be held in April and May, before moving on to the first full edition of the UEFA Goalkeeping B course by the end of 2023. This is an important achievement, highlighted by UEFA officials in Dublin, which will see the FSGC Coach Education Department obtain a new licence for the first time, marking another step in a steady growth process that keeps pace with the evolution of the modern game. The next appointment is scheduled for the end of March in Romania, offering a further opportunity to explore Coach Education topics related to women’s football.

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