The JIM Method: When X-rated clips kept players alert during video analysis
Former Atlético Madrid youngster Keko Gontán reveals the unorthodox tactics used by coach Juan Ignacio Martínez to keep players focused during tactical meetings
Former Atlético Madrid player Keko Gontán has lifted the lid on perhaps the most unorthodox coaching technique in Spanish football – using adult content to keep players focused during video analysis sessions.
The ‘JIM Method’ revealed
Speaking on the ‘Offsiders’ podcast, Gontán shared a proper eye-opener from his time at Cartagena under Juan Ignacio Martínez (JIM) back in 2010. In what was still the early days of video analysis in Spanish football, the coach developed a novel approach to combat players’ wandering attention spans.
According to Keko, Martínez – who happens to be José Bordalás’s cousin – had figured out that players typically lost focus after three or four minutes of tactical video. His solution? Splicing in brief clips of adult content to snap everyone back to attention.
“We’d all be sitting there like meerkats,” Gontán recalled, explaining how the squad would eagerly anticipate these unexpected interruptions every few minutes during the analysis sessions.
Early video analysis pioneers
Beyond the headline-grabbing technique, Keko’s anecdote offers an interesting glimpse into the evolution of tactical analysis in Spanish football. He mentions that at the time, clubs like Cartagena had to request match footage from La Sexta (a Spanish television channel) just to study opponents – a far cry from today’s sophisticated analysis departments.
A method to the madness
Despite the unconventional approach, Keko speaks highly of Martínez’s coaching abilities, crediting him with helping develop his game. The brief adult content interludes were carefully calculated – just two or three seconds – enough to reset players’ focus without derailing the tactical session entirely.
While certainly not a technique you’ll find in UEFA coaching manuals, JIM’s psychological understanding of how to maintain his squad’s attention shows the creative thinking that separates effective coaches from the rest – even if this particular innovation hasn’t caught on across the football world.