Product Description

An explanation of the training methods through which Brazilian footballers develop their renowned skill and athleticism. The book includes a guide to Brazil's version of the five-a-side game, played with a special ball, which the author has introduced to young English players via regional schools.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #427305 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
So impressed, or possibly concerned, was the English Football Association with the way Brazil played at the 1950 World Cup that they set up a technical committee to examine Brazilian training methods.

They met just once and decided to take no further action. Eight years later, Brazil won the first of their four World titles. In 1997, football coach and Middlesbrough fan Simon Clifford did what the FA should have done and went to see for himself how the Brazilians do it.

What he discovered is now helping, at last, to transform the game in England. Clifford's book, Play the Brazilian Way, first explodes the myth that football skills are learned and developed on the streets and beaches of Brazil, or that their kids are born good. Actually, they can be snapped up by clubs or soccer schools at age six, from which point they train for up to 20 hours a week to improve their skills. Weight, diet and general fitness are monitored and teams of doctors, warm-up coaches, warm-down coaches and physios are on hand.

Clifford studied their methods, most importantly the unique five-a-side game "Futebol de Salao" to which most of the great Brazilian players he spoke to attribute their skills. He has since set up a Confederation of Futebol de Salao in England, and the game is beginning to sit up and take notice.

Play the Brazilian Way gives a step-by-step guide to all the skills and technical expertise inherent to Brazil's football curriculum--but beware, only hours of practice will make perfect! --Jamie Foulerton

Customer Reviews

Best Book In The World Ever (and not a tribute)
The book which I use as my 'bible' for soccer coaching, does not say kids diets are monitered at six years of age. They are monitored from dente leite age group (U12) which the book rightly states. Anyone who does not believe this, go to a club in Brazil as I have. The guy from the farm in Rio is talking out of his backside. The book also states that soccer schools in Brazil are for the more affluent kids, that is a fact, so is the assertion that their are many of these schools, some run by former craques such as Zico, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto and Careca, this is also a fact. Yes, Romario may have been form teh favella, as many players are and ate poorly, yet you the reviewer is living in the past if he thinks that a the modern Brazilian club is set up without the monitering of diet. He maybe Brazilian, but he knows nothing about the current state of Brazilian football.

This is the best coaching book that I have read.

Schools of Football??? In Brazil???
This is realy a very funny book. I am a 33 years old football fam living in Rio de Janeiro, and believe me, I have not seem any good braziliam player that came out from any school. The book says clubs suport 6 year old kids,monitoring their diet (?????). Let me tell you the true, most of this kids like Romário and Ronaldo, hardly have some thing to eat. The dont go to any school. The "secret" behind the braziliam way of playing football is actually very simple. Kids love it so much that they cam play all day long. If you go to any of the poor areas in Rio you will find thousand of kids playing, they skip school, rum away from home, do watherver is needed to play. Thats the "big secret", Brazilians just love playing football so much. Football is not a science that cam be explained, is an art that must be enjoyed. If you dont understand that you dont know what braziliam football is all about. Believe me.

The Ultimate soccer training book!!!
A brilliant book that focuses on teaching the flair and skills of the world's greatest football nation: Brazil. If you practice as described in the book you can notice improvement after about 2 weeks. Covers all area's of attacking play, but gives nothing on defending. Should be bought in conjunction with "Michael Owen's Soccer Skills"