Club coaches at UEFA forum in Nyon

UEFA and Europe's leading club coaches will exchange ideas on Wednesday and Thursday at the annual UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum at the House of European Football in Nyon.

The meeting has become a yearly fixture on the UEFA calendar at the start of each season, making a contribution to the continental body's decision-making processes. The forum also gives the club coaches the opportunity to talk together and swap ideas away from their everyday activities.

The participants will discuss the latest trends as well as express their views on major European football topics. UEFA takes on board the coaches' viewpoint and has implemented certain proposals that have been made.

Former Manchester United FC manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired at the end of last term after a distinguished career, will chair the meeting via video conference as he is unable to travel to Nyon following recent surgery.

A star-studded list of coaches has been invited, and those who will attend include: Arsène Wenger (Arsenal FC), Neil Lennon (Celtic FC), Antonio Conte (Juventus), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City FC), Paulo Fonseca (FC Porto), Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid CF), Laurent Blanc (Paris Saint-Germain FC), Jens Keller (FC Schalke 04), Mircea Lucescu (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Miroslav Djukić (Valencia CF), Murat Yakin (FC Basel 1893), Jorge Jesus (SL Benfica), Rafael Benítez (SSC Napoli), Vladimir Petković (SS Lazio), Kurban Berdyev (FC Rubin Kazan) and André Villas-Boas (Tottenham Hotspur FC).

The UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum was first held in 1999. The idea is that those who are involved in UEFA's club competitions are offered the chance to give feedback on these competitions, and to debate the game's overall development – on and off the field. The top technicians have welcomed the forum as a crucial platform for dialogue.

It is an opportunity for coaches to speak about the various aspects of their work in a relaxed setting away from the pressures of high-profile jobs, and to converse in an informal context. The event also presents younger coaches with an occasion to listen and learn from experienced colleagues – and to become acquainted professionally and personally before they often go on to meet each other at European matches.