Cristóbal Jiménez affirms that the courses at the MBP School of Coaches gave him the confidence to trust in his abilities. “Taking the courses allowed me to have a broader work field. They gave me the opportunity to take a leap in my career and reach a professional club. MBP gives you that plus, it generates that added value as a coach,” he told us.

Currently, Cristóbal works at Club Universidad de Chile as General Coordinator of the Official Schools and Technical Coordinator of the U8, U9 and U10. He is a clear example of how the Master in High Performance Football can help our students take an important step in their careers as coaches. And that is why we share his experience:

How did the MBP course helped you develop your coaching/scouting skills?

The MBP courses helped me better structure my training sessions, gave me a more advanced understanding of the game. This has allowed me to be able to deliver better tools to the players and to have a more global vision of the methodology to be implemented in our initiation cycle and the club’s schools.

Why did you choose MBP?

What caught my attention about the content grid were the fundamentals by position. It was something that generated a lot of intrigue for me and finally it was one of the things that surprised me the most and I liked it the most. I knew that this type of tools would help me in the more advanced knowledge of the game. In addition, the methodology was one of the points that I wanted to promote the most as a coach, I felt that this could provide me with important value in my development as a coach.

How did the MBP course meet your expectations?

It far exceeded my expectations. I really recommend it to anyone who wants to dedicate themselves to the world of football, whether they are coaches, analysts, scouts, physical trainers, journalists, psychologists, etc. I acquired a lot of learning that has helped me to put it into practice in my current job.

All the people who work at MBP are characterized by being highly prepared and trained in areas related to high performance, grassroots football, scouting, tactical analysis, marketing, physical training, sports psychology, etc. In addition to giving you all the knowledge as a professional, they give you unique values ​​that make you feel at home. The concept of the MBP family is real and I was able to experience it throughout the course. A very large community atmosphere is generated and makes the experience very comprehensive.

I want to highlight the classes, the way of evaluating and delivering the content, it was always very interactive. They involved all the students and this made the learning much more meaningful.

What advice would you give future MBP students?

That they enjoy the day to day a lot, that they learn from all the teachers and classmates. Interact as much as possible with them, discuss, generate debate, create networks, exchange opinions, etc. Something I would tell future students is to make the most of the experience, to live each day as if it were the last because everything goes by very quickly. Take advantage of visiting different clubs in the city, talk to as many people as you can about soccer and take advantage of the experience of all the people you meet.

If you had to describe the MBP experience in 3 words, what words would you use?

Meaningful, Learning, Comprehensive

What do you think was the best moment of the course for you?

It seems to me that the best moment was, without a doubt, presenting my game model in the final work. It was to summarize all the knowledge acquired in a presentation, which contained everything learned throughout the course, in addition to my stamp as a coach. It was the best way to end the course. The road was not easy, a very detailed and extensive job, but the teachers were always there supporting you and offering their help to solve all kinds of doubts.

Why did you decide to follow the course in Barcelona?

One of my reasons for going to Barcelona was the need I felt to continue training, I needed to seek more knowledge as a coach. Although I had qualified as a professional coach a few months ago, I felt that I had to make a difference by studying and learning more about the game. The master completely exceeded my expectations, it really was an incredible experience, full of professional and personal growth.

I recommend it to each person who asks me about MBP, the before and after the courses, it was substantial in terms of learning and experience gained

What is the greatest achievement you have achieved in your career to date?

Having the opportunity to work in a big club in South America, in which I have been a fan all my life. Universidad de Chile, trying to contribute with all the experience lived in football and the learning acquired over the years.

My goal is to be able to learn from each coach and official who works at the club. Nurture myself from the experience of each one and get the most out of the various conversations, meetings and instances that are generated on a day-to-day basis.

I am convinced that one never learns and in the club there are very prepared and trained professionals, who I am sure have contributed to me and will continue to contribute to my growth as a professional.

How would you define yourself as a coach/scout?

Passionate, decisive, innovative