Coach education 'first' for Georgia

The Georgian Football Federation (SFF) has taken a proud step forward in its coach education work by staging the association's first-ever UEFA Pro licence course.

Fifteen experienced coaches holding the A licence qualification are taking part in the course, which is headed by the SFF coach education director Gaioz Darsadze. To ensure quality and compliance with guidelines, two tutors have been appointed by UEFA's expert Jira Panel, which in particular advises UEFA and its member associations on coach education matters. Dany Ryser (Switzerland) and Michel Sablon (Belgium) are fulfilling the tutors' role.

The Pro licence course is divided into ten modules and will last for more than a year. Following a kick-off event for the course at the SFF technical centre in Tbilisi in the spring and the implementation of the first round of residential modules, UEFA's head of football education services Frank Ludolph recently joined Sablon in Tbilisi for talks with Darsadze and SFF general secretary Revaz Arveladze on the successful progress of the course. "It is a new educational dimension and challenge for the SFF," said Sablon. "The UEFA Jira Panel is closely monitoring this process."

As part of the course, the Georgian Pro licence students and their instructors will also benefit from the UEFA student exchange programme at UEFA's headquarters later in the year.

In the final phase of the course, the UEFA European Under-21 Championship will be on the students' educational menu. Their tasks will include analysis of some group matches in the Czech Republic next year.

One of the course participants is a famous name in the European game – Alexander Chivadze, a former USSR national team captain who participated in the FIFA World Cup in 1982 and 1986, a defensive stalwart for FC Dinamo Tbilisi over 13 years and one-time Georgia national team coach. We asked him for an insight into the course.

UEFA.org: What is your first impression about the course?

Alexander Chivadze: Very positive. Despite having gained great experience over a long career, you realise that we still need to learn details and enhance knowledge.

UEFA.org: What are the most interesting parts of the lectures?

Chivadze: Clearly there are some specific football topics which are exciting for a former player. Football nowadays has greatly evolved and, therefore, all of the information is very useful. We are being given a perfect opportunity to develop ourselves at Pro level – and the support of UEFA as well as the instructors is very much appreciated.

UEFA.org: Do you think this will play a big role in the development of Georgian football?

Chivadze: For sure. This is the roof of the football pyramid, and without professionally competent coaches it is not possible to achieve top results at high levels. Now we have a very good generation of coaches present at our course, and by completing this education we will continue to develop every day and contribute to the future success of Georgian football.

UEFA.org: Finally, what would be your wish for such courses in the future?

Chivadze: That as many as possible can take place for the future of Georgian coaches and for the continuous development of the game here.