EPPP or Futsal – Why are England so resistant?

How do you develop an English Ronaldinho?

England futsal coach Graeme Dell had this to say “Unless we start bringing the futsal concepts to the way we train young players, we could be having this conversation again in 15 to 20 years’ time “

The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) is a youth development scheme proposed by The Premier League, the aim of the EPPP is to free up movement of younger players by establishing a hierarchy of football academies in theUK and fixing the transfer fees between academies.

The philosophy behind the Elite Player Performance Plan is to create a system that puts the player at the heart of the development process and give them the best opportunities in terms of coaching, access and education. Combine that with the National Training Centre and you begin to see a picture painted that The FA seem to be trying everything other than Futsal, but why? Why are they so resistant to the sport? Could it be because they did not develop it and as such see it as a rival to football? Futsal is clearly a sport that develops technique, skill and ball control….many things English players have been accused of lacking.

Look at how a nation like Brazil (holders of the most World Cup titles) embraces Futsal. Only when Brazilian kids reach around 14 years of age does a coach start talking to them about team shape and tactics. Until then it’s all about technique, tricks, shooting, dribbling and spontaneity.

Players are brought up from a very early age playing Futsal, you can name any Brazilian international star and he will have played Futsal. The ability of Futsal players to control the ball in tight areas and to shoot from all angles is incredible. Even more enlightening is the fact that parents and coaches urge kids to show their magic, without fear of retribution for making mistakes. There are no nonsensical shouts of “Get stuck in, get it up there” or “Get rid of it”.

Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards is one of the few top English footballers to have played using a smaller, heavier ball as a youngster and this is what he had to say

“It did improve my technique, It makes you more composed on the ball and makes you want the ball more, so you can do something with it.”

So back to my initial question, How does England develop an English Ronaldinho?

In my opinion a big factor in answering this question is by embracing the concept of Futsal and stop looking for alternatives.

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