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João Almeida, new IFA Head Coach

Portuguese coach João Almeida will be the new IFA Head Coach and Loughborough Futsal’s FA Futsal Super League Manager. João’s latest job saw him leading Bahrain’s National Team, an adventure he attempted after becoming Portuguese U19s champion and coaching Associação Académica de Coimbra in the Portuguese top division. We talked with him gather his thoughts about the IFA, Loughborough and the coming season.

 

Please tell us a bit about your coaching history.

I started with 17 years old in my small village club, coaching a Futsal Team U15. I stayed with that group of players for 5 years and in the third year I opened a Futsal Academy with this group of players. In the first year of this Academy the U17 were runner-ups in the National Cup, and in the second year we raised the number of teams and reached a number of almost 100 players. After this I went for another club and I was Coach of U19 team, in this club we were National Champions and I stayed there for three years before I started my experience with Senior players in another club. In the same year I was Coach of Coimbra University Team, and we were Vice Champions of Portugal. Following this I was manager of a Associação Académica de Coimbra, in thez Portuguese top division, and in 2014 I went for Bahrain National Team, until 2017. My main focus is to develop players and allowing their growth as a Futsal Players.

Where do you think English futsal is at the moment?

I believe English Futsal will be a flag in this sport in the near future, growing with small but important steps. The development of young players and the main focus in the National Player will take England to the next level, and we can already watch this development in the last tournament in China, where National Team of England showed a amazing image of their capacity.
The English player need more knowledge of the game and more intensity during the competitive moments, but with more experience and competitivity this points will have a individual development and English Futsal will be in the next step.

What is your philosophy as a coach?

I believe there are two main points in Futsal Coaching. The first one is the full preparation of games, from a defensive point of view and offensive point of view, working all the moments of game and developing the knowledge from the other teams to give us the ability to avoid the surprise. The second point is the capacity to fight with intensity and with the spirit to work a family in the field, the capacity to recover a lost ball or to cover a brother mistake can make the full difference in the game.
So my philosophy is focused in the preparation of all the details of the game and the teamwork and spirit to fight as a family and attitude of winners. If our mind and preparation are stronger than the other teams, we start all the games with advantage.

What are your objectives for the season, for both the International Futsal Academy and for Loughborough’s Super League team?

The goals should live always to improve, to make better and more. We have to take the amazing work from the past and be able to grow with strong steps and vision. For the Super League Team, the last season was very good, but there is space and conditions to improve, so we should look at the League ambition and to do this we have to work hard and together to improve our position. We have to look forward always and want more, we must believe.
Regarding the International Futsal Academy, the goal should be based in the quality of work, to promote our players and to give them conditions to allow our Super League Team to be stronger in the future, but ambition should be always present and in our minds, looking forward to each weekend, to show how we are doing a good work and how we are happy to make it. Game by game until the final Goal.

Loughborough is quite a special place for anyone sports related. Are you looking forward to working at the World’s best University for sport?

Yes, for someone like me be a part of this reality is amazing, it’s something to desire and to work for. My motivation is in the top level with the sport environment that Loughborough share and this is something that someone connected to sport want. Also this year I will be doing my Master Degree Thesis with Futsal as a subject so it’s one more good point to be at Loughborough. I hope to let everyone happy in the end of the season and to be able to learn more and to share my knowledge with everyone.

Jordan Astell’s remarkable experience at Inter Movistar’s Summer Camp

Jordan Astell joined the International Futsal Academy for the 2016/17 season, to start a BSc in  International Business at Loughborough University whilst developing his futsal. After a successful first season, that included reaching the FA Futsal Cup Finals with Loughborough Academy, Jordan needed a new challenge without waiting for the new season to start, and hence became the only English player at Inter Movistar’s Summer camp. Feedback from the Inter coaches at the camp was excellent, but let him tell us about his amazing Inter Movistar experience.

How did the chance to attend Inter Movistar’s camp come about?

The chance came about as a result of The IFA’s link with Inter Movistar. As a result the IFA were given the opportunity to send players across to the camp. This year’s head coach at the IFA, Juanan Garcia,  also coached at the camp which was also another factor in creating this opportunity. It was an opportunity that I had to take in all honesty.

What type of player did you find there? What was their level?

The group I was in was a mixture of ages between 15-19. The players were a lot less physical and had a greater focus on technical and tactical aspects of the game compared to Futsal in England. Their movements, particularly off the ball, were outstanding and their knowledge of the game matched this. It meant that in training, rather than covering technical aspects, we were able to jump into the more complex tactical concepts which was a good learning experience for me. Some of the players actually played for Inter Movistar at youth level. I learnt a lot from them which hopefully I can take with me into the upcoming season.

