Don't mean to beat the shit out of a dead horse... But...

mburk · Jun 9, 2011

Interesting interview with Claude Anelka.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.mls-news.fr/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D939:le-onze-des-futures-franchises-en-mls%26catid%3D35:comment-ca-marche%26Itemid%3D121&ei=54fxTb3aL8Sq0AHs18WQBA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCwQ7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DLe%2Bonze%2Bdes%2Bfutures%2Bfranchises%2Ben%2BMLS%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26prmd%3Divns

Interesting, a bit hard to read, but interesting.

mburk · Jun 10, 2011

page won't display, i think i linked the wrong page anyways.

translated by google from french. obviously not worded all that well.

any-hoo here's the article

Coach of St. Louis (D2 U.S.) from January to June, Claude Anelka tells MLS News.fr his adventure in the United States. It also raises the MLS and his brother, Nicolas, "interested" in the United States.

Claude, tell us how you landed in St. Louis?
I met the owners. Basically, I had to be athletic director. But it turned out that the coach they wanted were not available. It was decided that the best thing that I take the job. I brought Francisco Filho (ex-player divide a former trainer and the INF Clairefontaine and Manchester United, ed.) I could not bring better at training. It was gone in five years to begin to train young Americans and foreigners. But from the beginning, it did not work with the club executive. What should be done has not been followed. I could not do what I wanted. I could not choose my assistant. We wanted to force me to take one, I was obliged to take players. I had to do with politics and it was very difficult.

At what point did you feel that you put a spoke in the wheel?
As early as January. We were very misled. Like any franchise that began, we had a difficult first year. We knew that. But we could not do what we had. There has been pressure from some executives. The owners have lost money. It has weakened the club. We stopped the girls. Francisco had to stop as soon as April because they could not pay his salary. I found myself alone. It was chained three wins in a row and then ... Persons against whom we fought since the beginning have been a joy to evict me.

It appears that you have been fired for financial reasons ...
They let me go to lighten the payroll, it's true. But it was not the main reason. When it's crap to begin with, it is the shit at the end. And besides, there are chances that St. Louis does not repeat next year. They are nowhere, nor USL Pro, nor NASL ... They have no money. They will not return to the circuit.

Your leaders have they criticized your lack of experience as a coach?
No, not at all. Francisco I had with me. He could be the coach, but his family did not want him to be there permanently. But it was still two to three weeks this month. From the moment we appointed thee choices and you do not agree ...

You've been dismissed after six months. Do you regret this short experience in St. Louis?
Oh no! What I learned with Francisco is extraordinary. We wanted to do something in the style of Clairefontaine. Educate, train U.S. and foreign players. The problem the U.S. is that everyone is out of place. Everyone wants to know what happens. But everyone's job! Yet there has the potential to USA. I saw good players at St. Louis. If they had been followed from age 12-13, they would have been great players. And then the parents refuse to send their children playing football at the expense of their studies.

"Nicolas is interested in the MLS"

Are you eager to return one day lead the U.S.?
I would. But hey, let's say I have a name, which may be positive or negative, it depends. I was hoping that the adventure in St. Louis could lead to something the United States. There is a niche there, even if the system is not good for the players are trained to be professional. Most players who have come to us come more or less of the College (equivalent to University in France, ed.) At College, you have four months of the year in football. Whereas veteran, thou hast nine (laughs). You have a lack of everything. They are not educated, scheduled to be pros. For example, when we lost, Francisco began to yell louder. And although some players went to complain to management. I've never seen it in my life. But these players were those who had been taken by management and they felt over the others. For when you are caught by the president and the coach is not the same.

Have you had any contacts with U.S. after this difficult experience?
No (laughs). How do I contact you after that? I was hoping very much, but with what happened, I would never have contacts there. It killed me. I will not die, huh (laughs). But the United States, I know very well that I will no longer cause. It's all about appearances. Outsiders can not understand what happened. And it's not their problem. It has even been boycotted by the press. We wanted to talk but they have boycotted.

What is the level of the NASL?
I was expecting a super level. Especially against teams that had five to six years of League. Honestly, I was disappointed. The level was equivalent to a good DH. And yet. It depends on the teams. But that system has to change. You arrive in High School in 15-16 years and then you make the College. You're getting off to 23-24 years. And after you're dead. [extremely fair point -mike] I coached the under 12 and under 13 years in an academy in Miami between 2005 and 2007. And the problem is the coaches. There are some who come from football, baseball ... Yet the base. If you can change that by teaching the fundamentals for young people is good. And these are not as IMG Academies (Academy multi-sport based in Florida, Ed.) who will fix the problem. There, kids pay $ 50,000 a year to play football. But success in football? Rich or poor? Those without means, those in the suburbs. These people can not afford these Academies. Those who go there have money, but not necessarily talent. Everything revolves around money. It does not make good choices. My dream would be to create a Football Academy. A Clairefontaine USA. You got a good coach with the right philosophy, you have no problem. There is no secret. The coach changed the player.

What do you think of the evolution of MLS?
She has made much progress. And it will continue to do. It is very rich. $ 40 million for a franchise, it's very hard (laughs). If they want to take a course, they must be able to attract more foreigners. That's where it will pass. There are so many sports in the U.S. ... Young people need to identify with an athlete. In general, they will identify with a basketball player or football American. Not a footballer. Because when a big foreign player arrives in MLS, it has about thirty years. There is a problem of identification. If there was a Messiah who came to 22-23 years [problem with the google translation, he's referring to a star footballer around 22-23 years of age, as opposed to Henry, Beckham, etc. -mike], it would help much football in the United States. For the level progresses, there must have more good foreigners.

Will there be one day Nicolas Anelka cross the Atlantic like Thierry Henry?
Maybe. I'm serious. Nicolas said, "when my contract is over, what will I do?" The United States, they're interested. He told me. There are more and more players who want to go play there. The United States, it represents something. What a dream. You say "I'll try, if I earn less money in Qatar for example." The problem is that Americans do not know the European market. If the coach does not know the European market is more difficult to bring players to the United States.
Click to expand...