Football Trends and Coach Training in Albufeira

One of the new features of the 2026 edition is the reinforcement of the international presence, with delegations from Portuguese-speaking African countries and Brazil, as well as representatives from Spain, Italy, France, England and Germany. “It’s fantastic to have these delegations present. We have already received requests for accreditation from foreign journalists, including from Mexico, which shows the Forum’s growing projection”, he stressed

Henrique Calisto also took the opportunity to highlight the international recognition of Portuguese technicians, arguing that they continue to be more valued outside the country. “We have around 400 Portuguese coaches abroad, in 54 countries. I would say that the Portuguese coach is more valued abroad than at home”he stated.

From his perspective, this reputation results not only from technical quality, but also from a differentiating human dimension. “There is a characteristic very specific to the Portuguese: the humanistic sense of what it means to be a coach. It means seeing the man before the player. This is something that not all coaching schools value”he stressed.

For the ANTF president, national coaches also play an important role in the country’s international projection. “It’s not just the transmission of knowledge in football. It’s also the transmission of our culture, our language and the Portuguese people’s ability to know and know how to do things”he stated.

At the end of the meeting, Henrique Calisto hopes to be able to confirm that the main objectives have been achieved: “I would like to be able to say that it was a moment of sharing, of acquiring knowledge, of strengthening our association and of valuing the coach”. And he concludes: “If we have the approval of the thousand or so coaches present, then we will have fully accomplished our mission.”