The MLS season may last eight months, but for the technical staff, some if its toughest work is done in the offseason.
For head coach and director of player personnel Frank Klopas, a week-long trip to England to take in some games from the EPL and sit in on training sessions with Middlesbrough FC in The Championship, England’s second division, was on the agenda.
“As a coach, it’s important to see different ideas and keep your mind open,” said Klopas. “This was a good opportunity to observe different methodology and talk to coaches, to grow as a coach and learn.”
Why Middlesbrough? A connection to the coaching staff and the chance to observe the work of head coach Aitor Karanka, a former professional footballer from Spain who served as assistant manager for three years at former side Real Madrid by the then newly appointed manager José Mourinho in June 2010 was alluring.
“I have a good relationship with the goalkeepers’ coach there, Leo Percovich, who I worked with in Chicago,” explained Frank Klopas. “So, the chance to speak with Karanka and observe his methods was a good one for me. I got to see how their Academy structure is set up as well.”
Klopas wanted to pay particular attention to their training methodology.
“I wanted to follow their approach from Saturday to Saturday, to see how they train after the game and the buildup to game day. The first few days are focused on strength, endurance and speed and then they build towards to the game with tactics.”
This is not the first coaching development trip for Klopas, having previously spent time with Atletico Madrid in the offseason while with the Fire, thanks to their working partnership. But this time, the bleu-blanc-noir’s bench boss was also in England in his role as director of player personnel.
“I think the English game is similar to the style we play in MLS, so it’s a good place to observe, but also build contacts beneficial to the team. I have had a number of meetings with different agents as well. There is a lot of interest in MLS from everywhere, so it’s important to meet people face to face and deal with the human element to get to know each other on a more personnel level.”
