| Jarmo Maitkainen |
The year 2006 raised some interesting questions. Was it an anecdotic fact, for example, that the number of goals scored at the European Women’s Under-19 Championship finals fell by more than 30 percent? Was it an anecdotic fact that no European teams were among the top four at the finals of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Championship? In a quest for answers, we knocked at an office door in Finland and put the questions to a man who made his debut for the Finnish FA as an assistant coach to the women’s Under-19 team. His experience includes: assistant coach to the women’s Under-21 and senior teams from 1999 to 2000 and again since 2005; head coach of the Under-17 team from 1999 to 2005; and head coach of the under-19s since 2000. He led Finland to the semifinals of the 2005 European Women’s Under-19 Championship and, just before he took his team to the Under-20 finals in Russia, traveled to Switzerland as a member of UEFA’s technical study group at the 2006 European women’s Under-19 championship. If we want a review of women’s youth football in Europe, who better than Jarmo Matikainen to deliver a progress report?
Having watched the European Women’s Under-19 finals and taken part in the Under-20 Women’s World Championship, what is your overall impression of the state of the game in women’s youth football?
I would say that the trends in top-level international football in general are clearly visible in women’s youth football. The competitions demonstrated that the best players now have top-class individual qualities in terms of excellent technique, speed, high-tempo execution, creativity and athletic preparation. At the same time, we could see that team organization in final tournaments is very professional indeed and that the approach in the women’s game doesn’t differ in any aspect from that of men’s football. The speed of progress is impressive, to say the least. I have to add that, from Finland’s point of view – being a small football nation – it makes one wonder whether the little ones can keep up with the big countries.
So what do you think are the possible causes for the “failure” of the European teams in Russia?
Personally, I don’t think the Europeans “failed.” This time, the other confederations were better prepared and much more consistent during a long tournament. Maybe qualifying structures and fixture lists suited the other confederations better. The European coaches faced a bit of a dilemma, as some had players at the Under-19 finals in Switzerland just before going to Russia while others, like us, had to cope with a long gap between competitive tournaments, as qualification had been earned at the Under-19 finals back in July 2005. I think that you tend to forget a bit about the special demands of long tournaments if you don’t play them regularly.
How did you react? Tell us about your personal experience with the Finnish team in preparing for the finals and in the finals themselves.
For us, it was a great learning experience – painful at times though. To see, at close range, the top players and teams in the world is irreplaceable. On the other hand, we had a relatively clear picture of the challenge ahead of us. From a preparation point of view, we didn’t have enough resources to offer the players international training camps at regular intervals during the gap between July 2005 and the World Championship. I was hoping to play double- or triple-headers with top-class opponents once every three months. But we had to concentrate activities in late spring and the summer of 2006. Playing our final preparation matches against Canada and the USA kept our feet pretty well on the ground!
So we focused on individual qualities and tried to get the maximum for each player out of the project. Among other things, we did some research on how to develop what we call the “24-hour player.” We monitored heart-rate behavior during training camps and in tournament play to gather information on players’ recovery and the differences from individual to individual.
We also drafted some very talented younger players into the group to give them a better picture of football at the absolutely top world level. I believe in having one eye on the future – especially in youth tournaments.
Tina Theune-Meyer – who was in Russia as a member of FIFA’s technical study group – commented that “playing the European Under-19 finals was not the ideal way to get ready.” Do you agree?
If you’re referring to fitness levels, I would say that the problem is more complicated than that. As I said, many Europeans went to Russia without having played a major tournament since July 2005. Other confederations played their qualifiers in 2006 – the African nations in the summer. So my personal experience with the Finnish team provoked the following thoughts: firstly, a player’s individual development at this level requires constant international contacts with high-class opponents. These “checkpoints” are necessary to give players insight into the demands of top-level football. This applies especially to countries with smaller resources in terms of players and material.
Secondly, preparing players to meet the physical and mental demands of a world championship requires top-level tournament-type training or match events. The other confederations’ qualifying tournaments in 2006 automatically served this purpose as they lasted 10 to 20 days. In Europe, we didn’t have that opportunity.
Thirdly, if we wish to obtain results at an age-limit tournament such as the Under-20 World Championship, you need to have all the players available for longer training camps.
Does this mean that European players are not physically equipped to play sequences of matches at high level in a short space of time?
No. I’d better clarify what I said earlier. I can appreciate that in the Finnish team there were players who were not fit enough, but I don’t see that as the main problem with, say, Germany or France.
What can we do to improve the situation?
We could review our Under-19 competition system; we could organize friendly tournaments to prepare for the Under-20 World Championship; and we could continue to fine-tune the international calendar.
You mentioned the demands on some players at club level. Do you think that club football in most European countries prepares young players for the international stage?
In the best European countries, such as Germany, Sweden and Norway, club football is of a very high standard. The differences are quite big however. In most countries, the leap to international football from the domestic day-to-day game is huge. In this respect, the introduction of an Under-17 competition will be very positive. Even so, countries that don’t make it to the second qualifying round will need more activity – maybe at the regional level (Baltics, Scandinavia, British Isles, etc). It is the same challenge in the boys’ game. The “checkpoints” for coaches and players are essential. That helps a lot with long-term player development. We already started, in late 2005, to adjust our domestic players’ “football education” at the district level and with a scouting tournaments’ calendar. We also put forward a proposal to alter the age category in the girls’ Under-17 Nordic Cup. In 2007, it will be played with girls born in 1990, to give them international activity, as the UEFA Under-17 competition will focus on those born in 1991. In 2008, we jump to girls born in 1992 for the Nordic tournament as well.
Do you think that there is a lot of work to be done on individual skills?
We have seen a major improvement in the women’s game with regard to individual skills. You detect that in every international tournament in the countries with strong football cultures, progress is very rapid and sustained.
The finals in Russia produced 106 goals in 32 matches. Tina Theune-Meyer said “if I play just to keep the score down, then I’m not helping my players to develop.” Would you agree with that? Was that always the philosophy at the Under-19s in Switzerland?
In general, I think that the approach was very positive in Switzerland. There is always a connection between the chosen formation and the style of play. It doesn’t mean, for instance, that the teams who opted to play with one striker necessarily concentrated on defending. I think there is no use having three players up front if the other seven cannot get the ball to them. Every coach wants his or her players to develop and chooses the style of play that serves that purpose. Personally, I think that whenever Finland plays a UEFA competition game it offers individual challenges and opportunities to improve. Mostly it is a question of preparing the players in a way that they are brave enough to focus on performance and not the result – and that they remember to enjoy the special occasion.
You say “his or her players” – and one of the talking points in Russia was that there was only one female coach. What’s your view on the situation?
We need to get more women involved. In practice, this means that FAs need to actively seek ways to recruit former players and women who are involved with football at the club level. I think the most important factor is football background and football education. For coaching you need both. We try to involve top players during their active careers. Three years ago we organized a B-license course aimed at female players only. With sponsorship for course costs and targeted marketing we educated 11 top players. All of them are active and some of them are involved with our national team activities.
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