Martinez uses drone to help train Belgian football team
Football coach Roberto Martinez has used a drone to help train the Belgian football team, filming players in a bid to demonstrate how his tactical strategies work on the field. Martinez says that the drone provides useful information about the team’s play quickly and helps the team to work on tactics.
Roberto Martinez said the drone helped maximise time to work with the players. Nico Vereecken / Photonews via Getty Images

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has used a drone to film his players training in an attempt to improve their understanding of his tactical demands.

Martinez, appointed in succession to Marc Wilmots, who was sacked after the Euro 2016 exit to Wales, used the drone at Wednesday's training session.

And speaking at a news conference ahead of the forthcoming Group H qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Gibraltar, he said: "It's perfect for working on tactics. You have to make the most of the little time you have with the national team.

"The pictures shot by the drone can give us information about the players. Without that, that information would have required several days to obtain. So our time available is put to better use.

"It's really effective. You can adjust the settings and the viewing angle. It's very easy to work on tactics with that. It's the first time we've used it.

"During training, it's operated by a very professional team. The only problem is that it depends on the weather. People told me that it would be difficult in Belgium, but we've been lucky so far."

Belgium, who opened their Group H campaign with a 3-0 win in Cyprus, play Bosnia-Herzegovina in Brussels on Friday before travelling to Gibraltar three days later.