Tam Courts will Kop a Real managerial insight with Jurgen Klopp on Wednesday.
The former Dundee United boss attended Tuesday's clash of the giants in the Champions League as he was at Anfield for Liverpool vs Real Madrid, and he's he's set to follow that up with a question and answer session with the legendary Anfield boss and his assistant Pep Lijnders. It's all thanks to Courts’ pro-licence course that has been set up by the Football Association of Wales.
Klopp has won the Champions League, Bundesliga and all the the top trophies in England and now former Dundee United boss Courts will get a unique glimpse into his management and the workings at the very top level. Courts revealed: “We’ve got the game and then the following morning we have a question and answer session with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders. I am really looking forward to that. It will be great to see how a top manager like Jurgen Klopp operates.
"It really is a great opportunity for young up and coming managers and coaches to learn and question one of the very top managers in world football.
“Jurgen Klopp has won the Champions League and about every other thing in the game with Liverpool and looks at the success he had at Borussia Dortmund winning the Bundesliga and getting to the Champions League final. There aren’t many times in your career you will be able to get an opportunity like this with someone like Jurgen Klopp. The FAW have been really good and they have organised it. It was added as an optional extra.”
The former United and Honved boss is in good company on his pro-licence as he has been joined by Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti and Liverpool first-team coach Vitor Matos. Ancelotti is the son of legendary Real boss Carlos Ancelotti, while Matos works first-hand with Klopp and Lijnders on a daily basis.
Court admitted: “I think we have been lucky because we have Vitor Matos, who is one of the Liverpool first-team coaches. Davide Ancelotti is also on the course. It has been quite opportunistic from the FAW because they have representation from Liverpool and Real Madrid but it is a great opportunity for me and the other guys on the course to get a real insight into how one of the world’s top coaches works.”
Courts will also make a return visit to the Premier League before the end of the season as the next part of his assessment. He added: “We also have a residential course next month for four or five days. We will go to an English Premier League game and to do an analysis on this game and then to report back.”
The pro-licence might prepare candidates for frontline football management but it also gives them a cutting edge insight into other challenging sporting events. Courts spent time shadowing the top Team Jumbo-Visma - who were named the top cycling team in 2022. He joked it had nothing to do with managers getting told to get on their bike after a poor run of results.
He explained: “A couple of weeks ago I was out in Spain. “As part of your pro-licence, you need to go out and observe another professional environment outside of football. “I went out to Spain to take a closer look at Team Jumbo-Visma, probably the biggest cycling team in the world in terms of how they operate on a day-to-basis. “Their riders are doing more than 100 km every day and they were up the top riding in some of the toughest mountain terrain, but they just go for it. “It was quite an inspiring visit and I came back with a lot of food for thought, having spent a few days with them.”
Courts stepped down from Honved at the end of the last year. He came close to landing the Brondby job last month but remains selective as he considers his next manager job.
It has been some rise for the upcoming Scottish coach who started off with non-league Kelty Hearts. He moved to the Dundee United academy and then landed the top job. Courts made his mark by leading United into Europe in his first full season in charge before he was headhunted by Honved. He decided to cut his stay short in Hungary because he was uncomfortable with many aspects of their culture and football.
The 41-year-old admitted he is using the time out to crack on with his assessments and to make sure his coursework is up to date ahead of him graduating and completing his licence later this year. Courts confirmed: “I have been using my time out to do all the assignments. It is normally a two year course but the FAW have condensed it into 18 months.
“So you still have to do all the same work but in less time, so it is pretty full-on. “Yes, I was out in Spain with the cycling team but off the back of it I need to do a full 45 minute presentation on Jumbo-Visma. It is really full on and it is why it is such a challenge to get your pro-licence. I should finish at the end of this year, November and December. I think the graduation is in the summer but we have to finish all the work after it.”
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