In November was Anes Mravac, 33, new assistant coach for IFK Värnamo. Mravac joined from IFK Norrköping where he worked for seven years as, among other things, assistant coach. In addition to his coaching duties, the 33-year-old is also responsible for Värnamo’s physical training. For News24 he tells us about the training schedule for the players after the season ended.
– We gave the players time off right after the season ended. Then we ran team training for a shorter period, before they got time off again until the beginning of December when we resumed team training again.
– During December, we ran four shifts a week. Two football sessions and two sessions focusing on physics. We ran that system until December 21, when the players went on vacation again.
During the holidays, the players in Värnamo have received a training program that they all use as a starting point. However, the program can be adapted to a certain extent, depending on whether the player, for example, needs to train more on strength or endurance, says Mravac.
– If you have played a lot during the season, you focus more on recovery and rehab. While those who received less playing time focus on endurance and fitness. As I am new to the association, I have not had time to run physical tests with all players and therefore have not been able to develop an individual training program for each player. We will add that for next year.
Värnamo’s coach on the collaboration Kim Hellberg: “Know each other well”
Despite the fact that Anes Mravac has not been in Värnamo for very long, he has a clear plan for how the players will manage their training during the holidays.
– I usually say that for the first 10-14 days of leave, it is important to disconnect from training and recover mentally and physically. After that, it is important for the players to maintain the physical foundation they have built on during their years as a soccer player. The goal is to get the players in such good physical condition that they can handle the movements they perform on the football field without problems, he says to News24.
How do you think about training for the older and younger players in the team?
– My principle is to let the younger players push themselves as much as possible. It is important that they get to know their body. For example, if a player feels they want to train an extra soccer session after the gym, we will arrange it.
He continues:
– When they come to the older players, it is important to have a good dialogue and communication with them and adapt the training according to what they think works so that their bodies are as fresh as possible.
In Värnamo, Mravac will work with the head coach Kim Hellberg which he knows well from his time at IFK Norrköping, where Hellberg was assistant coach in 2020-2021.
– Kim and I have worked together for a long time and have a close relationship with each other. We both want to focus mainly on running pure football sessions and that is why we have chosen to run team training until December. The players in Värnamo have a high endurance and are in good physical condition, and we will build on that in the coming season, concludes Mravac.