England must solve licence issue, insists Roxburgh

Published on Monday 23 June 2008 23:44

UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh believes Paul Ince will be one of the last Premier League managers to operate without a Pro Licence as England catches up with coaching standards in Europe.

Ince has been appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers and given two years to attain the qualification required to coach in the top flight, which Roxburgh feels reflects England's traditionally different attitude to management from the rest of the continent.

English clubs would risk being thrown out of European competition if they employ underqualified managers, but former Scotland manager Roxburgh is confident the licence will eventually become a normal part of the learning process for homegrown talent.

"From a European perspective the licensing system has to be approved," said Roxburgh, who helped bring in the licence after being appointed by Uefa in 1994. "The Premier League and the Football Association have to try to find a solution here because from our point of view at Uefa, if a club hasn't got a licence then they cannot take part in European competition.

"I'm dealing with 53 countries and I only get these questions from England. No-one else discusses it with us. It is a purely English phenomenon. But in 10 years it should be embedded."

Rather than blaming the Premier League or FA, Roxburgh insists it is the tradition of unqualified coaches that has led to managerial appointments straight after a playing career ends.

He added: "In the coming few years there won't be a debate anymore, it will be like having a licence to drive on the road. If I'm going to give you a Maserati, it would be a good idea if you had a driving licence. We are trying to build the image of a coaching profession, like it is in other countries. Historically in England it wasn't viewed as a profession.

"I imagine that Ince will be one of the last. Gradually that idea will disappear and I don't think it will happen in the future.

"Arrigo Sacchi would not have been world champion without being part of it because he wasn't a famous player. Jose Mourinho would not have been a superstar either.

"Franky Rijkaard once told me that being a famous player is the key to the door but once you go through you have to deliver.

"It helps you to deliver if you've gone step by step, just like Sir Alex Ferguson, Rafael Benitez and Marcello Lippi did, among many others."

Meanwhile, football's second ground-breaking appointment of the week has been made with Lord Herman Ouseley, the founder of football's anti-racism group Kick It Out, appointed the first black person on the Football Association's Council.

Ouseley, 63, a long-time friend of FA chairman Lord Triesman, will sit on the council as the chairman of the FA's new Race Equality Advisory Group (REAG).

Ouseley, who welcomed Ince's appointment as Blackburn manager – the first black Briton to manage in the top flight – will also try to encourage a breakthrough in Asian football.

He told www.thefa.com:

"Black and Asian supporters want to be seen as England fans. When we qualify for major tournaments then you'll see that visibility. They'll wear the shirts and fly the flags from their cars and it's great to see."