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It all started back then in 2003 Coach Sean set foot in Vienna to fulfil his big dream:
To dedicate himself to the most beautiful job in the word - Coaching football to kids and young athletes. And just like that SUSA (Sean's United Soccer Academy) was born. Ever since Sean and all his trainers keep exciting kids from all over the world sharing the very same passion for coaching & kicking a ball. But it's more than just that: to join the SUSA is more like joining a big, fun family with people from all around the globe (more than 20 Countries bring our Coaches together). But not only for Coaches, we'd also like you as parents and our little ones to feel at home at SUSA!
Importantly our programs remain structured to ensure that EVERY CHILD (irrespective of their skill level) can improve their skills and truly live their soccer dream.
Enough cheesy words, we'd like you to meet our SUSA TEAM
Sean Patrick Laverty "Coach Seani, S-Boy"
Duty within SUSA: El Presidente of FC SUSA Vienna.
Founder of Soccer4Kids KG and FC SUSA Vienna
Nationality: Irish
Special Super Power: Positivism, Inspiring not only kids but every person he gets to know. Radio GAGA & much more - There is just one S-Boy in the whole Universe!
Favorite Team: Celtic Glasgow
Position as a player: Wing Back, Winger, Full Back
Good to know about: Played in his young years professionally in different countries and since he stopped, always follows the sun. You'll never see him without a bandana and any other than flip-flops on his feet
Carlos Andres Ramirez Tichy "Coach Carlos"
Duty within SUSA: Sports Director & Vice-President FC SUSA Vienna.
Partner Soccer4kids KG & owner C11-Coaching
Nationality: Colombian & Austrian
Super Powers: Football is his religion and loves coaching more than anything else, insane speed & ball control and the most awesome Bicycle-Kick you've seen.
Favorite Team: Atletico de Madrid
Position as a player: Center Midfield
Good to know about: Certified Coach in Neuroscience applied to Sports (Barcelona Innovation Hub). UEFA Elite B youth diploma and aiming for the UEFA Elite A soon. As a young athlete Coach Carlos played 3 Years for the Selection of Vienna U19 & U18. Coached at Boys and Girls LAZ & MLZ Vienna for 2 years (Elite youth program in Austria) and also the U18s of First Vienna.
Simon Mader "Coach Simon"
Duty within SUSA: Youth Sport Director & Supervisor - Academy Head Coach
Nationality: "Waschechter" Viennese - Austrian
Super Powers: Teamwork & Empathy
Favorite Team: FC Barcelona
Position as a player: Midfielder / Striker
Good to know about: Diplom Sports Teacher, UEFA B-Licensed.
Former Austria Wien & First Vienna Coach.
Coach Simon had the chance to have a closer look into top academies like Liverpool FC and FC Augsburg among others.
Luka Lau "Coach Luka"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Head Coach
Nationality: Serbian
Super Powers: Mentality and Discipline
Favourite Team: Red Star Belgrade
Position as a player: Center Defense
Good to know about: Coach Luka has a degree in physical education and sport science in addition to other 2 studies in International business & trade and marketing. Coach Luka is UEFA B licensed and played in the youth for Red Star Belgrade alongside Vidić and other world class players. Played also professionally in Greece and in the United States. He is been since the start once SUSA joined the first year the Viennese competitive League back in 2013
Jonathan David Bergen "Coach Jon"
Duty within SUSA: Individual & small group Coach -
Mentor & Co-Creator of our SUSA training concept.
