Inter lift interest

aboard Carnival Spirit 3 twin balcony A VISIT from Italian giants Inter Milan could be just the beginning for the International Football Coaching Conference Australia, with this month’s inaugural event on the Gold Coast already attracting the attention of other global heavyweights.

Inter Academy technical director Marco Monti and academy coach Benjamin Musci, as well as Socceroos boss Graham Arnold, will be among the local and international coaching, development and technical specialists to attend the May 25-26 conference at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

Conference director Ken Stead said he had no doubt the 2019 event, which will focus on sharing knowledge and philosophies from across the football world, would continue to grow in the years ahead.

“I’m getting different people from overseas and other big brands wanting to get involved in IFCCA,” the former Brisbane Roar director of football said.

“To have Inter Milan on Return economy board is massive. They have got a lot to offer and we believe we have a lot to offer.

“We have got big aims about what we want to do with this conference and the fact we have got big brands coming to us is fantastic. We’re setting our standards high.

“It will definitely be a yearly thing, certainly initially. We’re trying it on the Gold Coast this year and we will re-evaluate whether the future is to have it on the Gold Coast.

“One of the things that will happen, all of the delegates that will attend will get to have a say on what they want to happen for future conferences. We believe everybody should have a say in this game.”

With Australia’s last national coaching conference in 2010, Stead said a coming together of minds was long overdue.

“If you look at a lot of coaches in the game, they’re working in silos. They’re doing their own thing but they need to work together,” he said.

“I see this conference as a networking opportunity where coaches engage with others but also where we can lift the bar.” 1 night in Sydney city