A product of the youth academy of Coló Coló, one of the biggest football clubs in Chile, Gungahlin United Head Coach Javier Roca brings a large, and varied CV to the National Premier League including representing his native country at international youth levels, in both Under-17s and Under-20s.
A life in football has meant that Roca has now ended up in the National Capital, taking the head-honcho mantle at NPL powerhouse Gungahlin United for the 2024 season, pushing the side to the summit of the table and within sight of the League Championship crown.
For Roca, it has been some journey, and one that began in his home country, leading to pulling on the famous Chilean jersey at representative level before spending time overseas.
“I have many memories of representing my country, wearing the shirt of the Chilean under-17 national team,” Roca said. “In my first international incursion in Venezuela, at only 22-years-old, I led the team to qualify to the Pre-Libertadores. I also have fond memories of having had a great career in Indonesia, being a top scorer in 2005.
“I took advantage of the opportunities that came along the way, but the first thing for me is to dare to take new challenges, to prepare oneself in the best way and in my particular case there were good experiences since in Venezuela and Indonesia were countries where soccer was at a lower level than soccer in Chile.
“It was much more difficult to adapt in Indonesia. I believe that through my effort and work rate I was able to play there for several years and grow personally and help Indonesian soccer to grow.”
After graduating from the Coló Coló youth system in 1995, at the age of 17, Javier made his professional debut for the Coló Coló 1st team, playing in the Primera Division and thereafter maintaining a regular place in the squad. Further stints in his homeland came with CD Trasandino de los Andes and San Luis de Quillota FC before he tentatively took his first steps overseas.
Roca made his first international move in the 1999-2000 season, moving to Deportivo Italchacao in the Venezuelan topflight – Liga Venezolana. In 2001 he returned to Chile signing a deal with Coquimbo Unido and then playing with Everton of Vina del Mar for 2002.
For his second international adventure Javier would play for some of the biggest football clubs in Indonesia in the Indonesian premier division – known as Liga 1 today. He was the top scorer of the 2005 season, and he would spend the remainder of his playing career in Indonesia, retiring in 2014.
“I have had several key or high points in my career as a player,” Roca commented. “The first came at an early age with the possibility of being part of the Chilean U17 national team for the World Cup in 1993, then my debut as a professional player at 17 years old in the club that I love, Coló Coló.
“I would also class my first experience playing outside of Chile, in Italchacao in Venezuela, as a high point, and, of course, to be the top scorer and named best player in the 2005 Indonesian Cup is right up there.
“I went abroad to play because I have an adventurous spirit and since I was a child I liked challenges. The first opportunity to play outside of Chile came when I was young, and it was a genuinely wonderful experience in Venezuelan football. The second one came a few years later and, at that time, it was a risky decision because the opportunity came from an unknown country and far away from Chile (Indonesia), but it turned out well and I was there for about 13 years.”
Upon retiring from playing football, Javier’s love and passion for football meant he had to stay in the sport, thus he decided to start a career as a football manager. He enrolled in the most prestigious and successful Football institute in Chile, the INAF National Institute of Football. He would spend the next three years course but exceeding all expectations, being recognised by the course leaders as the best student of the 2017 generation.
As a result of his excellent performance in the courses, Javier was offered a position at the institute to teach the course of Football Methodology, a position he held for two years. His course focused on the topics of the structured micro cycle from Spain and Tactical Periodisation from Portugal.
“Structured micro cycle and Tactical periodisation are part of the curriculum of studies in INAF CHILE where, within the three years of study, we are learning different methodologies,” Roca revealed.
“As these two areas are the most important in Europe, they are given a greater importance. I have focused on them because according to my experience as a player, these methodologies are the most logical and contain all the aspects that a coach can use to help his players individually and collectively to find their best level.
“To teach them first you have to study them a lot, as they sound similar but are quite different in their approach and specific structures of the game. They are both very scientific, holistic but with different ideas in terms of tactical aspects and their way of teaching them.
“Micro cycle is focused on the player as a human athlete with lines of development of the individual’s capabilities such as conditional, coordinative, cognitive, socio affective, volitional motive, creative expressive, mental and bioenergetic.
“While tactical periodisation, as its name suggests, is focused on tactics in an individual, collective, and global way, its central focus is the game model, its specificity and its methodological principles that are non-negotiable. They are two great methodologies that make football a science.”
Javier’s coaching career started in 2019 with his return to Indonesia, joining as Technical Director of the La Liga Spanish Academy in Jakarta. He spent the next two years, obtaining his Pro CONMEBOL License – the highest level of South American Coaching credentials.
In the 2021/22 season, Javier was appointed as the Head Coach of Indonesia Premier División side Persik Kediri where he would stay for a season, moving onto the Arema FC, one of the country’s most successful club sides, before securing a shift to Gungahlin United.
“Coming back to Indonesia was not too difficult, as after living there for over twelve years and playing for twelve teams, I made many friends and contacts,” Roca said. “When some friends connected to football found out that I had a coaching license, they contacted me to come back and start a second adventure, but now as a coach.
After that I came here, to Gungahlin. First I am incredibly grateful that this great club Gungahlin gave me the opportunity of this pleasant experience and to be part of all their projects. After a year in the club focused mostly on the methodology of training at various levels, my personal ambition is to work as hard as possible for the growth of the club’s philosophy and vision, taking it as close as possible.”
A League Championship would be a great start.
