Neil in Barca spying mission

BARCA’S BACK YARD: Neil Lucas at the La Liga club’s academy.

FOOTBALL: JUNIOR football coach Neil Lucas’s quest to learn from the best took him to Barcelona for a three-day crash course in the methods of the Catalan giants’ academy.


Neil, from Mossley, who trains Stalybridge Celtic in the Tameside Sunday League, picked up priceless tips and ideas from his visit to the La Liga club and Pro Futsal Club Marfil Santa Colona.

He said: “I went to see what methods the Spaniards use to develop young players.

“I saw the game of Futsal as a development tool for very young footballers to develop fast feet and excellent technical and tactical awareness.

“Many of the top world class footballers played Futsal in their youth and credit the game for their

development — players of the calibre of Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Lionel Messi to name just a few.

“But Futsal has not just helped produce South American football stars — on the European stage Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Zidane and Fabregas are among many others to have played it.”

Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided football game that is widely played across the world and is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA.

The nature of the game places an emphasis on technical skill and ability in situations of high pressure, and is a breeding ground for football competencies that can be translated into the 11-a-side format.

Neil added: “There are a number of differences to our traditional version of small-sided football.

“But the dominant elements are the absence of rebound boards and amendments in the laws that encourage and foster skilful, creative play above the physical contact that tends to be a feature of English five-a-side.”