20.3.2014

Message to the fans Ljubljana Open

The Ljubljana Open is always a great spectacle with great energy and vibe around it. There are many accompanying events taking place and everyone should find their own piece of fun. You can find a touch of other cultures, a lot of food and drink and smiling people.

Dejan, what is your football philosophy? After all you were successful football player before.

My football philosophy is ball orientated football with combination of dominating in ball possession and direct in depth play. As a player I also liked to keep possession of the ball and try to find the right moment to play between the opponent’s lines.
 
How would you introduce your football team, NK Bravo?
 
Football club Bravo is one of the best football academies in Slovenia. I train boys with DOB 2002. My team has great potential with some very promising young footballers.

 What is your opinion of youth football?
 
Youth football is the ground foundation of football. In the best developed football countries like Spain or Germany the best coaches work in youth football and not senior. And on the long run that brings results. In Slovenia this is not the case, because there is a lack of money intended for youth football. So the coaches cannot have full time jobs working in youth departments.
 
Can you explain in detail what your typical Thursday practice is like?
 
It depends on the training’s objective. For example, if we try to improve the shot with inside of the foot, we are implementing this element throughout all the phases of training. In the exercises in the warm – up period, the drills in the main part of the training and also in the cool – off period.  Between 20% to 30% of the training is always normal play of football where we like the players to solve playing situation with their own imagination.
 
What are your two of the most prominent mistakes you have made during your coaching career?
 
I haven’t been a coach for a long time (only for two years now), but I already made quite a few mistakes. The most obvious one was at the beginning when I was too lenient and not strict enough. The players like authoritative coaches better. The second mistake was I have not consulted myself enough with other coaches from the club regarding training methods, etc. I think I improved these two mistakes over the last period.
 
What steps will you take to improve the overall grades of your players? How do you evaluate them?
 
We use a computer system for evaluating the players. We assess every aspect of player’s skills, talent, physical improvement, psychological aspect, sociological components and so on.  We are testing player’s physical skills twice a year. Once a week the coaching staff discusses and analyses the improvement of individual players and teams. 
 
How do you motivate players after losing game?
 
In the youth categories the main focus is on the development of the players and not on the result. However, we do like to win every single match building the positive winning mentality. Sometimes my players take the defeat very hard, but I always tell them that there is a big difference in how you win or how you lose. For example, if we win but we don’t respect the rules of Fair play, the win is worthless. Or if we do our best, play persistent until the last minute despite losing 3:0 and behave according to Fair play, it is ok, too.
 
How do you gain the players trust? Parental trust?
 
The players trust you earn with professionalism and positive affirmation. It means you do not always shout to them: “Hey, why did you lose the ball?!” or “How could you miss that chance?!”, but instead stay calm and say: “Ok, try to look around yourself before you receive the ball and the opponent will not take it away from you.”  or something similar.
Parents trust you if their child is happy going to trainings and matches.  It is as simple as that.
 
What is your goal for Ljubljana Open 2014? What is your goal as a team NK Bravo U12?
 
My goal for Ljubljana Open is for my team to play nice football, the players to show their progress and their skills. Without any pressure, just to play their game.

The goal of NK Bravo is to connect with foreign and domestic clubs, create partnerships with them and to promote the club, city of Ljubljana and Slovenia also beyond our borders.
 
Is there will be any pressure? Who is your worst competitor?
 
I have noticed the significant amount of pressure on our young players for this tournament in the past. But this is wrong. It should be joy for them to play in front of their home supporters and not the stress. That is why we should all take our eyes off the final result on the tournament and focus only on healthy sports rivalry.

All the teams in the tournament are very good, so everyone can win. The beauty of this tournament is that the boys have the chance to play against different styles of football – English, Dutch, Croatian, etc.
 
How are you preparing kids to be a winner on Ljubljana Open 2014?
 
We are playing a lot of friendly matches 11 a-side, because the tournament format is 11 against 11. In the domestic championships we play 7 against 7. So there is a problem adjusting to bigger field, more players, etc. We are planning to go to the 5 days preseason camp in Croatia, where we will also play some friendlies and train twice or three times a day. 
 
What message would you send to the fans?
 
I would like to invite everybody who likes football to come support us from 13^th to 15^th June. NK Bravo has a very talented team this year and I am sure we will provide some great entertainment for the spectators.The Ljubljana Open is always a great spectacle with great energy and vibe around it. There are many accompanying events taking place and everyone should find their own piece of fun. You can find a touch of other cultures, a lot of food and drink and smiling people.

S.R.
Foto:Martin Rigler