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Out with the old UEFA: youth preparation key to Euro 2000 success
Posted: Sunday July 02, 2000 09:30 AM
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- UEFA has figured out the key to success at Euro 2000 -- nurture the young and the young will deliver. While much of the talk has centered how a new whiff of Latin flair has blown away the stodgy Anglo-Saxon way, UEFA has another message to explain the new order in European soccer. "It's really what's done first of all with children and then with youth players," said Andy Roxburgh, the head of UEFA's technical study group. His message is also borne out by the early exits in Euro 2000, most notably Germany, led by 39-year-old Lothar Matthäus, the defending champions relied on a slew of veterans, underscoring the complaint that too few players are rising through the German youth system. Germany went out with two losses and a draw and its final 3-0 loss to Portugal's reserve team underscored Roxburgh's point. Portugal has long thrived and excelled in youth competitions, where it is a multiple European and world champion. This nurturing of youth almost pushed them into the final of Euro 2000. The Portugal of Luis Figo and Nuno Gomes lost in the semifinal 2-1 to France. Earlier world champion France had edged past Spain in similar 2-1 fashion. "The Portuguese and the Spanish do incredible work with their young players," said Roxburgh, former coach of Scotland. "I think that 17 of the Portuguese squad came out of their recent youth teams. Roxburgh was also looking at the French squad where youngsters Thierry Henry, 22, and Nicolas Anelka are smoothly blending into the team. Henry has already scored three goals and is a perfect match with Zinedine Zidane. In midfield Patrick Vieira, 24 is quickly becoming a mainstay in midfield. "Henry and Anelka were part of the coaching organization," which carefully prepared them for the big time, Roxburgh said. France's youth system is centralized in the ultramodern national training center in Clairfontaine, home of the 1998 World Cup team. Looking at such nations like finalists France and Italy and also Portugal and Spain, Roxburgh's conclusion on youth preparation is simple. "They have done that in a better way than they have been doing in northern Europe," he said.
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