31 July 2007
Belarus new head coach promises that the soccer team will develop its own style of play
Bernd Stange, the newly appointed head coach of the Belarusian national team, said that the squad would develop its own style of play.
"Brazil and Germany are a distance away from Belarus, so it would be a mistake for Belarus to borrow their experience. Our goal is to create a Belarusian style of play including the traditions of Belarusian soccer that have developed since the Soviet era," the 59-year-old German said at Monday's meeting of the Belarusian Soccer Federation's Executive Committee.
The coach said that the Belarusian team's formation would include a four-player defensive line, while the number of midfielders and strikers would vary. "Former head coach Yury Puntus also used different styles of play," he added.
Mr. Stange noted that he had already watched videos of Belarus games, lauding Belarusian players' technical skills. "However, new, young players should be added to these," he stressed.
"If an experienced player failed to qualify for the European Championships or World Cup several times, I don't believe that he will manage [to qualify] next time," the coach went on to say.
Mr. Stange revealed that he would pick players with good ball handling skills, good speed and "high personal qualities" to the squad. "Our goal is to create a team composed of such players. Time has come to create a new face of the team," he said.
The coach stressed that the level of discipline would be extremely high in the team. "We will sharply criticize players while talking to them, but we will protect them from journalists. We will not wash our dirty linen in public," he added.
http://brestonline.com/en/news/news1344.html