Nationality: Canada & USA
Super Powers: Contribute in creating the future player with skill and character
Favorite Team: Red Bull Salzburg
Position as a player: Right Midfield
Good to know about: UEFA A License, UEFA Elite A youth license. LAZ and WFV Director, City Selection Boys U14; Austria Wien U17 and Academy U15 Head Coach; Individual Trainer for Bundesliga Wiener Neustadt. Coach Jon grew up playing for the First Vienna Football Club youth teams (in the 80s). With 16 played his first game in the Bundesliga U-21 Bewerb (First Vienna), With 18 moved to the USA and played professional indoor soccer for the Milwaukee Wave in the AISL. Played in California and Connecticut in Regional Semi-Pro Leagues; as well as College soccer. Owner www.breakawaysoccer.at
Majid Mobasser "Coach Majid - Magic"
Duty within SUSA: Coach U11 - Academy Coach
Nationality: Iranian
Super Powers: He can literally dribble ANY opponent easily, even with a left knee without ligaments. Majid gives young players the confidence they need to try and develop.
Favourite Team: FC Barcelona
Position as a player: Midfield
Good to know about: Majid has more than 20 years in coaching experience and has always a big smile on his face. Barca Innovation-Hub certified Academy-Coach.
Mikhail Neresov "Coach Michael"
Duty within SUSA: Youth Coordinator U10-U13 & U12 Head Coach
Nationality: Russian & Austrian
Super Powers: Professionalism and love to children
Favourite Team: Spartak Moscow
Position as a player: Right Back
Good to Know: Finished his football career very soon because of injuries, worked previously with all ages from U7 till U23 and supervised coaches at Süßenbrunn and Siemens. His last coaching station was at SK Rapid Wien Academy
Sahba Mobasser Ganjavi "Coach Sahba"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Senior Coach Cubs & Bears
Nationality: Iranian
Super Powers: Love and care for the kids.
Favourite Team: FC Barcelona
Position as a player: Striker / Winger
Good to know about: Sahba is studying medicine and is specialised for the general motor development in young ages in SUSA. Coordination, orientation, rhythmic and differentiation skills in combination with music and good mood. All our youngsters need. Barca Innovation-Hub certified Academy-Coach
Sandi Kečanović "Coach Sandi"
Duty within SUSA: U16 Head Coach / Individual Coach
Nationality: Austrian with Bosnian Roots
Super Powers: Creating Team-Spirit
Favourite Team: Real Madrid
Position as a player: Playmaker
Background: Started playing with his older brother Andi, in the football cage (Käfig) before joining Wiener Sportclub U10, where he played up to U18/23. After a break of 2 to 3 years without football, he returned to the sport as a coach.
Coaching Experience: coached youth Teams at First Vienna and Austria Wien. From U9 to U18. UEFA-B Licensed
Good to Know: Entreperneur at Clear Mind Performance, focusing on the mental development of players, offering personalised training to enhance their Football and mental skills.
Vasco Rodrigues "Coach Vasco"
Duty within SUSA: U18 Head Coach
Nationality: Portuguese
Super Powers: Calmness and Problem Solving
Favourite Team: Sporting Clube de Portugal
Position as a player: Center back, Right back
Good to know about: Coach Vasco is heavily inspired by Coach K’s way of leading. His favourite football coach is Ruben Amorim but also a huge fan of Klopp’s identity and passion. UEFA C Licensed with 7 years of experience at Clube Internacional de Futebol (CIF) among others.
Degree in Sports Science and Physical Activity at Universidade Europeia Lisbon.
Mahmed Biiq "Coach Momo"
Duty within SUSA: U15 Head Coach
Nationality: Somalian
Super Powers: Motivates people around him & High energy always .
Favourite Team: Liverpool FC
Position as a player: Right Back
Good to know about: Coach Momo started his coaching career at a young age, he loves and breathes football.
Next year he will do his UEFA B-Licence
Joshua Solomon Knipschild "Coach Josh"
Duty within SUSA: U14 Head Coach
Nationality: English / German / Irish
Super Powers: Bringing enthusiasm, a love of football and passion to succeed. When playing, a good understanding and reading of the game.
