Nike Football Great Britain

The moment you train for

DonJulio — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:24:58 GMT

Lassana Diarra is used to defying the odds. Not the tallest, the largest or the strongest, he’s carved a role for himself in Les Blues midfield, from sheer determination and committed training.

Every second of his preparation will be tested, if he gets his chance to show what he can do against the Irish. There’s a spot in South Africa at stake.

Watch the video to see Lassana in training.

Super Mario smashes it

DonJulio — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:44:54 GMT

Sometimes you witness the precise moment a promising talent moves up several gears into the major league.

For the man they call Super Mario, it happened in just 48 minutes. Last night, Balotelli scored two, created one and won the penalty for another. He even had to be dragged away from taking the spot kick by the regular penalty taker. Balotelli is not lacking confidence.

Watch the video to see how Balotelli hones his touch and dribbling.

Will his skills and growing confidence be enough to book him a ticket to South Africa?

SEE MARIO BALOTELLI'S PAGE

How to enter your code to access Elite Training

DonJulio — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:11:32 GMT

Nike Football+ is a killer combination of our premium boots, pro training programs and access to the world’s top coaches and footballers. It’s simple - buy the boot and you get a code. Follow the instructions below to enter your code and unlock Elite football training and a year of improvement.

Step 1: Go to the Nike Football+ landing page. You can also enter your code from any other part of the site which prompts you to 'GO ELITE'.

Step 2: From the Nike Football+ landing page, select 'ENTER YOUR CODE', located on the right hand-side of the page.

Step 3: You will then be presented with a LOGIN screen. Please login using your Nike Profile details. If you have not yet registered, you can register for a Nike Profile at the bottom of this screen.

Step 4: Once you have logged-in or registered, you will then be taken to your 'MY TRAINING' page. From this page you can edit your profile and training settings. Enter your 12-digit Elite Training Code on the right-hand side under 'GOT AN ELITE CODE?' then select, 'UPDATE YOUR DETAILS'.

Step 5: You will then be presented with the below screen. Select 'CONTINUE TRAINING'.

Step 6: You will then be taken to the Master Control intro with Pep Guardiola, where you can begin your Master Control training and become the complete player.

In total control

DonJulio — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:26:13 GMT

The CTR360 is the ultimate control boot. Developed for players who pull the midfield strings. Players who specialise in killer through-balls. Players like Cesc.

On Sunday, Cesc wore the CTR360 for the first time, getting a chance to see how the boot would improve his game.

Over 90 minutes Cesc gave a stunning masterclass in the art of midfield play – setting up four of Arsenal’s six goals and netting one himself. No arguments who made the difference.

Want to dominate the game like Cesc?

Explore the CTR360

Start training now

Nike Academy – Prove Yourself

gareth.nettl — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:59:21 GMT

After their pre-season conditioning weekend at Carrington, the Nike Academy are training for their first competitive game. Time to step up. In this session, the lads worked on defensive situations, and playing without the ball. As Huw Jennings says ‘It’s very easy to look a good player when you have the ball, but how much desire have you got to get it back when the opposition have it’?

With four of the original Academy squad already coveted by professional clubs, the players know this is their moment to show what they can do.

But who will earn a place in the first 11? Check back soon

Master the ball

gareth.nettl — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:34:07 GMT

Great players want the ball. They demand it. Constantly. Any situation, no matter the pressure, no matter the occasion.

Man Utd legend Brian McClair and Academy Coach John Cook talk about the importance of confidence in wanting the ball all the time. And there’s only one way to get it.

24-7 football.

The last week of training on Facebook starts today. Get involved.

Make The Difference - Wayne Rooney

gareth.nettl — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:24:23 GMT

You could stop at enough.
Just another name on the teamsheet.
Happy just to turn up.

Or you could become their worst nightmare.

The one who turns a game in an instant.
Sees the pass no-one else sees.
Turns desperate defence into decisive attack.

Be the one that they worry about days before kick-off.
Who blurs the line between hate and respect.
Who can never be stopped,
Only feared.

Train for The Difference on Facebook

Own opening day

gareth.nettl — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:30:43 GMT

Cesc's pledge for the season was one word – trophies. While silverware may still be months away, Cesc showed how to Make the Difference in the first 90 minutes of the campaign.

His two goals and two assists helped Arsenal equal the record for opening day wins. And it proved when you need to nail the first game of the season, the difference is born in training.

Train on Facebook

Make your pledge

Training is The Difference

gareth.nettl — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:33:46 GMT

Want proof? Meet Kilian.

Kilian Jacquet is a 16 year old Belgian footballer. A good one. And, according to him, training with Nike Football has a lot to do with it. See what a potent mixture of serious commitment and SPARQ Training can achieve. In his own words.

“I did the Nike Football training drills at home, in the garden. When I didn't have the time to do it at home - because of school, or the 4-5 training sessions a week with my club - I did the drills after the training sessions.

There were a few drills that I really liked - 'High Gears', 'Star Run' and 'Rebound'. I downloaded the PDFs of the drills and printed all of them and i just took them to the pitch in my pocket.

I can still remember very well the ‘Star Run’ effect... I got a transfer to a better club! They said that they were positively surprised by my movement without the ball, and a big reason for that is the ‘Star-Run-drill!!

My volley got a lot better too. I scored a lot of goals last season, because I'm an attacking midfielder and when the ball gets headed back by an opponent, I can take the ball immediately on the volley, because I practiced it so often in the drill.

Last season I played with FC Dender, U19. I started at the U16, and when I started to train, my game went to such a high level, that they "upgraded" me to the U19, first U17, and then U19...so thanks a lot again! And next year -as I mentioned earlier in - I'll play with Zulte-Waregem.”

