FOOTBALL PROSE AND POETRY

I N T E R V I E W 
Source: "The Technician", UEFA Newsletter.

BY ANDY ROXBURGH, UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR. 

Football Prose and Poetry

Chelsea FC's Luiz Felipe Scolari, the 2002 World Champion with Brazil, and Portugal's EURO finalist in 2004, once said that 'beautiful football is fantastic, if it can be married to results'. The performances of a number of teams at EURO 2008 supported the argument that victory can be attained by playing positive, attractive football. Spain, under the direction of Luís Aragonés, won the 2008 European Championship with a fine blend of efficiency and style. All the statistics confirmed their dominance and skilful approach: the champions registered the top average in quantity of passes (570 against Sweden), the amount of successful passes (forward and medium length), and the number of shots on target. The Spanish based their game on progressive possession play, fluid combinations, and individual flair and imagination. "I like teams who focus on attacking and who enjoy playing. This Spanish team is experienced and love to play this type of football," said Guus Hiddink, the head coach of the Russian national team, after his side had lost twice during the 2008 final tournament to the eventual winners. But for the undemonstrative Luís Aragonés, it wasn't all about flamboyance - pragmatism laid the foundation for romance. Even the Brazilians have been known to take care of basic business.


The legendary Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo said: "I would rather play ugly and win - if you can play beautifully and win, that's great." Coaches who work at the top level, and who are in the results business, will confirm that winning is the priority, but in a world of TV-dominated sports coverage, entertainment and quality of performance are also an important part of the equation. If the public and media label a team as boring, albeit that they are winning on a fairly regular basis, then the coach's position can become precarious - there are high-profile examples in recent years of coaches winning titles and then being dismissed. In today's football environment, the players and owners have become more demanding, while the media and the fans have increased their expectations, often to unrealistic levels. The old maxim 'enough is never enough' comes to mind. A team can lose and play badly, lose and play well, win and play badly, or win and play well. Unquestionably, the latter is the desirable outcome, and Spain in the EURO and Manchester United FC in the UEFA Champions League championed the cause of attacking football while confirming the need for structure, efficiency and, when necessary, caution.


The trends in UEFA's competitions show an increase in fast combinations, spectacular counter-attacks, tactical flexibility, match intensity and technical quality, particularly at high speed. There is less use of rigid systems such as 4-4-2, and the tendency towards the lone striker has often been accompanied by supporting wingers and middle-to-front attacking midfield players. But as José Mourinho said at UEFA's recent Elite Club Coaches' Forum: "Philosophy is one thing, adaptability another." The creative aspects of the game have been flourishing, but counter measures have inevitably been evolving. There is, at the top level, a decrease in midfield orchestrators, surprise tactics (especially on set plays), advanced pressing and risk-taking in general. Countering the counter, with the extensive use of midfield screen players, has become a key development. While most top coaches try to produce results through positive play, they recognise the need for balance - a disciplined defensive structure in tandem with a framework for attacking fluidity and flair.


The 2008 European Championship, which was outstanding from a technical perspective, also promoted the concept of respect. Everyone was trying to win but not with a 'win at all costs mentality. Overall, the attitude of the players towards each other was commendable - some club-mates were, of course, direct opponents in the finals and that probably contributed to the situation. In addition, a member of the UEFA Referees Committee visited each squad at their training camp, prior to the opening match, in order to explain the approach of the match officials and to clarify certain interpretations of the laws. The outcome was very few mass confrontations, isolated cases of dissent, and fewer yellow and red cards than at EURO 2004. With figures to prove it, the finalists, Spain and Germany, showed that success and an adherence to positive sporting behaviour can be compatible.


The aim in professional football is to win matches, but more and more the demands of the owners, the public and the media are to do it with style and panache. Just as in writing, where good prose provides the basic structure but
poetry raises the text to a higher level of creativity, the game at the top level needs both effective, sensible organisation and, whenever possible, a commitment to skilful attacking play. The former coach of Real Madrid CF, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, stressed the attitude required when he declared to Brazilian coaching colleagues at a conference in Rio: "To be afraid of losing removes the willingness to win." EURO 2008 was a wonderful advert for the European game, with the successful sides blending passion for the cause, proficient team play and open attractive football. The aim is to win, but how the result is achieved has gained increasing significance in elite football's demanding environment. "I think all football lovers want people to make good combinations, to get into the penalty area and to score goals," said Spain's Luís Aragonés whose team captivated everyone with wonderful passing movements. The Spanish not only played fantastic football but they married it to results, and in doing so, set a performance standard for others in Europe to emulate.