Nowadays, playing football at the highest level requires players to be athletes. This means that players cannot rely only on their technical and tactical abilities but also on their physical fitness.

Strength and conditioning has become a crucial sector in this aspect as it helps the players to enhance performance improvement through new ways of physical training.

This allows the players to extend their careers as well because it keeps them in form, especially at the top level – no wonder that the players’ longevity in football is increasing.

Karl Attard is one of the strength and conditioning coaches in Maltese football, where he is currently affiliated with the Malta Football Association.

He graduated with a Bachelors of Education (Hons) in Physical Education from the University of Malta, and pursued further studies in England, where he obtained a Master of Science in Strength and Conditioning from the University of Central Lancashire in England.

His Masters was sponsored by the Malta Sports Scholarship.

“This course was very formative because it helped me to grow more as a person and as a coach in this department,” Attard told the Sunday Times of Malta.

“While remaining in touch with the latest novelties in this sector, it has also helped me with my day to day work during my national teams duties.”

Asked about his role in today’s world of sport, Attard described it as essential as it helps teams and individuals to improve their planning, coaching, monitoring, testing, analysing and recovery strategies.

“The role of the strength and conditioning coach within any sport is to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury through testing, evaluation and prescription of appropriate training exercises,” he said.

“This role has evolved a lot in the past years and extended beyond that of designing and implementing training programmes in the pitch or in the gym.”

Meanwhile, Attard sees room for improvement in this sector on our shores as he considers it to be still in its infancy.

“I think that one still needs to understand the value added that the S&C role provides within any sport,” he explained.

“In fact, it is well established both in research and in practice, that sport science support (strength and conditioning, nutrition, psychology etc.) is an important pillar amongst others which are key for sporting success.

“I meet a lot of students and coaches when I lecture, and my feeling is that the interest in this subject is increasing and with opportunities like I had thanks to the Malta Sports Scholarship, one can even specialise further.”

Attard has also been present at numerous seminars overseas, including UEFA Study Groups which have helped him to embrace more the world of grassroots and elite sport.

“I think that one stops growing when he stops learning. So I take every experience with an open and free mind as an opportunity to broaden my horizons,” Attard said.

“I have been abroad on numerous international games, university seminars, conferences and study groups and every time it was an opportunity to learn something.

“It is always enriching to share knowledge, best practices and learn from others. I think that this is a mentality that we still need to embrace further as a nation.”

Apart from working within the men’s national teams including the U-21’s, Attard has been part of the women’s national team staff as well for the past four years.

Malta women coach Mark Gatt had heaped praise on Attard’s work as it helped the girls to improve their fitness levels and become more competitive.

Read: Watch: Gatt focused on Malta women's team growth.

“Well, first of all it is always both an honour and a responsibility to represent your country in whatever it might be,” Attard said.

Women’s football

“Until four years ago, women’s football was completely new to me.

“Going into it was already a challenge, let alone stepping into the national team. It really challenged my comfort zone at that time – it still does, but is not how we all grow?”

“We are living during times of rapid progress and change, and I think that women’s football is a symbol of that.

“I hold a very high esteem for our players, I view them as leaders in our society – with seven Malta-capped players playing professionally and others admirably juggling football with full time work, studies and even parenthood.”