Top teams like Real Madrid, Arsenal London, and Bayern Munich demonstrate how modern and successful soccer is played.

All players immediately switch to offense after they gain possession of the ball.

They do not wait until the opponent has gotten organized but quickly utilize holes in the opposing defense.

They penetrate the opponent’s penalty area with very few, mostly direct plays.

After gaining possession of the ball, it is crucial to quickly mount a counter attack while the opposing line is still disorganized and open.

If the opponent quickly reorganizes and switches to defense, it is best to launch a possession attack.

Counter attacks and possession attacks are two of the three main themes in this book.

But what good are counter attacks and possession attacks without the finish?

In Chapter 5 of this book, we will therefore focus extensively on the successful finish, the high point and objective of all attack efforts.

But first a few tips:

• Drills and plays aren’t what help your players improve, but rather how the players use them.

• How do you motivate your players? Do you encourage and compliment your players?

• How do you correct your players? What are your areas of emphasis?

• The sections on tips and suggestions are particularly important.

This book provides a systematic compilation of drills.

First, the theoretic aspects of each topic are covered extensively to lay the foundation for the subsequent practical segment.

In the practical segment, you will find complex passing and dribbling drills.

We recommend these for the second warm-up phase of training, which prepares your players for the main part of training.

All drills and plays have been tested and tried on different age groups and ability levels.