Over the past several years, Prague Football College has become one of the most notable educational initiatives in Czech football. We spoke with its founder, Josef Dobeš, about why there was a need to create such a school and what changes it aims to bring to the football environment.
— What was the impulse that made you decide to establish the College?
— I began thinking about founding the College around 2017–2018, primarily because I was deeply concerned about the state of Czech football. It was the so-called “dark period,” when a group of former referees led by ex-StB officer and former international referee Roman Berbr controlled what was happening. He decided how individual matches would end, who would win the title, who would fight against relegation, and who would eventually drop to a lower league. Absurd things were happening on the pitch, and most people stayed silent. Those who dared to speak up were punished. I decided to create a team of specialists with unshakeable moral authority and to educate young people—thus undermining this corrupt mechanism from within.
— What main problem in football did you want to address by creating an educational institution?
— I wanted to “throw sand into the bearings” of that corrupt system. I believed that if our College produced dozens of educated and morally strong young people every year, the system would eventually begin to change. In the end, the police intervened at Strahov much earlier, which gave a huge opportunity to restore the reputation of Czech football.
— What makes Prague Football College unique?
— It was a unique school not only in the Czech Republic but in all of Central Europe. Nowhere else did leading football experts teach professional football studies in such a format.
— Who is your ideal student? What qualities, mentality, and motivation are key for you?
— The ideal student is a young person who is at the crossroads of their football career. They understand they will not play professionally, but they do not want to leave the football environment. Such a person is devoted to football and has a clear idea of how they will use the knowledge and skills gained in their own football setting.
This is precisely the question I ask all applicants during the entrance interview.
— What competencies do you consider essential for a specialist in modern European football?
— They must have a solid understanding and awareness of modern football trends in Europe and worldwide, and at the same time be able to select the trends that can realistically be applied in their own football environment.
— Why did you decide to expand traditional coaching education with additional fields — analysis, media, Big Data, scouting, financial literacy, and others? Is this the future, or already the current standard?
— Some things are already a standard today — for example, financial literacy or media work. We have emphasised this from the very beginning.
But the newest analytical trends, work with data — this is a completely new direction for Czech football, and very few people master it. For the College, it is a necessary path for the future, just like scouting. It is a promising field. These disciplines must be opened to European competition, and lecturers must be sought abroad.
— Which success of the College in recent years do you consider the most important, and why?
— Over six years, there have been several key milestones. The first success was cooperation with first- and second-league clubs. They opened their doors to our students, who completed long-term internships and had access to all club staff. Another major success was the cooperation sealed by signing a Memorandum with the FAČR. In other words, we moved from the position of “dissidents” to the position of partners — thanks in great part to Petr Fousek. And the third major success is seeing how our graduates are finding their place — for example, within the structures of FAČR or in first-league clubs.
— How did you select your teaching team? What were the main conditions for someone to become part of your project?
— At that time, I had a tremendous advantage — there was practically no competition, so I could invite the best specialists in the country, both professionally and morally.
— How do you envision the College in a few years? More programs, international expansion, partnerships with clubs?
— Definitely opening the College to European competition, cooperation with similar schools in England, the Netherlands, and Germany. I believe that international experts will be lecturing at our school, and that the teaching will be conducted in English.
— What personally motivates you to continue this work? What legacy do you want to leave in football education?
— I believe the project is only halfway through. I want people here to feel the same joy from football as people do in England, Spain, or Germany. And I believe our school can contribute to that. I am convinced of it.