Favourite Team: West Ham United
Position as a player: Center Defense
Good to know about: Played football at different levels since the age of 4. Currently studying Statistics at the university of Vienna. Very rarely seen without a football. UEFA - C License
Foroutan Bagherian "Coach Foro"
Duty within SUSA: GK Coach - U10 Head Coach - Academy Coach
Nationality: Iranian
Super Powers: Leadership, Decisiveness, Focus & Resilience
Favourite Team: Real Madrid, Liverpool & Inter Milan
Position as a player: Goalkeeper
Good to know about: Coach Foro is a professional footballer who played in the Iran first and second division. In the Netherlands Bundesliga in NEC Nijmegen team and for the Iranian youth National team from U13 till U21. In Austria in the Viennese Stadtliga, Burgenlandliga and Regionalliga Ost. He's been also doing Goalkeeper Coaching for 2 years .
Raphael Grabmüller "Coach Raphi"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Junior Coach
Nationality: Austrian
Super Powers: Brexit tackles / always giving 101 % / Most beloved coach of our SUSA youngsters / Fun producer
Favorite Team: Hellas Verona / AC Milan
Position as a player: CDM / Center-back / Full-back
Good to know about: Will always win no matter what
Veron Merko "Coach Veron"
Duty: U13 Head Coach - U18 Assistant Coach - Academy Coach
Nationality: Albanian from North Macedonia
Super Powers: Deep game analysis & vision-driven leadership. Emotional intelligence & connection with players. Inspiring belief in underdog teams. Creating unity and identity in squads. Turning ideas into purposeful drills
Favorite team: Real Madrid
Position as a Player: Midfielder
Coaching Philosophy: "Football is freedom. A coach's job is to set the player free."
Good to know about: Juan Sebastian Veron's "La Brujita" inspired name. Coach Veron was selected to play for the Goran Pandev Academy at U11 until U14. Afterwards he made it into the U16 national team of north Macedonia. Finishing now his UEFA-C License.
Laurens van der Leij "Coach Laurens, Mr. V."
Duty within SUSA: Academy Senior Coach
Nationality: Dutch
Super Powers: Can make the best jokes out of all the coaches and has a love for football and passing that on.
Favorite Team: Tottenham Hotspurs
Position as a player: Striker / Central Midfielder
Good to know about: Coach Laurens also works as a teacher at the Vienna International School and has played football in 4 different countries.
John Haberl-Arkhurst "Coach John"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Senior Coach / U16 Assistant
Nationality: Ghanaian
Super Powers: To teach and coach always with as smile, to use the body on the field and to always believe.
Favourite Team: Manchester United
Position as a player: Striker
Good to know about: Coach John also works as a teacher in the Amadeus International School of Vienna. He scored the most beautiful goal in the world against Coach Majid's team on a Saturday workshop.
Matt Rolston "Coach Matt"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Senior Coach
Nationality: British born but South African bred
Super Powers: Belief…Football is life! Sharing skills and football knowledge with our next generation of Super stars!
Favorite Team: Liverpool FC
Position as a player: Attacking midfielder / Striker
Good to know about: Worked in various sports coaching environments in different age groups. Main strength is a good and passionate understanding of youth development and the delicate treatment of this process. To achieve this, he supplies the tools to tackle challenges on and off the football field, to be result driven and to achieve all of these with a positive and dedicated attitude.
Amin Emran "Coach Amin"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Senior Coach
Nationality: Iranian
Super Powers: Positivity and passion for the game.
Favourite Team: Chelsea FC
Position as a player: Attacking Midfielder
Good to know about: Coach Amin grew up with football since the age of 4. Had an opportunity to play with U16 Iranian National team and is in love with high pressure attacking football.
Coach Amin holds a masters degree in economic diplomacy and is looking actively for a job in the United Nations or any other international organisation in Vienna. Should you know about any option, please get in touch ;)
David Loewe "Coach David"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Junior Coach
Nationality: Austrian
Super Powers: Speed and Passion for the Game
Favorite Team: FC Barcelona/FK Austria Wien
Position as a player: Right Wing/Left Wing
Good to know about: David has been at SUSA since the age of 5 and has continuously played at the club throughout all these years, not missing a single year.
