He believes that young players are struggling to develop technical qualities because of poor playing surfaces
Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has said that poor infrastructure is slowing down the development of talented players in the country. He said this ahead of Reggae Boyz’s match against Honduras.
The Boyz’ coach has been assessing the progression of local football for the last one year. He believes that young players are struggling to develop technical qualities because of poor playing surfaces. He noted that this problem is consistent across all parts of the island.
Hallgrímsson’s criticism isn’t surprising considering that he has been selecting overseas-based players. These players have been used in competitive games in the Nations League and the Concacaf Gold Cup. Nonetheless, some Jamaican-based footballers and have played in international friendly matches.
Some critics called him out for naming a Gold Cup squad that didn’t include players from the Jamaica Premier League. However, his recent comments suggest that he believes that the local players cannot compete at a world-class level.
While he isn’t blaming the players, he believes that they have been failed by local football authorities. He urged the government to improve the infrastructure in the football pyramid.
Hallgrimsson believes that its his responsibility to push JFF to rehabilitate the National Stadium.
This isn’t the first time that a foreign coach has criticized the condition of local playing surfaces. During 2013-2016, former Head Coach Winfried Schäfer described the local fields as poor. He said that the national team performances can be improved by upgrading the grounds.
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