The Welsh Way - Inside the 'Harvard of coaching'

Gael Clichy puts connected his virtual world headset, gets up and walks astir the room, the erstwhile Arsenal and Manchester City defender cautious not to bump into two-time World Cup victor Brandi Chastain, who is wearing the aforesaid cogwheel and trying to fig retired however champion to antagonistic Brighton's press.

Yohan Cabaye, the ex-France and Newcastle midfielder, searches for a solution connected the different broadside of the room, wherever Stoke's sporting manager Jonathan Walters is pondering his adjacent move.

Welcome to the Celtic Manor edifice adjacent Newport, wherever the Football Association of Wales is holding immoderate of its last sessions for the sport's highest coaching qualification, the Uefa Pro Licence.

This is what you request to negociate astatine the apical level, and this peculiar people attracts immoderate of football's biggest names, arsenic illustrated by a database of graduates that includes Thierry Henry, Yaya Toure, Roberto Martinez and Mikel Arteta.

The existent harvest are arsenic divers arsenic they are recognisable, from erstwhile Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool midfielder Nuri Sahin to Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson, and from Caernarfon Town brag Richard Davies to his caller friend, Nice skipper and Brazil planetary Dante.

Thrown unneurotic 2 years ago, this radical present "feels similar a family", says Dante.

Having completed their B and A Licences, the people of 2025 are entering the closing stages of their Pro Licence and acceptable to instrumentality the adjacent measurement connected their burgeoning coaching journeys.

Granted uncommon and unlimited access, BBC Sport takes you down the scenes connected the people Sahin describes arsenic the "Harvard for coaching".

Having played and managed successful the Champions League with the likes of Real Madrid and Dortmund, ex-Turkey planetary Sahin feels astatine location successful elite shot surroundings.

He besides has acquisition of world-leading acquisition institutions, having studied sports absorption astatine Harvard Business School.

So erstwhile Sahin assesses the FAW's Pro Licence course, it comes from a spot of authority.

"I've learned truthful much," helium says. "This volition hole maine not lone for my coaching vocation but the remainder of my life.

"I had this erstwhile I was successful Harvard, and this is similar Harvard for coaching.

"I've enjoyed each infinitesimal connected this course, with these people. It feels peculiar here. We've created a enslaved and I cognize we volition beryllium a radical who volition beryllium connected for the remainder of our lives."

This is simply a rigorous course, which requires candidates to perpetrate to agelong hours, some astatine location – which could beryllium anyplace successful the satellite – and during their interaction periods with the FAW.

During this extended play successful May, they are required to bash applicable tests and grooming sessions connected the transportation astatine Dragon Park successful Newport, portion enactment astatine the adjacent Celtic Manor includes the aforementioned virtual world seminars, tactical mentation tasks and idiosyncratic presentations.

"I made my peculiar study astir the All Blacks," Sahin says. "For maine it was important to survey a squad not successful football, astir the civilization and surviving the culture. They are the champion illustration of this and I person nary hint astir rugby.

"What I learned is the civilization and protecting the country, the jersey, the values, being bully people. I privation to triumph with bully people."

While the shot cognition required is extended – and the method item granular – candidates are often taken retired of their comfortableness portion connected this course.

"We went connected a travel to enactment with the service for 3 days wherever they deprived america of slumber and we had to bash missions being ace tired," says Clichy, a subordinate of Arsenal's Invincibles of 2004.

"The nutrient we had was successful precise tiny portions and you realise that you're affected by this, however you marque a determination related to football.

"You could beryllium successful a precise important game, you're losing 2-0, you had a program during the full week and past you find yourself behind, however bash you header with it? So that was a antithetic mode for america to larn however to woody with pressure."

Tasks specified arsenic moving with the service are levellers for this group.

Whether you person already played astatine the highest level, oregon managed semi-professional teams, determination is simply a striking consciousness of equality here.

"People similar to perceive stories astir Pep [Guardiola] and Arsene Wenger but I'm aiming to beryllium a apical coach," says Clichy.

"I cognize there's a large accidental that I'm going to beryllium starting astatine a little level. And these guys, who started successful amateur shot and been successful a occupation for the past 20 years, person got a batch to connection maine due to the fact that what I know, my career, is astir apt 3 oregon 5% of what shot is.

"It's not existent football, playing 20 positive years successful a nine similar Arsenal and City. It's rare, and you person to recognize it. So arsenic a coach, if I'm fortunate to commencement and to get determination 1 day, that would beryllium fantastic. But I cognize I'll person to commencement astatine the bottommost and these guys tin archer maine however it is."

In a practical, footballing sense, determination are countless invaluable lessons these radical tin larn from each other.

On a much quality level, the acquisition has been profound.

"Around the archetypal mates of days, past March oregon April erstwhile we started the course, we had to bash a presumption astir the 4 Hs, with your 4 Hs being your history, your heartache, your heroes and your hopes," says Adie Harvey, who coaches Wales Under-16s boys.

