From soccer in the UK to coaching youth in Czech

The dream of almost every young footballer is to play in England. Not everyone gets it, the competition is huge and the conditions are unfavorable. Jan Kozel got his first taste of island football through an interesting detour: as a university student, he got an internship in the implementation team. He continues to develop as a coach and is heading towards the elite clubs of adult football.

How do you remember the beginning of your football career?

I started when I was five years old in our village in Psary. I joined the youth teams of Dukla and Slavia, all the way to Dukla's B-team. At that time, I was on the verge of the A-team, but by that time I had already started combining studies with football. I originally had a big dream of becoming a successful football player, but later my education also got in the way. After high school, I was looking for ways to do something else, in case that dream didn't come true and I had a back door. So I started studying FTVS.

How did you manage to balance sport and school back then?

In the Czech Republic, combining school and sport is generally difficult. The education system does not look positively at sport with high ambitions, most footballers do not have the opportunity to have an individual study plan. I was lucky, but even so, for example, training at Dukla took place at a time when I was still supposed to be in afternoon classes. Football did not pay attention to school, and school did not pay attention to football. It was similar at university. In England and in the Western world in general, there is much more understanding and both institutions are accommodating so that a person can develop in both directions.

When did you leave to study in the UK?

At the turn of the second and third years. At that time, I was supposed to play for Sezimovo Ústí and with the commute, I probably wouldn't be able to handle school at all, so going abroad seemed like a much better option.

How did you find this opportunity?

I spoke to a student who had travelled like this. It gave me the idea that this could be the right direction. At the same time, I knew that I wouldn't miss anything here. I think every footballer wants to try English football and I was no exception. But when I left back then, I was primarily going for football experience. I was still actively playing and I wanted to take this path, that is, try to make a name for myself in English football.

Did you have a scholarship?

I had money from the faculty and the club where I worked. I only had to deal with personal expenses and the costs of the move itself at the beginning. I studied at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. I combined my studies with a five-kilogram team from Blackpool. I studied coaching and worked with youth at the same time. As part of the internship, I was able to try out positions from coaching, through fitness to data analytics, which was a great experience. I played in the fifth league.

How was your football? In England, football is the national sport, so the competition must have been huge.

That's right. Even in this league, there are a lot of players who play full-time and are considered professionals. They play in big stadiums, there are a lot of fans. I was unlucky to have had problems with my hamstring at the time. That affected me as a player for a long time.

How long have did you stay?

A year and a half at first, then I returned to finish the school in the Czech Republic, it was for a few months. Then I traveled to school in Southampton, where I finished my masters. There I received a scholarship directly from the local university, thanks to my experience of coaching football in England. Many students do not get into a position where they would work for a team, so the school considered me and to a certain extent boasted about me, even though it was in the Porthsmouth team, which is Southampton's football rival. I played football here too, but I got mononucleosis, which basically decided that I would no longer be a successful footballer. It was difficult to accept, but in the end I am glad that I embarked on the path of coaching then.

What were your steps after graduation?

In Portsmouth, I worked with fifteen-year-old footballers as a coach and with the junior team as an assistant. But after one season, Covid came, lockdowns occurred and the teams could not meet. We trained via video calls from each of our homes, so I returned to the Czech Republic. Everyone was living in uncertainty at that time, none of us had any idea how long such a period would last. When an offer came from Viktoria Žižkov after a few months to take over their B-team as a coach, I decided to accept it. I saw it as an opportunity for new experiences and, above all, to apply the knowledge I had acquired from England and implement it in Czech football. A great team of young people formed around me and the implementation team worked great. But then another wave of Covid came in the Czech Republic, so I chose the same misfortune here too.

And what was next?

Together with my assistant, we both received an offer to train nineteen-year-old footballers in Benešov. It was another opportunity to learn something new, in a different competition. Thanks to my time in England, I jumped on the bandwagon here in the Czech Republic, I also started working in the Football Association and my colleagues and I are trying to do football from the bottom up. We influence education from the youngest children to the older ones, up to young footballers. As part of the Coaches in School project, we visit schools, lead physical education and pass on our specialization to children and teachers.

Is it difficult to go against the stream?

I was originally looking forward to joining elite adult football, but this job caught my eye and today I find it very interesting. We try to see the whole match with all sports, it's much further ahead there. Changes always happen with a delay in our country. This is certainly influenced by the communist past of our country, people operate in rigid structures, they are often envious and an individual or group that tries to do things differently usually gets overlooked. It's up to our generation to change this and allow it to grow, and this also applies to sports, so I do everything in my power.

What's your vision?

My long-term goal is to work my way up to adult football at the highest level. But at the moment I find it pleasant and enjoyable to work with the youth. I am learning a lot of things and processes that I want to implement in adult football after I complete my highest license.

You teach yourself, young and old football players, but also teachers at schools. Where do you educate yourself?

The Association educates coaches, I still draw inspiration from college, the internet, but mainly from people who are further along than I am. Even in England, I learned the most from individuals. I was always extremely grateful when I could work with someone more experienced. Personalities influenced me, both in terms of content and how they affected their surroundings, their charges and colleagues. I appreciated it when someone like that took the time to talk to me and tried to guide me in the right direction. That's how I approach coaching today, and I'm happy to make time for those who want me to guide or move them forward.

Can you say what overall impact your engagement in England has had on your life today?

Certainly independence. A person has to take care of himself. But I also see an important role in the internal dialogue at that time. I had time to realize what kind of person I wanted to be, where I was going and what I wanted to do in life in the future. I had the motivation to find my right path, follow it and succeed. England influenced my outlook on life, I am very glad that I took that path.