Javier Calderon "Coach Javi, Coach Pura-Vida"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Senior Coach / Athletic Personal Coach
Nationality: Costa Rica
Super Powers: Stronger than a truck, discipline, commitment & punctuality
Favourite Team: Real Madrid & Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica)
Position as a player: Center back, 6
Good to know about: Owner of Pura Vida Fit Dance
Marie Koppelhuber "Coach Marie"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Junior Coach
Nationality: Austria / USA
Super Powers: Sharing her love for the game with kids and teaching them not only how to be a good player but also a good teammate and a good person.
Favourite Team: Arsenal
Position as a player: Defensive Midfield
Good to know about: Marie started playing soccer when she was 5, played in a girls team in a boy's league, and was played several times for the selection U16 of Vienna "Wiener Auswahl". Besides all that Marie studies law.
Rafael Mariano Grossi "Coach Rafa"
Duty within SUSA: Strategic adviser
Nationality: Argentinian & Italian
Super Powers: To never give up, his experience & sagacity.
Favourite Team: Estudiantes de la Plata
Position as a player: Right Winger
Good to know about: Besides his passion for football as a declared "Pincharrata" (Estudiantes-fan), Rafael is world-wide renowned for his successful professional diplomatic career and has currently nothing less, than the responsibility to keep the world a safe place.
Lainie Fuchs "Coach Lainie"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Junior Coach
Nationality: Austrian
Super Powers: Passion to learn
Favorite Team: FC Barcelona Femeni
Position as a player: Center Back
Good to know about: Lainie loves to play two touch football. She plays in the Austrian Bundesliga for First Vienna and has been representing the Austrian National Teams for several years already, being also the Team Captain for the last 2 years in the U19 and U17 national team.
Leigh Tueart "Coach Leigh"
Duty within SUSA: Consultant, Individual Coach
Nationality: English
Super Powers: Knowledge, Methodology & Integrity
Favourite Team: Manchester City
Good to know about: Coach Leigh works as a sports teacher and is UEFA-A Licensed. He has directed the youth elite program MLZ and the U14 Selection of girls in Vienna for over 3 years, coached Wiener Sportclub Female-Second-Bundesliga, Austria Wien U12&U13 and right now he is with First Vienna U18.
Marcos Di Cristofaro "Coach Toro"
Duty within SUSA: Academy Coach
Nationality: Argentina
Super Powers: Power and passion to win. Rhythm and good music .
Favorite Team: River Plate
Position as a player: Forward, Offensive Midfielder
Good to know about: Coach Marcos played once in the Austrian Regionalliga for "Würmla" and his main sport is actually swimming what is indeed his main Job @Enjoyswimming. He is a certified personal athletic coach too
Alberto Ferreres Santana "Coach Alberto"
Duty within SUSA: Individual Coach - Captain of the SUSA Adults team
Nationality: Spanish (Fuerteventura)
Super Powers: World class knowledge in defensiv behaviour. You haven't seen any Heading & Shooting skills like Alberto's before. Organises every team from inside and outside the field.
Favorite Team: FC Barcelona
Position as a player: Center Defense
Good to know about: Alberto played at the highest possible football level in Spain and knows what it means to win a 1v1 vs players like Kun Aguero and many others.
Mag. in Sports Science & Spanish teaching in Klosternneuburg and owner of Santana Gourmet
Sambol Afshari
Ever wondered who that lovely voice belongs to when you get in touch with us? Yes, that's her. Our beloved Sambol that cares for all the administrative task and all of our wellbeing.
Without her, nothing would be possible at SUSA.
Angie Tichy
Such an amazing explosion of energy, happiness and good vibes is possible, her name is Angelica Maria Tichy and she is taking care of our league players and families.
