Sim Tours Bring Atletico Coaches To Mzansi

Recently, Sim Tours have brought two highly qualified coaches from Atletico Madrid to South Africa to host a camp with Mzansi’s next generation of football players.

The two coaches from Atletico’s famed academy were hosting a camp in Cape Town, as children from all over South Africa traveled to the Mother City to take part in the practices and learn from such high-esteemed coaches. While other camps are often visited by mainly locals from the near-by area, Sim Tours managed to attract and cater for 70 children from all provinces in South Africa, mainly Gauteng and North West. The camp organisers made sure all travels, either by bus, plane or car are well-coordinated, while arranging a place at a nearby hotel for all participants.

On the final day, even the Spanish ambassador, Jesus Silva Fernandez came to visit the camp and praised Sim Tours for their outstanding work, as the Atletico coaches handed over a shirt from the Rojiblancos.

Atletico Madrid coaches with Spanish ambassador, Jesus Silva Fernandez

During the camp, iDiski Times journalist David Kappel managed to sit down with the two Altetico coaches, Pablo Diaz (U10 coach) and Javi Bloch (U19 coach), both UEFA A license holders, to talk about their experience, the level of talent in SA and more insights about the work of the Atletico academy.

Later this year, Sim Tours will organise their next camps in partnership with Eredivisie giants Feyenoord, when two boys will be selected and get to train Feyenoord’s famed academy alongside the likes of Shaquile Van Persie, son of Arsenal and Manchester United legend Robin Van Persie. Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena was a participant of the camp and taken to Feyenoord when he was 16 years old. 

For those interested in future camps, anyone can contact Sim Tours directly: E-mail: [email protected] | Whatsapp and Tel: 0814078668.

Back to Atletico Madrid.

David Kappel: Is it first time in Africa?

Javi: Yes, it’s our first time in South Africa and Africa. We enjoyed our stay, we had some free time on Sunday. We were able to do some sightseeing throughout the city. We went up Table Mountain also. 

DK: Can you tell me about your coaching backing ground?

Javi: Since I was 15, I’ve been coaching. I’m not from Madrid, but when I moved to Madrid I started coaching. Then I joined Atletico Madrid and this is my fourth year with the club. Now I work in the international program and I’ve been to two different countries. 

Pablo: This is my seventh year with Atletico Madrid, I was born in Madrid and there are some similarities in the players here and in Atletico academy. 

DK: What’s impression of South African youth players?

Javi: The biggest difference what we’ve seen here, the players are more physical than maybe in Spain. In Spain we’re starting to get more physical and bigger players progressively. Right now they, in this age group, they are less physical in Spain. We’re working with U9 until U19 here today, in four different groups. One group from 9 years to 12 years, the second one from 13 to 15, Another 15 and 16 and the last one 16 to 19. But we have to adjust also because we have two huge guys, who are 15 and we’ve put them with the U19s. So we rank them by ages but we adjust it according to the physicality and level of the players.

DK: How has the camp organization been this week? It’s the 2nd time Sim Tours is working with the club they must be happy with the partnership?

Javi: I think it’s been good organised. Having the kids not only to participate in the camp but also here in a hotel. They’re all coming together from different provinces and we really like the organisation of everything. For most of them it’s the first time in Cape Town, they even had a tour of the city, so it’s very well organised.

DK: Atletico puts alot of emphasis on its academy. How difficult is it when competing with Real Madrid to scout talent in Spain?

Pablo: The academies are very similar. From a development tactical aspect all Spanish academies are very similar. 

Javi: Our academy is very well organised. We’ve got a huge amount of players and our players are very, very competitive. The best example for how well our academy is running is our U19 team who were in the semi-finals of the UEFA youth league. It demonstrates the level of the academy and good work the coaches have been doing.

Pablo: But Atletico’s academy is one of the bigger academies in Spain. We have a lot of team, all different age groups and we also have a Women’s team. 

DK: Is the academy based at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium?

Javi: We’ve got different training grounds, four training grounds, who are spread through the whole of Madrid. 

DK: Have there been any recent players who made it from the academy into the first team squad?

Javi: This year it’s Javi Serrano, who has broken through. He’s the most-recent example, he’s played in LaLiga and Champions League. 

Pablo: Maybe it’s not so recent but we’re all proud that the captain of the first team, Koke, he comes from the academy but yeah the most-recent example is Javi Serrano. 

Javi Serrano, 19, and Diego Simeone

DK: Rasthoem Simons of Sim Tours who recently visited academy said there is also an emphasis on education for academy players. Does the club make formal education a priority as well?

Javi: Two days ago, we explained the Atletico Madrid values to the camp and for us the education is most important. Of course, we want a winning team and we want to develop players but our core values need to be in every sessions, in every match because in the end of the day, all players are wearing the Atletico Madrid logo and they need to represent the club well. We really put emphasis on respect, team work, commitment and effort, those are the core focus areas of academy. We feel that’s where we might be a bit different because we really focus on those values.

DK: Does the academy also make sure children are good in school and focus on their studies?

Javi: Yes, we need to make sure the kids are doing well in school. The academy has class rooms and are also supporting players who are struggling a bit in school. The commitment we spoke about, we’re trying to make sure it’s not just in football but also in the class rooms.

Pablo: The classrooms are on the training grounds, so kids can go before or after training. If I’m struggling in match, I get a maths tutor to help me from the club.

DK: Diego Simeone, is he visiting academy games? Have you met him personally?

Pablo: Yes, earlier in the season we had a meeting with him, everyone from the academy was there. He gave some advice, he talked about the importance of youth coaching. It was a really good meeting, because we have a lot of coaches and he had time for questions from everyone. He had a lot of patience and it was an honour to engage with him.

DK: Thank you guys, you’re doing a great job.

Atletico Madrid coaches Javi Bloch and Pablo Diaz

Story by David Kappel.