Football Coaching: Creating An Effective Pre Season Programme

In this episode, we sit down with Tony Colbert. A former Arsenal First Team Coach and current consultant at FIFA in a Technical Expert role.

Tony brings a wealth of elite experience to the show, reflecting on his storied career working under Arsène Wenger and preparing world-class talent at the very highest level of the game. He shares valuable insights into how his work with FIFA's global development initiatives—including the ⁠FIFA Talent Development Scheme⁠—is helping empower coaches worldwide.

For coaches at all levels, Tony also delivers practical, actionable advice on structuring an effective preseason, sharpening player coordination, and applying professional standards to grassroots environments.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Life Under Arsène Wenger: What it takes to train world-class footballers at Arsenal Football Club.
• Global Coach Education: How Tony's work as a FIFA Technical Expert supports coaching development across the globe.
• Building a Preseason: Practical advice for grassroots and youth coaches on structuring an impactful, well-rounded preseason.
• Technical Activation & Coordination: Key principles behind preparing players physically and technically for peak performance.

Explore Tony Colbert's Work At FIFA:

• Check out Tony's ⁠FIFA Technical Activation Series⁠ for structured circuits designed to sharpen player movement, technical quality, and coordination.
• Learn more about his drills and educational resources available on the ⁠FIFA Training Centre