From Real Madrid to Airbus - the coaches learning in Wales

Davide Ancelotti (right) has worked alongside his father Carlo for 10 years

Real Madrid's assistant manager is swiftly followed into the tactical analysis test by the head coach of Pontypridd Town.

Liverpool's elite development coach, Vitor Matos, is also put through his paces, as are numerous coaches from Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Then comes Jamie Crowther, player-coach at Airbus UK.

Such is the way on the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Trust's coaching courses.

"The main thing is to share with your colleagues the experiences that you have," says Davide Ancelotti, son of Carlo and also his assistant at the Bernabeu.

"There are no secrets in football. I think you can learn from everyone."

Jamie Crowther began as a professional with hometown club Wrexham

This is the first gathering on the latest FAW Trust pro licence course, the final rung on the coach education ladder.

Getting this far is an achievement in itself for the candidates, with just 20 of 156 applicants coming through the selection process to take the course.

The first get-together is held at a hotel in Newport, where each candidate is assessed tactically - they are given a half of football to watch, then have to deliver a half-time team talk - and faces a mock job interview.

The third aspect of a fairly gruelling day is a mock press conference, in which candidates act as Premier League managers and are assessed on their ability to field various tricky questions without causing a media storm.

None of this is for real, yet there is pressure is in the air.

"It shouldn't be easy," says former Premier League midfielder Seyi Olofinjana, who has returned to do his pro licence having gained his B and A badges in Wales.

"If you want to do something special, you have got to be prepared to walk the miles."

Olofinjana, the ex-Nigeria international who played for Wolves, Stoke City, Hull City and Cardiff City, is now technical director at Grasshopper Zurich.

There are other past players on this year's course, such as former Crystal Palace and Aston Villa midfielder Mile Jedinak - who is now on the staff at Villa Park - Darren Purse and Richard Kitzbichler, the ex-Austria international who is Ralph Hassenhuttl's assistant at Southampton.

Seyi Olofinjana worked at former club Wolves before joining Grasshopper Zurich in 2021

Then there are less celebrated players who are making a mark in coaching, such as Arsenal academy coach Dan Micciche, Bristol City Women boss Lauren Smith and Neil Ryan, under-18 coach at Manchester United.

"It's a little bit surreal when you look at the people and some of the clubs they are working for," says Crowther, a long-time Cymru Premier player who combines his Airbus commitments with a job as a lecturer.

"I was having a conversation with [fellow candidate] Aaron Briggs, who is working for Monaco. He was talking about working with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. I am sort of laughing to myself about that.

"I can't wait to learn from these people. The experiences they have had, I would be a fool to not listen to them.

"While it's light years apart being at Airbus compared to Real Madrid, there are things I can take and look to apply at Airbus."

Ancelotti is doing his pro licence in Wales following a recommendation from Tim Cahill, an FAW graduate he got to know during his father's stint as Everton boss.

Having done his last coaching badge in Germany - while on the staff at Bayern Munich - Ancelotti insists those working near football's summit can learn from those at less celebrated clubs.

"I did my second licence in Germany and I met people from regional level," he says.

"At the end the dynamics are similar inside the changing room.

"A lot of the time it is more difficult to coach at a lower level. I have top professionals working with me - the mentality of the players at the top is easier to manage."

The candidates will meet again as the course progresses, returning to Wales to complete what is the highest coaching qualification available.

They will work together - on an equal footing - on the training ground, whether they come from La Liga, the Premier League or Cymru Leagues.

Jonathan Jones began learning to be a coach when aged just 16

Jonathan Jones, from Merthyr, is in his third year as head coach of Pontypridd, who are second in the Cymru South.

The 33-year-old describes himself as a student of football who was "Welsh league at best" during his playing days.

Jones' day job is teaching football coaching as a lecturer at University of South Wales, but the dream is to work in the professional game.

Jones and Crowther, from Wrexham, exchanged messages ahead of the pro licence course about the "status and stature" of the other candidates.

"To rub shoulders with them is an exceptional opportunity," Jones says.

"You take a bit of pride in all being on the same course. Yes we have all had different pathways - and I am very much aware of my 'little boy from Merthyr' status - but that said, it's an opportunity to be on the same course with these people with fantastic CVs and to learn from them."

He may have a famous surname, but Ancelotti is another who hopes to make his mark as a coach having been "not good enough" as a player.

"My aim is to be happy being a manager - it's my life, my passion," he says.

"I don't know if I will be able to win three Champions Leagues - we hope four this season - like my father, but you have to aspire to be at the top."

As with Jones, Crowther, Olofinjana et al, a spell studying in Wales may just help him get there.