Where there any other non-Spanish players at the camp?

Yes, players traveled from all over the world to attend the camp! Players came from countries such as France, USA and one was from Russia. My roommate, although of German nationality, also lives in England. Even the Spanish players traveled from all over Spain to attend the camp. This made the experience even more memorable.

Did you have the chance to work with any futsal legends?

Yes, which was actually quite a surprise as when I booked onto the course and even during the camp I was not expecting to. We had Julio Garcia Mena, one of Spain’s most successful players winning the World Cup twice and the European Cup three times, turn up to one of our sessions along with César Muñoz, a former Inter player and current Academy Director. They actually joined in with our session and were defenders in 2v3 drill. They were both still unbelievable and the chance to play against them was an honour.  

How would you describe the experience overall?

For me personally, I haven’t ever learnt that much and developed in Futsal in one week. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity (for me especially, as I’ll be too old next year) and it is one that I am 100% glad I took and thankful that the IFA provided the opportunity to do so. Even off the court it was an amazing life experience, I met so many new people who now I can call friends, and experienced the Spanish culture. It’s definitely a memory I won’t forget.

Do you think the camp will help your futsal for the upcoming season?

With the amount I learnt over that week, without a doubt. The tactical information I was exposed to, learning from world class coaches and even ex players as well as playing against some of the best upcoming Spanish talent,  has provided me the platform to increase my performances for the upcoming season. I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learnt with me and putting it into practice.

IFA Academy Director Idafe Pérez Jiménez also visited the Camp to explore with Inter Movistar new avenues to collaborate and enhance their current partnership, so stay tuned for more news.

Loughborough Ladies are recruiting for the 17/18 season

Welcome to the family

Loughborough Ladies are currently recruiting players and coach for the National League team.

The Women’s National League will be progressively integrated in the FA National Futsal League, where the Ladies team will join their male Super League and National League Division 2 counterparts. From the 2017/18 season, Loughborough Ladies will be competing as Loughborough Futsal Club family, supported by the International Futsal Academy, Loughborough Students Womens Football club and Loughborough Students Futsal Club.

A bit of history

Loughborough Ladies were established in 2015. During this season they competed within the FA Futsal Cup at the Copper Box. Reaching the semi-finals, however, bowing out of the competition on penalties.

Following this, the team have slowly established an interest from female footballers to help grow the women’s game. In the 2016/17 season the team competed within the Midlands regional tournament, finishing the day being crowned champions.

A team that has been composed of players from WPL first or reserve teams, a university representative squad, or a WSL set-up. With the majority of them being strongly involved in football, it was a platform for the players to adapt and experience futsal as a competitive game in its own right. All of the training and games, have allowed for the players to be exposed and to express themselves within futsal specific movements and principles during real play in a high tempo game. The team aims to continuously challenge the players technical and tactical capabilities, but within a positive environment to help excel the level of progression and transition from football.

The Ladies team are looking to grow even more this season, and have joined Loughborough Futsal Club and partnered with Loughborough Students Womens Football Club, Loughborough Students Futsal Club and the International Futsal Academy, enriching the team with futsal specific coaching and further opportunities to learn the game, and providing an enhanced pathway for female players in the region

Please contact [email protected] to register any enquiries, for both playing and coaching opportunities.

Details of training, open trials and fixtures shall be advertised at a later date. Anyone is welcome and we look forward to your interest and kick starting the season 2017/2018.

How the youngest team in the National Leagues qualified to the FA Futsal Cup Finals

Loughborough Academy, the team that serves as competition programme for International Futsal Academy players, are making history after becoming the first ever Development squad to reach the FA Futsal Cup finals.  And they did it in style, after beating one of the powerhouses in the FA Futsal Super League, Genesis Futsal Club. If you haven’t watched the game yet, you can find it here. It was one of those capable of hooking people into futsal.

Genesis were euphoric after beating Loughborough Futsal Club, one of the references of English futsal and the team to which the Academy serves as Development squad. This was in the knockouts to reach the FA Futsal National League Grand Finals. One week later, in an epic game and against every bet in the UK futsal World, the Academy players stunned the London visitors, were always on top and resisted Genesis’ come back. Although the game went to extra time and the opposition was much more experienced, at the final whistle the scoreboard showed 7-6 for the youngest team in the FA National Futsal League system. The odds had already been against them in the previous two games against Super League side University of Nottingham and against South Division 2 runners up Kickers. The Students proved sceptics wrong in both then as well.

