Canada signs new technical agreement with France

The Canadian Soccer Association has signed a new agreement with the Fédération Française de Football. The FFF deal was signed by the Canadian Soccer Association, Fédération de soccer du Québec and FFF. The four-year deal will focus on the technical aspects of the game, including development programs for coaches and referees.
To mark the occasion, Canadian Soccer Association chairman of the board Dominic Maestracci, general secretary Peter Montopoli and technical director Stephen Hart met with Fédération Française de Football president Jean-Pierre Escalettes. Dino Madonis, president of the Fédération de soccer du Québec, was also on hand to sign the deal. In 2008, Québec’s capital city is celebrating its 400th anniversary.
“The ties between the Canadian Soccer Association, the Fédération de soccer du Québec and the Fédération Française de Football have existed for many years, but we wanted to formally recognise the partnership with this agreement” says Dr. Maestracci. “This is a unique opportunity for us to learn from the French expertise in football. The technical advice made available to our coaches and referees will help them progress to a higher level.”
With the new agreement in place, France will designate a technical person (national coach, regional technical or club coach) to participate every two years in the Québec elite league’s coaching event. The deal will also facilitate one or two Québec coaches to take part in the French football camps at Clairefontaine for one week every year.
“To be able to profit from the French expertise is very important to us,” says Dino Madonis, president of the Fédération de Soccer du Québec. “The French technicians will help develop our coaches and, as a result, our players.”
The agreement will also benefit referees as the French will assign a referee to participate in the Québec referee conference. France will also periodically invite a Québec representative to take part in seminars. France will make its complete technical library available to the FSQ.
In mid-April, Canada will receive visits from both Jean-Marie Lawniczak, president of the French coaches association, and Gérard Houllier, French technical director. The two important French figures will visit Québec from 11-21 April. The duo will take part in the FSQ coaches session on 15 April, the Montréal symposium for coaches on 14 and 16 April, and the provincial coaching event (DEP) on 18 April. The duo will also watch the exhibition matches at Concordia University featuring teams from Canada’s national training centres from 19-21 April (Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia).