The Coaches: episode six

UEFA EURO 2012 is just a fortnight away and most of the 16 coaches hoping for glory in Poland and Ukraine began their management careers in a very different environment – club football.

In the sixth episode of our seven-part documentary series The Coaches, UEFA.com speaks to some of the men who have made the transition, including UEFA EURO 2012 contenders Roy Hodgson, Laurent Blanc, Paulo Bento, Morten Olsen, Slaven Bilić and Franciszek Smuda, as well as someone who recently moved in the other direction, Georges Leekens.

"One job is a hands-on, day-to-day, nine-to-five existence, working every weekend as well," explains Hodgson – the former Switzerland boss who has just swapped West Bromwich Albion FC for England. "Whereas the other is a strange existence, in the sense that it's periods of intense activity and media hype, where you're being followed day in, day out, preparing for an international match. Followed, of course, by long periods of relative inactivity."

Smuda adds: "What really matters is recognising a player's ability as soon as possible and then understanding which players fit with others. Working at a club can give you a lot more comfort, as you can train the squad for the entire week, which is what you want as a coach."

For further insight, view the video above.