So how did a team made up 100% of Loughborough students, averaging 19.1 years old, manage to be competitive against one of the main candidates to win the English Championships and play in the UEFA Champions League? International Futsal Academy Head Coach Juanan García, who led the team in this key game, had no doubts:

This performance is the result of the extremely hard work that our players have carried out during the season. The training they do with us, at the International Futsal Academy, is guarantee of improvement in this sport.  Our players have stepped up tactically, technically, physically and mentally. They’ve learned to compete and to trust themselves. Players with confidence in themselves are capable of everything.

Quite a few eyebrows were raised when English futsal started noticing the type of programme The IFA run. Academy Director Idafe Perez Jimenez explained the recipe when interviewed by The Daily Futsal in January:

We do with them 4 to 7 sessions a week, we have for them the best coaching staff in Britain and we give them the Loughborough environment, which everyone knows is the reference place for sports people to keep developing […] If you recruit some of the best young players in the country, you give them the right environment, provide the most qualified and best coaches around, and you coach them for the amount of hours we coach them to the standards of quality we coach them, you will help them get to places.

As part of the programme, IFA players have weekly led gym sessions, train on court 3 to 5 times a week, play up to twice a week (depending on the time of the year, and keeping an eye on the academic calendar), and are regularly tested in their fitness and health, receiving periodic reports on their performance, development and aims.

Felipe Barcelos, one of this season’s new students in the IFA but an experienced futsaler that has played for the likes of London Helvecia and Oxford Lions, summarises the programme:

The IFA is a great way to learn about futsal.  It teaches not only how to play the game, but how to conduct yourself on and off court, it’s very professional based with lots of great staff who no matter what is always willing to help! The IFA have great coaches whom all offer great experience and knowledge about the game! For young players is a great programme to be involved with not only to improve as players people but as people!

In the weekend of 17th and 18th of June, Loughborough Academy will face its greatest challenge ever. The best Loughborough performance in the competition, by the senior team, was reaching the FA Futsal Cup final and marginally losing 2-1 to Helvecia in 2008. Three seasons ago, in a memorable season, the Students reached the semifinal both of the National League and of the FA Futsal Cup, losing both against Manchester Futsal Club. This is however the first time in the history of the competition that a Development team is within reach of lifting the trophy.

IFA Development Manager Marc Forrest, who has led the team in most games  and sessions this season but who was away on international duty with England partially sighted for the Genesis game, was exultant and messaged from the England team base in Italy:

Reaching the FA Cup Finals is a fantastic achievement by the squad, especially in the manner we did it with wins against Nottingham, Kickers and Genesis. It is testament to the efforts of the players this season and I am delighted they have got their reward. We set out to show what young English talent was capable of and I think they have shown that, now we look to prepare for the FA Cup Finals and do the best we can.

Can these ¨kids¨ do the unthinkable and win the second most prestigious trophy in English futsal? Preparations are ongoing.

#WeAreFutsal

 

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Twitter reactions to Loughborough Academy’s epic FA Futsal Cup win

 

Loughborough talent in England Partially Sighted team for the World Cup

A very competitive England B2/B3 National Team travels to Italy for the IBSA Partially Sighted Football World Championships. After achieving Bronze in the European Championships last December, they now aim for gold.
There will be quite a Loughborough flavour between the sticks. Mark Croft (Loughborough Futsal Club, IFA and England Futsal National Team goalkeeper) is in the squad, alongside former Loughborough Students player and current IFA goalkeeper coach Dylan Malpas. The International Futsal Academy’s Development Manager Marc Forrest will be assisting Ian Bateman.

We wish the England Partially Sighted team all the best in this new adventure.

#WeAreFutsal #EngPS

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Reports
Tue, 13th Jun 17

How the youngest team in the National Leagues qualified to the FA Futsal Cup Finals

 Loughborough Academy, the team that serves as competition programme for International Futsal Academy players, are making history after becoming the first ever Development squad to reach the FA Futsal Cup finals.  And they did it in style, after beating one of the powerhouses in the FA Futsal Super League, Genesis Futsal Club. If you haven’t watched the game… View Article
Wed, 24th May 17

Loughborough Students miss on a second consecutive BUCS gold

 Loughborough Students Futsal Club BUCS 1s, including many IFA players and coaches, travelled down to the Copper Box Arena in the London 2012 Olympic Park on the 10th May to play Cardiff University in the BUCS Final, with hopes of making history in a fantastic sporting arena which hosted events such as Handball in the Olympics… View Article