On Tuesday, we told you how Robson was able to get the best out of world class players such as Ronaldo and Romario. Today we concentrate on Bobby's perceptions of footballing matters off the pitch in Europe.

Robson, who along with other international managers past and present in the shape of Andy Roxburgh and Sven-Goran Eriksson attended the residential get-together of the year-long pioneering course to pass on his wisdom to the country's most ambitious coaches, gave the students a valuable insight into the way in which football works abroad, including working for Presidents of football clubs and the way in which their egos and personas can often differ from those of the Chairmen in this country.

"When the white handkerchiefs come out for you, you can persevere," he explained, "because the President will be back you. But when the handkerchiefs start to be waved at the President himself, that's when you can probably start to look elsewhere!"

Indeed, "looking elsewhere" is also a trend that Robson perceived in both coaches and Presidents during his time on the continent.

"Working abroad, you work to a two-year contract," he explained. "It is the culture - that coaches work on a more temporary basis abroad than is the case in this country where managers are trying to lay the foundations for the future of the club as a whole."

As a foreigner working abroad, Robson explained to the students the imperative of becoming part of the culture in which you live - not least in terms of the language.

"When I was appointed coach at Barcelona, I could not speak one word of Spanish," he recalled. "It's amazing when you think about it and, looking back, I'm not sure how I did it.

"Being able to speak the native language is so important. It takes lots of hard work, many language lessons and homework but I knew that I had to adapt to my surroundings because they were not going to adapt to me.

"I never attempted to make an English colony at any of the clubs I managed abroad. At all of the clubs I went to, I never brought any staff with me and they appreciated that. When I arrived I explained to the staff that were already there that I needed them because they knew the culture and the club far better than I did."

Looking back, Robson has no doubts that his period coaching abroad was one of the highlights both of his career and his life in general. His message to this elite group of the most talented and ambitious coaches in England was a simple one: "Don't ever fear it."

"I loved every minute - it was one of the best things I ever did," he said, "and I know I became a better coach."

FA Technical Director Howard Wilkinson, who is leading the pioneering course, was delighted with the contribution that his long-time friend and colleague had made, saying: "Knowledge, experience and wisdom are gold - you can never get enough.

"Bobby's unparalleled level of knowledge and success mean that all our students have tremendous respect for him and his experiences as an Englishman in Europe will be invaluable to our students as they strive to learn more about coaching at the very highest level."

The students taking this season's Pro-Licence are: Noel Blake, Terry Burton (Wimbledon FC), Steve Cotterill (Cheltenham Town FC), Mervyn Day (Charlton Athletic FC), Dario Gradi (Crewe Alexandra FC), Stewart Houston, Chris Hughton (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Dave Jones (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Sammy Lee (Liverpool FC), Lawrie Sanchez (Wycombe Wanderers FC), Alan Smith.