From Monday 24 June to Friday 12 July, the Football Association of Thailand hosted a club attachment module for the AFC Professional Football Diploma Coaching Course in Japan. The three-week module was held mainly in the Kanto area.

The AFC Professional Football Diploma Coaching Course is a course to obtain the highest level of coaching licence issued by the AFC, and the course consists with four modules. This course held in Japan covers the second module, which emphasises the theme of club attachment. With the support of Yokohama F. Marinos and Urawa Red Diamonds, the participants were given the opportunity to analyse the actual training sessions and matches conducted by the top teams and the youth teams. Through the discussion sessions with the club staffs, such as the coach and general manager, the participants learned how a team prepares for a match, how coaches should behave, and what it means to be a professional club.

In the third week of the course, the group paid a visit to observe the Ajinomoto National Training Center and the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences. They then took lectures at the JFA House, where they covered various topics regarding Japanese football, such as the vision, the youth development system, methods to coach professional goalkeepers, and sports marketing. To conclude the three-week course, the participants took part in a practical coaching session at Tokinosumika, where they held a training session for the players of Hiryu High School football club.

Instructor's Comment

Mr. Lim Kim Chon, AFC Instructor
Japan has been a leading football nation in Asia with admiration from other Asian nations and we have seen the progress Japan has made and escalated as years passed. Japan has a long dynamic vision that has been carried forward continuously by the leaders with stability. This is then passed onto the field where the players are putting on the blue jerseys with pride performing at world stage.

The well-structured professional clubs hiring knowledge tacticians who consistently demand quality performances from the players thus raised the competitive level of the league. The coaches being here is to have a first-hand study of how a real professional club operates on and off the field. Study the background or club culture and philosophy is important. Observing their tactical training session and implementing them in game situations allows you to paint a picture of how the team is going to play in the next match. Through these experiences, I would be happy if the clubs give these coaches a contract and have a faith in them that they can make it.

In terms of operation, overall the whole module was very well organised with much understanding, consideration and flexibility. There was not a moment of boredom, as the coaches were excited with each coming day, looking forward in consuming something new from the club head coaches or managers. Beginning with receiving us at the airport to transferring to hotels, ensuring that we are well received at the clubs and arranging the match tickets, the success of this 3 weeks course is due to the thorough planning and extra hard work that JFA has put in. In this regard, we are very grateful and thanked each and everyone from the bottom of our heart for fullest cooperation and understanding. Thank you.

Participants' Comments

Sirisak Yodyadthai
Firstly, on behalf of all participants from AFC professional diploma coaching course module 2 Japan from 24th June to 12th July, thank you to JFA so much. Also, I would like to say thank you to 2 clubs, Yokohama F. Marinos and Urawa Red Diamonds. To me and all participants to participate in this course, the purpose is to gain huge advantage and inspiration from visiting professional football club, training session, official matches and top-level players, that are very progressive for Asia and the world football. I was very satisfied to take knowledge from the course to develop both myself and Thai players. I would like to wish great future and success in FIFA World Cup 2022 for Japan National Team.

Siyaz Mohamed
First, I want to thank JFA for arranging and organizing us everything. This experience and the hospitality are something that I will never forget. All through my coaching career I have been looking for an opportunity to see how a professional team prepare for a game and here I was to see two of the great J1 League teams how they prepare for a game a week before. It was not only that we were just able to see their trainings but the head coach sharing all the secret tactics of how they are preparing and why, and also we were given to chance to ask any question and answering without keeping anything to hide was amazing. Than the game day, the atmosphere of the stadium with such big crowds, wow what can I say all of us analysing the game and seeing how much did it work from the trainings was simply a very great experience and to be frank I learnt a lot of new things and got many ideas about coaching. At this opportunity I also want to thank the 2 clubs Yokohama F. Marinos and Urawa Red Diamonds and their head coach for giving us the opportunity to see their training sessions. This 3 weeks in Japan with all my fellow coaches sharing the knowledge and ideas will be a big help for me in my coaching career. Once more I would like to thank JFA for giving us this opportunity.