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Joleon Lescott Challenges Futsal Coach: Why Spain Really Produces Smarter Footballers?

September 4, 2026

Former Premier League and England Footballer Joleon Lescott and Futsal and Football Veteran and Coach Rob Ursell sat down with Sean Conlon, CEO of We Make Footballers, to settle a heated Instagram debate that started after a clip of Rob's comments on futsal and player development went viral.

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Joleon Lescott Challenges Futsal Coach: Why Spain Really Produces Smarter Footballers?

About this episode

Former Premier League and England Footballer Joleon Lescott and Futsal and Football Veteran and Coach Rob Ursell sat down with Sean Conlon, CEO of We Make Footballers, to settle a heated Instagram debate that started after a clip of Rob's comments on futsal and player development went viral. What follows is a deep, no-holds-barred conversation about why Spain keeps winning - and why England might not, no matter how much money it spends.

In this episode

  • The Bukayo Saka vs Nani debate - Joleon challenges Rob's original comparison whether receiving the ball well is really about individual skill - or the players and instructions around you.
  • Futsal's real role in Spanish development - does futsal genuinely develop greater game intelligence, or is Spain's success more about specialised positional training from a young age?
  • Athleticism vs game intelligence in academies - why English recruitment prioritises physically dominant kids at young ages, and what that costs England in the long run
  • England's World Cup heartbreak - an honest look at the semi-final loss to Argentina, Spain's dominance, and whether England's population and investment should guarantee more success
  • Fixing the system - Lescott's blueprint for individualised "development sessions" over generic team coaching, plus a candid discussion on coaching pathways in England.

Does futsal really make Spanish players smarter - or is it something else entirely? And are we identifying the right young players in England in the first place?

Read the article

Futsal, Spain and smarter footballers: what parents can learn from Lescott v Ursell

The key lessons from this episode, written up for parents.

Read the article

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