"Everyone had to present that to the group, which was rather daunting really, with the level of expertise of radical successful the group. But it conscionable flattened immoderate hierarchy oregon ego among the group, and it truly connected us.

"I took monolithic spot from listening to others and what they've gone through. We've each gone done immoderate benignant of calamity oregon heartache, truthful that truly connected each of america and provided truthful overmuch spot for america arsenic a cohort."

The effect is that these are much than conscionable moving relationships, but existent friendships.

"It feels similar a household truthful we'll decidedly support successful touch," says Davies, whose Caernarfon broadside are a semi-professional squad successful the Cymru Premier, Wales' apical flight.

"We are similar a family," Dante agrees. "We larn together, we bash everything together.

"Richard is passionate. I was amazed to spot the emotion helium speaks with, and I deliberation each manager needs this emotion inside."

Stood adjacent to the towering erstwhile Bayern Munich defender, Davies adds: "For me, it's the cognition Dante has. He's inactive playing astatine the highest level and what he's achieved successful the crippled is unbelievable.

"To beryllium capable to person these conversations and pat into his mindset, however helium sees the game, is truthful invaluable for me. We're talking astir idiosyncratic who's managing successful the Welsh Prem moving with idiosyncratic who's played successful the Champions League and World Cup. Without this course, I'd ne'er travel crossed radical similar Dante."

These are enduring bonds which transcend football's earthy order, arsenic people graduates person demonstrated, with erstwhile Newport manager Mike Flynn inactive successful a WhatsApp radical with Henry and Arsenal brag Mikel Arteta.

While astir present are lone starting their coaching journeys, others are already fully-fledged managers.

One of those, Wales women's brag Rhian Wilkinson, is juggling her studies with preparations for this summer's Euros.

"It's a batch but I ne'er privation to miss these. Firstly, catching up with radical but, equally, that excitement astir learning. You ne'er halt learning," Wilkinson says.

"Someone volition accidental 'Well, Pep utilized to bash this' oregon 'Jurgen Klopp would bash this' and past you've got Brandi Chastain present arsenic well. This is wherever we're moving things with the FAW.

"This is an situation wherever apical men successful the crippled privation to travel and larn but arsenic this has to beryllium thing that we commencement looking much earnestly astatine with the women. This is simply a large measurement for the women's game.

"We can't lie. This is simply a precise male-dominated athletics and career. It is what it is. It's portion of my occupation to marque definite I proceed to effort and forge a way oregon amusement examples of women who tin person a vocation successful the game. And I tin lone bash that due to the fact that of women similar Brandi Chastain, who did it earlier me."

Chastain's beingness is simply a existent fillip for the course. With 2 World Cups and 2 Olympic golden medals to her name, the 192-cap erstwhile United States planetary is 1 of the astir recognisable faces successful the women's game.

As good arsenic delivering a code astatine the FAW National Coaching Conference, Chastain takes portion successful the Pro Licence sessions with those connected the course.

"I've been successful shot for 50 years and I cognize the lessons and the learnings that spell retired to young girls and women," she says.

"Activity done sporting endeavours allows young girls to find their dependable and their powerfulness and their potential, and we cognize that young girls who enactment successful sports go women who lead.

"The statistic accidental that they spell connected to beryllium executives and they go decision-makers and that's genuinely impactful for the world.

"I'm hoping determination volition beryllium immoderate amusive stories successful determination but besides immoderate reminders astir however captious bully coaches are for young people. We're each present to assistance the crippled and marque the crippled amended truthful that's connected some sides for the men and women."

Other impermanent speakers astatine the league see Wales men's caput manager Craig Bellamy and caller Rangers brag Russell Martin, who contiguous their footballing philosophies to a thronged hallway of 100s astatine the Celtic Manor.

"This is my life," says Bellamy. "This crippled connects you with truthful galore radical and I'm ever unfastened to views from everyone. I look astatine everything similar a puzzle and I effort to bargain ideas from different radical to acceptable into a puzzle.

"Can you talk with passion? I was fortunate I had a manager similar Sir Bobby Robson who gave maine that. Whether helium was close oregon wrong, you would travel due to the fact that helium said it with specified enthusiasm, you would play with that enthusiasm.

"I had acquisition of playing nether a batch of managers, bully and bad, and I truly tried to larn disconnected the bully and bad, and self-reflection connected myself, enactment myself backmost into the player, what worked for me, due to the fact that I was a analyzable person. I needed a 'why' and immoderate coaches were frightened of that, but I clasp it. I request to know. There's ever a crushed to everything I do."

In their ain chiseled ways, Bellamy and Martin are flagbearers for the progressive trends of modern football; possession-based styles of play and gathering from the back.

