So, my basic work was to appoint a coach and organise friendly matches at the stadium,” says Andre who is all praise for the young Indian footballers. “They are very talented and know how to play football. I have seen group of 17 players and 11 out of them are very good to play for this age. The level of their game is improving,” he adds.
Terming sports in Chandigarh as ‘very organised’ he showers heaps of praise on good football grounds and sports complexes but he warns that the referees should not be lenient while inspecting a match. “The referees need to learn more about football. If a player indulges in foul game then the referee should stop the match there and speak to the player and the coach. By doing so, the player stops committing fouls which improves the level of the game,” says Andre.
Putting more stress on technique and coordination, the director says that the players also need to have a good physique to play the full 90 minute as football is a very tough game. “Indian players are physically much weaker than the German players. That makes a big difference. After a rigorous training for five days, we conduct friendly matches for them on the weekends in Germany.
Although they lose by a large margin, the exposure they get and the lessons they learn from these games helps them a lot,” shares Andre who is in India till September 19.
Giving example of Michael Ballack, the Germany national captain and a native of East Germany, he says that budding players in East Germany looks upto him as an inspiration and Ballack’s success in other countries motivate them to play good football. “Young Indians also need a player to look up to,” says Andre who will sit with players and coaches and make plans to exchange many more programmes to improve the standard of football in Chandigarh. “His arrival has motivated the players and I am sure the players will gain a lot from his rich experience. We are looking forward to send the third batch of players to Germany in the coming month,” says Harjinder Singh, coach at Sector 42 Sports Complex.