HAVE you ever wondered how the England men’s football team has ended up with a German manager?
The appointment of Thomas Tuchel to lead the England men’s football team has raised a fundamental question: Why aren’t more English coaches making it to the top?
One possible answer lies in the accessibility and affordability of coaching qualifications in England.
The cost, time, commitment, and availability of courses could be preventing many aspiring English coaches from progressing through the ranks.
Opinions on the importance of coaching qualifications vary widely within the football community.
Some believe they are crucial for career progression, while others argue that experience and success on the pitch matter more than formal certifications.
Jack Chamberlain, a Solent Football Studies student and UEFA C qualified coach, emphasised the necessity of badges:
“To get good jobs in football, you need to have the badges. Most people wouldn’t have the opportunity to coach without the badges.”
However, there is proof that certifications are not everything.
Dorking manager, Marc White, has enjoyed 12 promotions without any formal coaching qualifications and believes that the current system overvalues certification while overlooking real-world experience:
“I don’t understand why you need one! What is the logic behind having one. They can get to f***!” He exclaimed on the ‘Undr the Cosh’ podcast.
One of the biggest barriers for aspiring English coaches is the extreme cost of obtaining qualifications.
In England, the price to complete coaching courses is significantly higher than in many other countries, with a UEFA Pro License costing over £13,000 without travel costs.
Some coaches, like Jack, have chosen to pursue their licenses through alternative football associations, such as the Scottish FA, Welsh FA, or Irish FA, where accessibility and costs are often more reasonable.
With the English FA struggling to accommodate all applicants due to high demand and long waiting lists, the bottleneck in the system could be limiting the development of homegrown managerial talent.
Listen to the full conversation with Jack over on the Solent Sports Journalism podcast on Spotify.
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