Preface
This is not the first time I write about football styles and methodologies- that’s why a decent part will be a compilation of what I wrote in some articles before. Yet, the world cup and the Pundits’ inputs about it force to take the big tournament as a demonstration and case study. Especially that, as usual, there were more attempts to look at the empty part of the Spanish glass rather than analyzing it for what it is for real, With its flaws and benefits.
When Italy won the world cup in Germany, football romantic analysts claimed that they didn’t deserve it because they played a so-called “Passive football style”, the pragmatic football analysis responded by pointing out that the most important thing in professional football is winning titles. Football exhibitions place is freestyle tournaments, not world cup. They also recalled that defense is also football, and a team that produce quality defense the way Italians did, deserves the title as much as a team that win it depending on offense brilliance .
The anti-Italy pundits were basically attacking football admirers, added to the Majority of journalists in UK who slate and underestimate any success if it’s not English.
The analysts who defended Italy were basically the pragmatic ones who place result over anything else, beside the Italian journalists who rightfully defended their national team achievement.
Four years later, Spain won the world cup. And as usual, there were journalists who hailed the achievement as a victory of offense football and beautiful game. They are basically the romantic analysts mentioned above who believe there is a right way and a wrong way to play football. The argument that “the right way” wins no title is proven wrong again. Spain won the title. Take that pragmatics!
