Fiji soccer coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti has presented a development programme to Fiji Football Association to help propel the country to global soccer fame.
The former Vanuatu soccer mentor said the programme could plug Fiji’s mixed international results.
“We have to start from the bottom. Grass roots development is the most important stage in any sports. In Fiji we concentrate on district level but there are insufficient materials from lower levels to supplement needs,” he added.
“I have presented a development programme to Fiji Football where we hope that our problems will be solved.”
“One of the important phases is the development at schools level. Three months of having competitions in schools during a school year is not enough. We need to have a full season and consistent league at grass roots level. Districts need to have compulsory league from 11-16 year-olds. We expose talents at those levels and that will improve district and national level.”
“We cannot be successful at Under-20 level if our players are not taught the right techniques. Fijian players are great athletes but they lack discipline and also struggle tactically on the field,” Buzzetti added.
“We have the skills but we lack the understanding of the movement of the game. These are all taught at the early stage of a young player. It will be with them throughout their lives. We should get organised now as this programme will bear fruition by 2016.”
He said money was also a problem against the timely progress of soccer in the country.
“I salute our primary school teachers because they dedicate their time and knowledge in soccer to develop the children of this country. We also plan to certify as many coaches that we can.
Soccer is progressing but Fiji continues to live in the past by relying on ageing players like Esala Masi and others. It is time we implement and use new and young players. We have to move with the rest of the world,” he added.
Buzzetti is assembling his team to face New Zealand in Samoa next month.
Fijilive
Posted
comments on this story
dhasao
Thursday, May 15 2008
I hope Buzzetti's plan comes to reality. Saying is something and actually doing is something else. Things may look good on paper - but it is understood results can not be achieved overnight.
News on
RSS 
