Personal note from the author

When I was a youth player, I had no knowledge of what to do. I tried my best. Nowadays, there is a lot of information that can make the development more inspiring and efficient. What does it require? How can I improve my technical skills, physique, tactical understanding? What should I eat/drink? How much should I sleep? This book provides answers to such questions. I have tried to describe it in a simple way, so that it is easy for you to understand and practice. Remember that it should not be a torment and heavy burden. You may think it is hard, but it must be your desire that makes you work.

Throughout my coaching career, I have been fortunate to coach some of the world's, at the time, best footballers, such as Zinedine Zidane, Andres Inestia, Ronaldino and Allesandro Del Piero. In addition to being friendly and accommodating, they constantly have the will to improve. Let me give an example. In 1998, Zidane won the World Cup with France. He was playing at Juventus when I joined in 1999 - first as a consultant and later as assistant coach - and one of the first questions he asked me was: "How can I optimize my preparation for a match?". I also see this in my daily work in Atalanta, where we have qualified for Champions League three years in a row, reached the Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) final twice, been in the Champions League quarter final losing to PSG at the last moment, even though we have a budget that is 4-5 times less than the major teams in Italy. The attitude and the development of the players help to make the difference.

If you have the will, this book is for you. I try in a simple way to take you on a journey that in an effective and hopefully inspiring way can help you towards the goal of becoming an elite player. If I could do it, so can you!

Have a nice journey!

Jens