DAMIEN DUFF SAYS he will allow his players more freedom when he returns to coaching.
Duff worked as part of Fifa’s technical study group at the U17 World Cup in Qatar, attending games with a view to contributing to a post-tournament report on its tactical trends.
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Ireland reached the last-16 of the tournament, where they were ultimately beaten by Switzerland.
Speaking from Doha at a press conference ahead of today’s final between Austria and Portugal, Duff reflected on his learnings from the tournament, saying he was impressed with the freedom with which some teams played, which conflicts with his “incredibly structured” approach.
“So I think we’ve mentioned different teams, different federations: Morocco, Tunisia, the African teams”, said Duff. “They play with a wonderful, obviously, energy, enthusiasm and X factor, and a freedom, and I don’t coach like that. I’d be incredibly structured. You’ll stand here, you’ll run here.
“I know a lot of people criticise football now, that there are a lot of robots in football. Maybe myself and the coaches here have at times created these robots. So, for sure, when I go back and I eventually start coaching on the pitch again, I’d like to become a little bit more unstructured and give my players a little bit more freedom, because I think it’s the most beautiful game in the world.
“It’s been a beautiful tournament, and it’s been beautiful and emotional at times, just even as an Irishman. I haven’t cried at a national anthem in 20 years, since I finished [playing], but I cried this time because obviously I was proud of my team. But just watching young players that haven’t been maybe tarnished by the game as yet, just watching them play was the stand-out for me. My take-home as a coach is maybe to relax a little bit more.”
Duff was sitting alongside Fifa’s global head of development, Arsene Wenger, who described the tournament as “as football paradise, to see how much of the world’s youth is here together and able to compete.”
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'My take-home as a coach is maybe to relax a little bit more'
DAMIEN DUFF SAYS he will allow his players more freedom when he returns to coaching.
Duff worked as part of Fifa’s technical study group at the U17 World Cup in Qatar, attending games with a view to contributing to a post-tournament report on its tactical trends.
Ireland reached the last-16 of the tournament, where they were ultimately beaten by Switzerland.
Speaking from Doha at a press conference ahead of today’s final between Austria and Portugal, Duff reflected on his learnings from the tournament, saying he was impressed with the freedom with which some teams played, which conflicts with his “incredibly structured” approach.
“So I think we’ve mentioned different teams, different federations: Morocco, Tunisia, the African teams”, said Duff. “They play with a wonderful, obviously, energy, enthusiasm and X factor, and a freedom, and I don’t coach like that. I’d be incredibly structured. You’ll stand here, you’ll run here.
“I know a lot of people criticise football now, that there are a lot of robots in football. Maybe myself and the coaches here have at times created these robots. So, for sure, when I go back and I eventually start coaching on the pitch again, I’d like to become a little bit more unstructured and give my players a little bit more freedom, because I think it’s the most beautiful game in the world.
“It’s been a beautiful tournament, and it’s been beautiful and emotional at times, just even as an Irishman. I haven’t cried at a national anthem in 20 years, since I finished [playing], but I cried this time because obviously I was proud of my team. But just watching young players that haven’t been maybe tarnished by the game as yet, just watching them play was the stand-out for me. My take-home as a coach is maybe to relax a little bit more.”
Duff was sitting alongside Fifa’s global head of development, Arsene Wenger, who described the tournament as “as football paradise, to see how much of the world’s youth is here together and able to compete.”
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Damien Duff fifa U17 world cup Republic Of Ireland