Futsal Coaching Expo
In the lead-up to the 2024 Football NSW Coaching Conference, Football NSW will be hosting a standalone Futsal Coaching Expo with leading experts from international futsal.
The evening will see theory and practical demonstrations showcasing best practice futsal methods as well as insights from Europe and South America
Theory and practical sessions will be delivered by:
Miles Downie – Futsalroos Head Coach
Gabriel Bussinger – Football Director, Vasco De Gama
Peter Sturgess – Former England Futsal Men’s Head Coach & FIFA Futsal Expert
All presenters will deliver sessions across the evening and will participate in a live Q&A discussion with attendees to discuss all things futsal coaching.
This event is open to all coaches and attendees with an AFC/FA Diploma will receive 2 CPD hours towards revalidation.
Gabriel Bussinger has spent over two decades working in football as a coach and now a Football Director over the past three years, specialising in Coach Development. He currently works at Vasco Da Gama FC, who play in the Brazilian first division. He also previously worked with Santos FC, Avai FC and Sfera FC.
Gabriel holds a degree in Physical Education with postgraduate studies in Football Training, Football Management and Personnel Management.
Peter Sturgess is synonymous with Grassroots football development within England, in particular his focus on supporting junior coaches to provide enjoyable and inspiring football experiences. He has committed his whole career to improving the coaching of our youngest players. A former teacher and academy assistant director, Peter worked at the English FA as Technical Lead for the 5–11s age group (Foundation Phase). During his 17 years at the FA Peter was also privileged to be the Head coach of the England Futsal squad for 8 years leading them successfully into FIFA and UEFA competitions and today continues to influence the technical and tactical proficiency of the next generation as a FIFA Futsal Instructor. His dedication to supporting young players, and his child-centred approach to coaching, positioned him as a key contributor to England Football’s DNA during the tenure of then Technical Director Dan Ashworth.
This DNA, focused on player development, emerged as a central aspect in the FA’s reformation of the approach to major tournaments and broader talent identification. Today, it stands as the cornerstone of the success enjoyed by internationally acclaimed teams.
Peter’s work has contributed to the development of the FA Youth Awards, Advanced Youth award and the Foundation Phase DNA resource and guidance. He holds an MA in Creative Pedagogy and the UEFA A Licence. He was inducted into the FA’s “Hall of Fame” and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from UK Coaching for his passionate work with our youngest children, their coaches and parents.
Now retired Peter works as a consultant for many governing bodies and professional leagues across global football from UEFA, the FA and the English Premier League.
Miles Downie is Football Australia’s Coach Education Lead & Head Coach of the Futsalroos. He has a master’s degree in Exercise Science, Strength & Conditioning, and is an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Elite Futsal Fitness and Coaching Instructor. Before working for Football Australia, Miles worked at Sydney University Sport for 19 years in various roles including High Performance Manager and Strength and Conditioning Coach for Sydney University’s Elite Athlete Program, working across a wide range of sports and with a number of Olympic athletes. He has also worked as a Casual Academic at the University.
Miles’ playing career has provided him with a unique perspective on Football and Futsal, having played Football in the NSL (albeit only a single game) and Futsal for the Australian National Team. Miles played Futsal professionally in Brazil, Portugal, and Japan (the only Australian player to have ever played in Portugal’s or Japan’s top divisions). Miles also headed up the Fitness Technical Study Group for the AFC for the 2021 Futsal World Cup.