Canadian Coaches Complete Groundbreaking Futsal Course in Portugal
In recent times, the term “gamechanger” has become somewhat ubiquitous. However, it aptly describes the futsal course held in Portugal over two weeks in May.
Organized by Futsal Canada in collaboration with the Portuguese Football Federation and Canada Soccer, this elite training program brought together a 30-person delegation for an unparalleled futsal experience. Led by Jorge Braz, the current FIFA Futsal World Cup champion, and his team of distinguished instructors, the course aimed to enhance futsal coaching standards and accelerate the sport’s development in Canada, achieving remarkable success.
Braz, hailing from Edmonton, and a five-time recipient of the International Futsal Coach of the Year award, has guided Portugal to consecutive UEFA Euro Futsal titles in 2018 and 2022, along with a World Cup victory in 2021. He is widely regarded as the best coach in futsal of the last decade, and certainly one of the greatest of all time.
Hosted at the prestigious Portuguese Federation headquarters in Oeiras, just west of Lisbon, the course included rigorous in-class and on-court sessions covering futsal psychology, organization and management, training methodology, refereeing, laws of the game, and tactical strategies. These sessions were led by: João Rocha, Member of the Refereeing Council, Jorge Silvério, psychologist of the National Futsal Teams, and Bruno Travassos, Assistant Coach of the Portuguese National Team.
Participants were also given exclusive access to various matches, including a youth game between renowned clubs SL Benfica and Sporting CP, Portuguese men’s league playoff games (Liga Placard), and a championship match in the top women’s league (Liga Feminina Placard).
A highlight of the course was a visit from Pany Varela, the 2022 Men’s Futsal Player of the Year, who engaged with the delegation, sharing his insights and experiences. Additionally, Jorge Braz received the news of his fifth consecutive Coach of the Year award while teaching one is his sessions, delivering an inspiring acceptance speech to the class.
Futsal Canada extends its deepest appreciation to the Portuguese Football Federation and Canada Soccer for their exceptional collaboration in realizing this visionary project. The course’s impact will undoubtedly contribute to a lasting legacy for Canadian futsal.
We also express our sincere thanks to SL Benfica, Sporting CP, CF Sassoeiros, and Leões de Porto Salvo for their warm hospitality and for hosting the delegation at their matches. A special note of gratitude goes to Quinta dos Lombos Futsal Club for their outstanding hospitality and for accommodating the sessions at their facilities.
The course was universally acclaimed by all participants, far surpassing expectations and highlighting the vast potential for Canadian futsal. Below, we share some reflections from the participants on their transformative experience.
“The futsal coaching course in Portugal was an incredible experience that will stay with me throughout my life as a person, a player and a coach. The extent and quality of knowledge that was imparted to us is profound and the connections that I made with the Canadian and the Portuguese coaches is something that I am very appreciative of and I hope to continue to cultivate moving forward. The passion for futsal and the importance of its role in, not only player development, but also as its own entity was so apparent in Portugal and inspired me to do my part in promoting the game in any way that I can here in Canada. The course fostered my love for futsal and gave me the opportunity to experience firsthand how programming is facilitated at the highest level and the many intricacies involved. Most importantly, it provided insight on how to develop pathways back home.