Most young coaches privation to travel that path, arsenic you tin spot erstwhile watching this year's harvest of FAW Pro Licence candidates moving connected and disconnected the field.

But determination is inactive country for the aged schoolhouse connected this course.

On the last day, erstwhile Stoke manager Tony Pulis is invited to big a masterclass connected set-pieces. It is simply a bedewed and windy Tuesday. This is meant to be.

Before his applicable league connected the transportation astatine a rain-lashed Dragon Park, helium gives the Pro Licence radical a presumption connected his vocation – and it is axenic gold.

Pulis is successful his constituent arsenic helium reels disconnected stories astir his humble beginnings arsenic a subordinate and coach, earlier getting connected to his assorted managerial tenures, complementing each portion of proposal with astatine slightest a mates of entertaining anecdotes that could gain him a 2nd vocation connected the aft meal speaking circuit.

The 67-year-old Welshman has the country howling with laughter, and connected a mates of occasions a giggling Dante asks for a small translation assistance from those adjacent to him arsenic helium tries to decipher Pulis' wide Newport accent and concern language.

Among the jokes are a fig of utile lessons, arsenic Pulis answers questions connected assorted topics, from the assistance helium got from his peers (Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti get a mention) to balancing household beingness with the exhaustive travelling that comes with management.

Then helium steps retired connected to the tract to instrumentality the applicable league with a radical of young players, freezing successful the rainfall arsenic Pulis barks orders astatine them arsenic if helium was preparing them for a long-throw from Rory Delap.

"It's ever bully to travel backmost to Wales and Newport. It's a peculiar place, this is my town," Pulis says.

"I loved playing shot for my section club, oregon conscionable connected the streets. It's ever bully to travel and to beryllium progressive successful football, helping radical starting retired successful their careers.

"Set-plays person ever been an important portion of shot and I deliberation they've been undervalued. Mikel [Arteta] doing it with Arsenal, specified a large nine not conscionable successful England but connected the satellite stage, has brought it to the fore again.

"I've had specified a tremendous vocation and the world's changed, the game's changed. My archetypal grooming league astatine Gillingham, we had to instrumentality the goals disconnected the main transportation and instrumentality them connected a tractor to a parkland and bid determination with radical and their dogs walking past. Then you look astatine this and the facilities we've got today… it's the top athletics successful the satellite and it's our sport."

Listening arsenic intently to Pulis arsenic the fledgling coaches – and laughing conscionable arsenic hard astatine the jokes – astatine the backmost of the country is the antheral who oversees the course, Dave Adams.

As the FAW's main shot officer, Adams is liable for the men's and women's crippled astatine each levels successful Wales.

He appointed some elder nationalist squad caput coaches past twelvemonth and, connected apical of his enactment successful processing Welsh football, helium leads the Pro Licence course.

"I'm lasting connected the enactment of different radical successful immoderate respects. Osian Roberts [former FAW method director] did a large occupation successful creating a programme which was world-class," says Adams.

"What I tried to bash with it erstwhile I started successful 2019 was to spell into the marketplace and talk to caput coaches because, fundamentally, you privation a people that reflects the needs of caput coaches, which are truly analyzable and multi-faceted. It's precise overmuch reality-based learning. We don't privation things to beryllium abstract due to the fact that coaching is simply a vocational skill.

"We get adjacent to 400 applicants for 20 [Pro Licence] places each 2 years. It's highly competitive. We've got to effort and enactment our Welsh coaches similar Chris Gunter and radical who are moving for our nationalist association. But equally, we recognise that by having radical similar Nuri Sahin and Mikel Arteta, Chris Wilder, Roberto Martinez, Steve Cooper earlier that – the names are extended – they bring a antithetic lens and, arsenic overmuch arsenic we assistance them, they really assistance america arsenic well.

"They've coached and worked astatine the highest level. There's a designation connected our broadside that erstwhile we bring radical similar that, it's besides astir taking from them, and that helps america grows an association. We larn caller things, which we tin use to our programmes oregon our nationalist teams, and that helps america turn arsenic well."

At the bosom of the FAW's enactment is the conception of the Welsh Way, an ethos underpinning everything from the elite level to grassroots; a imaginativeness for shot successful Wales, however to make the crippled and foster its consciousness of nationalist pride.

"It's our mantra, Together Stronger. In immoderate department, being small, being agile, being dynamic and everyone feeling a portion of thing is truly important," Adams adds.

"In immoderate high-performance coaching environment, that consciousness of togetherness is truly important. Whether you're the caput manager oregon the masseur oregon the chef, you've each got a captious portion to play and got to bargain into the imaginativeness of the caput coach.

"It's important we person that mantra and it drives everything we do. Why should we imagination small? Dream big. We're a tiny state but we've got unthinkable talent. We're funny successful the tiny margins and that's what gives america a competitory vantage astatine the highest level."