Why Top Players Always Have Coaches Next to the Coaches

At first glance, it might seem excessive. A professional footballer already trains under a head coach, fitness specialists, tactical analysts, and medical staff. Why, then, do so many elite players hire their own personal coaches on top of that? The answer lies in ambition. The best players don’t settle for the standard. They search for marginal gains, for personalized attention, and for guidance that goes beyond the collective. Having a coach next to the coach has become not a luxury, but a necessity at the highest level.

Individualization in a Collective Game

Football is a team sport, but careers are individual. A club’s coaching staff is responsible for preparing the group, balancing workloads, and managing resources across 25 players. That structure rarely allows for the kind of bespoke attention that fine-tunes one player’s unique strengths or addresses specific weaknesses.

Personal coaches fill that gap. They design individual programs, often focusing on technical refinement, psychology, or physical conditioning tailored to one body, one mind, one career. The results are not instant, but over time, they separate the good from the great.

Case Study: Robert Lewandowski’s Private Team

Robert Lewandowski’s career is a textbook example. Known for his discipline and relentless pursuit of improvement, Lewandowski worked closely with his wife Anna, a sports nutritionist, as well as private trainers who monitored every detail of his preparation. Beyond what Bayern Munich or Barcelona provided, Lewandowski invested in specialists who adjusted his diet, built recovery routines, and created training regimens designed exclusively for him.

The outcome was clear: into his mid-thirties, he maintained a level of sharpness, strength, and availability that most strikers lose years earlier. His goalscoring wasn’t just about instinct — it was about structure, detail, and a willingness to build his own ecosystem of support.

Beyond the Physical

The rise of personal coaches isn’t only about muscles and stamina. Mental coaches are increasingly common, guiding players through stress, setbacks, and the pressure of expectation. In a profession where confidence can swing fortunes, a dedicated voice outside the noise of the club can be transformative.

Some players also bring in tactical mentors — individuals who analyze games with a lens focused solely on their role. This can mean hours of additional film study, one-on-one scenario breakdowns, and strategy discussions that go deeper than team briefings ever could. These private sessions sharpen football IQ and instill confidence on the pitch.

The Value of Trust

Another reason players turn to external coaches is trust. Clubs change managers, medical staff rotate, and philosophies shift overnight. A personal coach provides continuity. They remain when contracts expire, when transfers happen, and when environments change.

That consistent presence creates not only technical benefits but psychological security. In a career filled with uncertainty, having one stable figure in a player’s corner can be invaluable.

A Modern Professionalism

Some critics question whether this trend creates conflicts with clubs or undermines team cohesion. But the reality is different. Modern clubs increasingly embrace the presence of private coaches, recognizing that their investment enhances rather than hinders performance. For elite players, external guidance is now a marker of professionalism, not indulgence.

The greatest careers are no longer managed by clubs alone. They are built by networks — personal teams of trainers, advisors, and specialists working in harmony with the club environment. Players who embrace this structure extend their prime years, unlock new levels of performance, and maintain resilience against the inevitable demands of the game.

As Pep Guardiola once remarked: “Top players are obsessed with improvement. They don’t wait for someone else to push them. They create their own path.”