How do I become a soccer coach?

There are many people for whom the position of coach, and even the profession of soccer coach, has always been a true vocation! Indeed, the coach is the guarantor of his team's sporting success. Through his training sessions and his management, he must ensure that his team is as competitive as possible. Netsportique highlights the different qualities required and gives you its advice on how to become the best possible soccer coach.

What training do you need to become a soccer coach?

Many former footballers aspire to a coaching career when their playing days are over. Indeed, it's clear that the experience gained through contact with different coaches enables some former footballers to succeed in a successful coaching career. The skills and multitude of varied, high-quality exercises they have encountered during their careers give them just as many weapons with which to become a coach later on. But it's important to remember that it'snot enough to have been a footballer to become a good coach .

Every year, the French Football Federation (FFF) organizes a huge number of training sessions for the various coaching diplomas. In fact, the FFF has created a comprehensive diploma course so that everyone can get the best possible training to become a soccer coach, whatever their level.

Here's the course you'll need to follow if you want to become a professional soccer coach:

• CFF1 (Certificat Fédéral de Football) to CFF4 (Certificat Fédéral de Football): coaching youngsters up to senior level (below Régional 3)
• BMF (Brevet Moniteur de Football): one youth team at regional level, one senior team at Régional 3 level.
• BEF (Brevet d'entraîneur de Football): regional youth, senior, Regional 2 and 1, women's Division 2.
• DESJEPS (higher state diploma) : A team playing in National 3 or 2.
• BEFF (Brevet d'entraineur formateur de soccer): an accredited training center of a professional club, or a pôle espoir fédéral.
• BEPF (Brevet d'entraineur professionnel de soccer): L1, L2 and National clubs, or a national team.

What do soccer coaches do?

At amateur level, a coach's main mission is to unite his team around a common sporting goal , and also to instill important values such as respect, surpassing oneself, perseverance, mutual aid and a sense of team spirit, all of which must be instilled in every young footballer. This is the coach's number 1 role, because it reflects the general image of the sport and of soccer, and it's very important for the coach to be the first example for young players.

These are aspects that are often overlooked, as the focus is on sporting success, victories and performances, but volunteering and community work also play a major role in shaping the future of young players, who are above all children who will grow up and evolve in society. We mustn't forget the social role of the coach.

Then, of course, when it comes to the professional world and the job of soccer coach, the primary role is to develop the physical, technical and mental skills of the players in order to fully meet the sporting objectives set by the soccer club's management.

This involves :

• quality training sessions,
• the composition of a technical staff (doctor, assistant, physical trainer, etc.) so as to be able to propose the best areas of progression to these players according to their needs.

When you're a professional soccer coach, you have a job, a salaried activity, so you're paid for your work, which means you can talk about objectives, and sporting success first and foremost. Then, of course, there are other ancillary tasks, such as speaking to the media. Professional coaches have to take part in press conferences at least once a week.

What skills are required?

The most important skill for a soccer coach is to be well organized. With so many different missions, coaches need to be rigorous about the structure of their day-to-day work, and being organized means they can handle all these missions at once!

Pedagogy is also an important skill for a soccer coach, to facilitate the transmission of knowledge.

You also need to be firm and command respect, but it's important to stress that you need to adopt different postures depending on the type of characters in your team.

Managerial qualities are essential to success in this role, as human management and the management of individual egos are not always easy in a high-level team sport. You have to know how to be authentic and speak with sincerity, so that difficult decisions are always accepted by everyone.

Of course, a coach also needs to have the technical ability to play the game, design training sessions, analyze tactics and watch videos, in order to help players make progress in soccer.

What salary can I expect?

For a beginner soccer coach (playing at least in the French National League), salaries can vary from 4,000 euros gross per month to 12,000 euros gross per month.

Of course, soccer is a sport where salary inequalities are becoming more and more pronounced, so we're going to see huge discrepancies between the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 levels, and even within Ligue 1 with a top 6 or 7 who can earn a salary of several tens of thousands of euros.

But the lure of money shouldn't be the priority for a soccer coach. His main task is to develop his team and his club, and to represent a magnificent showcase for the city and region from which the soccer club originates.

Where can I find a job?

At amateur level, the best way to find a job as a soccer coach is by word-of-mouth. Regional sports clubs regularly advertise in local media, such as regional newspapers and magazines. To find a job as a professional soccer coach, you can get in touch with the FFF(French Football Federation), or check out the ads on Linkedin, the professional social network.

Professional soccer clubs regularly post job ads there. But the most important and reliable site is Jooble. The site lists all job offers related to your interests, and you'll find every job offer that matches what you're looking for. So if you're looking for exciting jobs as a soccer coach, visit Jooble.

With our advice, we hope you'll find your way and, above all, the club that's right for you. You now have all the keys you need to become a good soccer coach, and we'll try to tell you about the different skills you'll need and the values you'll need to convey.

Find out more about our tips on age-appropriate soccer training, specific physical preparation and how to get stronger at soccer.