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| Luis Aragones, Euro 2008 Champion Spain |
How would you describe the philosophy that you have implanted in Spanish soccer over the years?
Well, my philosophy is based on a love of technique and respect for the ball. I love a style where every player on the park is generous in his love of the ball and is generous with his teammates.
What about playing style—how has that developed?
Well, the basis is to mirror in the youth teams what is being done in the senior team. If the first team plays a 4-4-2 we have to produce players equipped to play in that system. If the senior team adopts a 4-3-2-1, it is the same. The goal is to develop players who can be used by the senior team and who feel comfortable playing there. That’s a valid approach because you are working for yourself in terms of going to and winning final tournaments. At the same time you are working for the future because you are supplying to the first team players who are ready to play. Almost 90 percent of the players at Euro 2008 came from our age-group teams.
Can you think of a player who, when you saw him as a young player, you knew he would be very good?
It doesn’t happen very often. The example that springs to mind is Bojan Krkic, who immediately struck me as a great player. He had enormous qualities, and it was obvious that he was capable of doing things that kids of that age don’t usually do. The thing in this job is that you look to the future only to a certain extent – you focus on what the player is, and it’s up to you to imagine what he could be. But you can’t always take his development step on conclusions you draw when you first see a promising player. You need to be patient. Other cases come to mind, like Iker Casillas, who played his first final for us when he was 15. People asked me how I dared field him at that age, but I could see the makings of an exceptional talent and had to give him a chance. We’ve had other players who were also put in when they were very young – like Cesc Fabregas, for example. We played him in Finland in 2003 at the age of 16 and didn’t have any doubts about him because he was a player whose talent was immediately visible. You know that they can become top players at an early age, so you give them every opportunity to demonstrate their qualities, to develop and to gain international experience.
What about players who don’t make it to the top? What would you say are the reasons?
I think a number of factors can be decisive, and most of them stem from the personal life and environment of the player. In the first place, his friends. Secondly, his agent or agents. Thirdly, his parents. I have been on the bench at youth matches and heard some barbarous shouting by parents at their own children. I cannot see any reason to shout insults at your son. It’s unbelievable. But parents have a desire to see their boy earning money from soccer as soon as possible and to help dad to buy an apartment or give up work. It’s the wrong direction to take. The same applies to agents who seem to be in too much hurry to cash in. If a player has quality, then he is going to get there. So there’s no reason to risk everything by trying to get him there a bit more quickly by putting him under enormous pressure when he is 16 or 17. Very often the player responds to that pressure by focusing on individual play rather than the collective effort. And that can put the youngster on a downhill slide. It’s sad to see, but that’s the way it is.
Does that mean you are pessimistic about the future?
No, I hope I haven’t given that impression. We have been producing quite a few talented soccer players in Spain, in part because we have upgraded our facilities, and the youngsters have the opportunity to play on artificial grass in regions where it is difficult to grow grass. The kids play more soccer and as a result the quality is going up – not overnight, but step by step. I think we are getting closer, unless the parents or agents do something stupid. I see no reason why Spain can’t consolidate a position among the elite national teams.
Editor's Note: Soccer Journal would like to thank the Technician and UEFA for the following interviews. It appeared in the March-April 2009 issue.
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