Good luck in the upcoming season, Kilian. But with focus like that, you won’t need much luck. The SPARQ pro-conditioning programme starts on the Nike Football Facebook page on August 17th.

Try it. It might just change your game.

Train to Make the Difference - week in, week out

gareth.nettl — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:27:27 GMT

Starting the season strong is essential for professional players. Fast out of the blocks means an early season advantage. That’s why top coaches put such emphasis on pre-season training. But what about you?

When are you planning to hit peak physical condition? The weekend before your first match? Start tuning your body now and get a physical edge that gets you noticed from kick-off to final whistle.

From August 17th we’re dropping the Nike Football SPARQ Training programme on Facebook. Three sessions a week of pro-level conditioning drills created by top international coaches, Jens Bangsbo and Paul Winsper, who will also be on hand to provide pro tips and advice throughout the four-week programme.

Just hit Facebook, watch stars like Andres Iniésta and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar demo the drills – then get out there and sharpen your edge.

Nike Football training helps you build your strength making you harder to shrug off the ball. Helps improve your speed, making you as fast in the last 20 minutes as the first 20. And toughens your core muscles, helping you avoid injury. All the drills are done with the ball at your feet, so you’ll improve your touch as you build your fitness.

This is your season. Own it.

Get training

Want proof? Read Kilian's story

T-90 Ascente Testing - Juventus

gareth.nettl — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:32:06 GMT

Date: 09.02.09
Location: Vinovo, Italy
Weather conditions: Sunny, light wind. Perfect training conditions.
Pitch conditions: Wet. A few heavy patches of water and some sandy sections.
Players and staff: Christian Molinaro, Claudio Marchisio, Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira. Some of the team were away on international duty.

Tester’s notes:
Sunny day, soft breeze. Ideal. Long and short-range passing led by Coach Schincaglia. Team session: keep ball lasted for over an hour. More than 100 touches on the ball. Schincaglia pleased with every one of them: “It’s great for tight control and one-two passes.” Shooting session: finishing drills for the strikers. Ball flight is clean. Barbetti Luigi: “I like this. It’s great.” Goals look good with this ball. And so do the players. “Fans will love it. They’ll see great goals.” Molinaro’s right.

T-90 Ascente Testing – Arsenal

gareth.nettl — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:31:29 GMT

Date: 04.02.09
Location: London Colney
Weather conditions: Extremely cold. Temperature range from -5C to +5C. Conditions changed from sunny, blue skies to cloudy with snow and rain.
Pitch conditions: Ploughed snow. Ground soggy but firm.
Players and staff: Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, Jack Wilshere, William Gallas, Denilson, Eduardo, Mikael Sylvestre, Carlos Vela, Alexandre Song, Lukas Fabianski, Manuel Almunia, Arsene Wenger.

Tester’s notes
Freezing conditions. Heaviest snowfall in 18 yrs. Balls inflated to 12.5 psi exactly. Arsene had a juggle & some one-touches w Paul Johnson. “It’s good, it’s lively.” The keepers... Almunia worried. “Not good for goalkeepers. Again!” Sorry Manuel. (Great for fans though.) Team session. Wilshere : “Yeah, it feels good on the touch.” Shooting session: Ball flight and rotation were true. Some spectacular long-range shots. Get ready Premier League – spectacular goals are coming.

Get the T90 Ascente from NikeStore

T-90 Ascente Testing – Man Utd

DonJulio — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:56:00 GMT

Date: 05.02.09
Location: Carrington
Weather conditions: Very cold and windy. Conditions ranged between cloudy, snowing and sunny. Temperature range 0-1C without wind chill. Well below freezing with wind chill. 0-20 mph winds throughout.
Pitch conditions: Good, short grass.
Players and staff: Full first team, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher, Wes Brown, Edwin Van der Sar, Ben Foster, Rafael da Silva, Tomasz Kuszczak.

Tester’s notes:

Freezing cold. And more snow. Balls topped off to 12.5psi.

Team session: 15-mins shots on goal from 20 yards. 8 vs. 2 one-touch keep-ball drill. Fast, one-touch session.

Shooting session: Players hammer the ball, Rooney hits hardest – like a sledgehammer: “Feels nice to strike. Especially when you strike it true.” More finishing drills. Shooting from 3 different spots. Players love shooting with it. All-around accuracy improvements.

Get the T90 Ascente from NikeStore

T-90 Ascente Testing – Barcelona

DonJulio — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:49:02 GMT

Date: 28.01.09
Location: Ciutat Esportiva
Weather conditions: Clear blue skies, no wind, sunny. Temperature of 15C.
Pitch conditions: Short grass (1.5cm). Good conditions. Pitch was sprayed 10 minutes before training.
Players and staff: The full squad took part, except Gai Yigaal Assulin. Head Coach Luis Enrique led the session.

Tester’s notes:

Warm, clear skies. Perfect conditions. Balls filled to 11psi.

Team session: Running with ball in pairs. Short passes. Headers, chests, volleys. Busquets, coached the keepers: “The touch is perfect.”

Accuracy contest: all players on 16 metre line. Who can land the ball in the centre circle? Puyol took it. Who can hit the cross bar, repeatedly? Iniesta walked away with this one. They say he always does. I like to think the ball helped. Massip: “There’s no wobble, the ball goes straight at its target.”

Shooting session: led by Assistant Coach Joan Barbara Mata: “The ball bends nicely when you shoot.” Next stop Arsenal.

Get the T90 Ascente from NikeStore

Touch Training

gareth.nettl — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:42:32 GMT

When your moment arrives, you better be ready.
Glory comes at a price.
So, lace up your boots, hit the pitch, and train like a pro.

This Pro Skills Drill features Robbie Keane and a training routine that’s all about reaction time and creating space.