In December 2024, Antonis Antoniou travelled to Serbia to take part in an Erasmus+ job shadowing mobility hosted by FC Zeleznicar Pancevo. This mobility was part of our Brain Centered Learning in Grassroots Football (BCL Grassroots) project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.
The experience in Pancevo provided a unique perspective into grassroots football in the Balkans. The programme included:
- Orientation and integration led by the technical director, introducing the academy’s philosophy and structure.
- Participation in session planning, observing how coaches design programmes to match players’ development stages.
- Daily coaching sessions with youth players, with the exceptional opportunity to also observe training and matches of the first team.
- Active involvement in grassroots training, engaging directly with children in their development sessions.
- Evaluation and feedback meetings with coaches, focusing on assessing training sessions and identifying talent.
- Strategic discussions with the sports director about the club’s talent development model and pathways for players to progress to professional football.
- Methodology exchange with local coaches, emphasising technical skills and performance development.
- Exploration of local sports culture, including visits to other academies and informal exchanges with the community.
From this mobility, our coach gained valuable knowledge in coaching methodologies, session planning, talent identification, and player evaluation. Beyond the technical aspects, the exposure to the business side of talent development—understanding how clubs plan to develop and transfer players—was a highlight.
The coach reflected:
“It was a great experience since I had total access to the complete set of activities of the club, from grassroots to the first team. The welcoming approach of the technical director, staff, and players gave me everything I needed to get the most out of this opportunity. I feel truly grateful for this experience.”
This mobility reinforced the value of adaptability and resource-efficiency in grassroots football, as Serbian academies operate with strong community engagement. It also expanded our regional network in the Balkans, opening doors for future collaboration.
We thank FC Zeleznicar Pancevo for their exceptional hospitality and the Erasmus+ programme for supporting this opportunity. Experiences like this help us continue upgrading grassroots football in Cyprus and beyond.