“Real high level instructors for the young, we are not going to lie, there aren’t any in New Caledonia,” the former French national team coach says.
With FCF looking to develop the game both in general and at the highest level, the lack of high level coaches is a major handicap to achieving that progression.
FCF president Edwin Bowen says he invited Blaquart to visit New Caledonia to see how the federation functions, and guide the staff on how they can direct their future development.
“The first question we have asked is whether elite football can exist and develop here in New Caledonia,” Bowen says.
“We sorely lack support from our institutions for this. We do not have an operation adapted to elite football. We are a federation but we continue to exist like a carnival football league.”
FCF officially became an entity separate from the FFF in 2004, though the two federations continue to work together closely.
Blaquart says one of the biggest barriers to advancing football through coach education is the distance between New Caledonia and France.
“As our training courses are spread out, it is very expensive for somebody from here to attend. I send experts to a lot of different countries who request them. We can bring them here, it wouldn’t be very difficult.”
He says creating a technical centre that will cost an arm and a leg would not necessarily be the answer to creating stable, long-term development.
“Football, above all, is about people. For the youth who show talent, we need to give them everything possible in order for them to progress,” Blaquart says.
“The less structured you are, the more difficult it will be to for them to integrate into an elite structure. If we take the example of Reunion, it is the department of France which provides the most professional players. Why? Because they have developed a youth academy and quality structures for youth development which allows those young players to adapt to that high level once they move on to the centres of development.”
While in New Caledonia Blaquart also covered the subject of Les Cagous and the fact that a replacement for Alain Moizan still hasn’t been appointed.
“We will try to respond to all requests. What is certain is that it is very important for me to send someone with credibility. After that, we cannot guarantee the results, it is still football.”
For more on New Caledonia football go to www.fedcalfoot.com

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