The game of football is an ever changing landscape, with new developments and ideas always being introduced meaning teams are constantly forced to adapt to new situations. For elite clubs and nations, this is fine as they have elite managers and players, along with incredible training facilities and coaching staff to implement this.
But what about the smaller teams and nations, the ones who don’t have virtually unlimited funds to employ the best coaches in the world? These teams are forced to think outside the box and invest in the future. Just like a casino site, they’re always looking for ways to improve and think of things no one else has thought of.
One of those nations is Malta, a lesser known footballing nation, but one with some of the biggest goals and desire to grow as a football nation. In this article we’ll be looking at the marketing behind Malta’s growth in football and what they’re looking to do to change for the better.
Unified footballing philosophy
Just like the bigger nations, all the teams through the age groups follow the same philosophy. This means when players come up through the ranks, by the time they get to the senior side, they’re ready and in a position to slot right in, as they’ve already been playing that same style of football since an early age.
For Example, England’s national team set up features the same tactics, style of play and policies at all age groups. This sees players in the under 18 team learn the same style as the first team, allowing for better natural progression through the set ups. If Malta can successfully do this, this would give them a much better chance in the future, as the players coming through the ranks are already aware and playing that style of football.
Ensuring youth get the training they need
Early days in a player’s career are vital to ensuring they grow into their full potential. Malta are introducing regional hubs in ages 11-14, this will give those young players the opportunity to train in a professional environment, seeing they get the required skills to take into adult professional football.
Young players making the step up from youth to senior football can be hard to adapt, as training can be a whole different level to get used to. By introducing this early on in their career, this means by the time they make the step up, they’ve already had that experience of senior training, meaning it won’t be such a shock to the system.
Getting more players to play outside of Malta
One of the best ways to get the most out of players can be to push them outside of their comfort zone. Most youth players will play for local teams or teams in their native country. Malta are trying to open up opportunities for younger players to move to teams outside of Malta, where the facilities and training staff may be better than currently held in Malta.
This could see young players flourish, and therefore allowing better players to play for the national team in Malta. One way this is possible is for teams in Malta to create links with other clubs in other countries, allowing their players to go between each other on loan or for trials. Building these connections with other clubs is how the elite clubs get the most out of their youth players and give them the best opportunity to succeed, as they’re more likely to get senior experience at a smaller club than if they stayed at those elite clubs.
By taking this approach to Malta teams, establishing a connection with smaller teams outside of Malta could give their young players the vital match experience they need to further their development.
Senior players to try new opportunities
Just like we discussed above with youth players, the Malta FA are also seeking that senior players who are established and have been playing for some time, try new opportunities outside of Malta.
By doing this, they’ll be able to experience different coaching styles, different ways of living, and therefore be able to adapt to situations better. This could also tie in with the above point, as if youth players see seasoned professionals plying their trade outside of Malta, they’ll be more likely to jump at an opportunity to play abroad and play for a club outside of Malta.
It’s not just football that Malta can take inspiration from, as they can look at such things as casino gaming. Casino gaming had to adapt with the introduction of the internet, they had to ensure that was a viable way for people to play, completely changing how people conventionally played their favourite casinos in the past.