NEWS - Qatar Olympic Committee

Left: Michael Browne, head of
the Aspire football programme
leads a coaching team that
has prepared Aspire students
for youth matches against
the likes of FC Basle, Ireland,
Tottenham Hotspur and FC
Kopenhagen (pictured right)
programme, which lasts five years. At Aspire they receive
not only the best football coaching available but a wideranging
education, which draws, wherever possible, upon
sport for example and inspiration. While some of the boys
live at home with their families, others find it more
convenient to board at Aspire, living football 24/7.
But even before they are invited to join the Aspire
programme, the boys have been watched for a number of
years. Qatar has one of the world’s most comprehensive
and technically advanced talent identification programmes
across all sports but, says Browne, the observations of
coaches were more important than hard data in the early
days. “We start to identify boys around the ages of 9 and
10-years-old and work with them in three groups of up to
30 for a couple of years. Then, at the age of 12, around 60
are selected for Aspire. Our aim at that stage is to keep
them on the programme as long as possible although,
inevitably, some will drop out along the way.”
At Aspire the students enjoy a demanding yet clearly
rewarding schedule, which involves early morning and
afternoon training sessions (a total of three hours per day)
built around a first-class academic regime.
Morning training tends to be a low-intensity session
which focuses on developing technical skills. In the
afternoon the emphasis is on speed, agility and endurance
work. “The staff works as a team to get the best out of the
players at every stage,” he said. “Three times a year we will
carry out rigorous physical testing so that we know exactly
what areas we need to develop in every individual player.
Every one of our players is also registered with a local club
and is expected to play for their teams as well.
“They are recognised as the best players in the country
at their age group and know that while they are privileged
they also have a responsibility in the way that they behave
and live their lives.”
Indeed, the Qatari youngsters coming through the
system at Aspire have done much to radically alter the
preconceptions of some observers. “There has tended to be
a perception among some Westerners that the Qatari boys
lack the discipline and the dedication required to become
really good footballers. I’m delighted that our boys are
proving that this is simply not true. They share a
determination to make it as footballers,” Browne explained.
“While in the early days we found that some of the
youngsters didn’t deal with adversity particularly well, that
has been addressed.”
If Browne faces one largely insurmountable difficulty it
is that the majority of the Qatari youngsters are smaller
than their overseas counterpart in their early years at
Aspire. The result is that when they play games against
youth teams of an equivalent age from leading clubs from
around the world, they are at a physical disadvantage.
“As the years go by the physical gap becomes less
pronounced and less of a factor in results,” says Browne.
“As a result, our older teams are at least on a par with many
of the top European clubs we have played.”
And when you consider that list includes
teams like Barcelona, Chelsea, Tottenham,
Hotspur and Bayer Leverkusen, the scale of
the achievement becomes clear.
“Over the last year and a half in particular
I have become convinced that what we are
doing here is working,” said Browne.
One of the reasons for that success is the
catalytic role played by a small group of
overseas students, who have joined the local
players as a result of the Aspire Africa
programme which aims to provide
development opportunities for young players
from African nations. At present there are
seven African students in Doha, from Ghana,
Cameroon, Senegal and Nigeria.
“The African players are very dedicated
and physically bigger at an early age. They
have integrated well and have helped raise the
overall level among the players,” said Browne.
“At the end of their time here we will help
then to develop their careers, whether in their
homelands or elsewhere. They are certainly
not expected to stay and play for Qatar.”
Finding the next step from Aspire is an
issue which plays on Michael Browne’s mind.
The domestic Qatari League has only 10
teams and many places are held by overseas
players. And while they have naturally helped
raise the standard of the league, their presence
means that there are fewer first team places for
emerging Qatari talent.
“To continue their development our
players need to be playing first team football
and while in other countries they might be
loaned out to lower league clubs for experience,
that can’t happen here.
“I think that rather than playing in reserve
teams in Qatar it would be better for them to
embrace the professional game by playing in
Europe. And while they may not make it at
clubs in the major markets, our best 18 yearold
could certainly play in the second divisions
of, for example, Belgium, Switzerland and
Denmark. With that experience they can then
go on to a higher level.”
Browne is unequivocal as he reflects on his work at
Aspire and expectations for the future. “As far as I can see
there is nothing like Aspire anywhere else in the world and
the quality of the facilities and the programme demonstrates
how important it is for Qatar to develop local players.
“I am confident that in the next five to 10 years we will
have a stream of players which will give Qatar a chance of
qualifying for the World Cup finals. That could be in
2018, 2022…who knows? What is certain is that we are
producing players who are better than ever before.”
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