The Technician N°40•E 14.10.2008 14:59 Page 1
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Technician N°40•E 14.10.2008 14:59 Page 1 Editorial: Football Prose and Poetry The Rear-View Mirror Respect and Protect Golden Oldies The Seeds of Spain’s Champion Harvest Ten Years After NEWSLETTER FOR COACHES N O 40 NOVEMBER 2008 The Technician N°40•E 14.10.2008 14:59 Page 2 IMPRESSUM EDITORIAL GROUP Andy Roxburgh Graham Turner Frits Ahlstrøm PRODUCTION André Vieli Dominique Maurer Atema Communication SA Printed by Cavin SA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hélène Fors COVER Luís Aragonés led Spain to victory at EURO 2008. (Photo: Foto-Net) Spain’s Fernando Torres shields the ball from Germany’s Philipp Lahm in the final in Vienna in June. Getty Images 2 The Technician N°40•E 14.10.2008 14:59 Page 3 FOOTBALL PROSE AND POETRY EDITORIAL ronment, the players and owners have frontations, isolated cases of dissent, become more demanding, while the and fewer yellow and red cards than at BY ANDY ROXBURGH, media and the fans have increased their EURO 2004. With figures to prove it, the finalists, Spain and Germany, showed UEFA TECHNICAL DIRECTOR expectations, often to unrealistic levels. The old maxim ‘enough is never enough’ that success and an adherence to positive comes to mind. A team can lose and sporting behaviour can be compatible. play badly, lose and play well, win and play badly, or win and play well. Un- The aim in professional football is to questionably, the latter is the desirable win matches, but more and more the Chelsea FC’s Luiz Felipe Scolari, the outcome, and Spain in the EURO and demands of the owners, the public and 2002 World Champion with Brazil, and Manchester United FC in the UEFA Cham- the media are to do it with style and Portugal’s EURO finalist in 2004, once pions League championed the cause panache. Just as in writing, where good said that ‘beautiful football is fantastic, if it of attacking football while confirming the prose provides the basic structure but can be married to results’. The perform- need for structure, efficiency and, when poetry raises the text to a higher level of ances of a number of teams at EURO necessary, caution. creativity, the game at the top level needs 2008 supported the argument that victory both effective, sensible organisation and, can be attained by playing positive, attrac- The trends in UEFA’s competitions show whenever possible, a commitment to tive football. Spain, under the direction an increase in fast combinations, spec- skilful attacking play. The former coach of of Luís Aragonés, won the 2008 European tacular counter-attacks, tactical flexibility, Real Madrid CF, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Championship with a fine blend of effi- match intensity and technical quality, stressed the attitude required when he ciency and style. All the statistics con- particularly at high speed. There is less declared to Brazilian coaching colleagues firmed their dominance and skilful ap- use of rigid systems such as 4-4-2, and at a conference in Rio: “To be afraid of proach: the champions registered the top the tendency towards the lone striker has losing removes the willingness to win.“ average in quantity of passes (570 against often been accompanied by supporting EURO 2008 was a wonderful advert for Sweden), the amount of successful wingers and middle-to-front attacking the European game, with the successful passes (forward and medium length), midfield players. But as José Mourinho sides blending passion for the cause, and the number of shots on target. The said at UEFA’s recent Elite Club Coaches’ proficient team play and open attractive Spanish based their game on progressive Forum: “Philosophy is one thing, adapt- football. The aim is to win, but how the possession play, fluid combinations, and ability another.“ The creative aspects of the result is achieved has gained increasing individual flair and imagination. “I like game have been flourishing, but counter significance in elite football’s demanding teams who focus on attacking and who measures have inevitably been evolving. environment. “I think all football lovers enjoy playing. This Spanish team is experi- There is, at the top level, a decrease in want people to make good combinations, enced and love to play this type of foot- midfield orchestrators, surprise tactics (es- to get into the penalty area and to score ball,“ said Guus Hiddink, the head coach pecially on set plays), advanced pressing goals,“ said Spain’s Luís Aragonés whose of the Russian national team, after his and risk-taking in general. Countering the team captivated everyone with wonder- side had lost twice during the 2008 final counter, with the extensive use of midfield ful passing movements. The Spanish tournament to the eventual winners. But screen players, has become a key devel- not only played fantastic football but they for the undemonstrative Luís Aragonés, opment. While most top coaches try to married it to results, and in doing so, it wasn’t all about flamboyance – prag- produce results through positive play, they set a performance standard for others matism laid the foundation for romance. recognise the need for balance – a disci- in Europe to emulate. Even the Brazilians have been known plined defensive structure in tandem with to take care of basic business. a framework for attacking fluidity and flair. The legendary Brazilian coach Mario The 2008 European Championship, which Zagallo said: “I would rather play ugly and was outstanding from a technical perspec- win – if you can play beautifully and win, tive, also promoted the concept of respect. that’s great.“ Coaches who work at the top Everyone was trying to win but not with level, and who are in the results business, a ‘win at all costs mentality. Overall, the will confirm that winning is the priority, attitude of the players towards each other but in a world of TV-dominated sports was commendable – some club-mates coverage, entertainment and quality of were, of course, direct opponents in the performance are also an important part finals and that probably contributed to of the equation. If the public and media the situation. In addition, a member of the label a team as boring, albeit that they are UEFA Referees Committee visited each winning on a fairly regular basis, then the squad at their training camp, prior to the coach’s position can become precarious – opening match, in order to explain the there are high-profile examples in recent approach of the match officials and to Getty Images years of coaches winning titles and then clarify certain interpretations of the laws. Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United being dismissed. In today’s football envi- The outcome was very few mass con- promote an attacking style of football. 3 The Technician N°40•E 14.10.2008 14:59 Page 4 GERMANY’S TORSTEN FRINGS AND MICHAEL BALLACK SURROUNDING AUSTRIA’S ANDREAS IVANSCHITZ DURING Getty Images EURO 2008. THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR Looking back at EURO 2008 WHEN THE FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS KICKED OFF IN SEPTEMBER, SEVEN OF THE SIXTEEN EURO 2008 FINALISTS OPENED THEIR CAMPAIGN WITH A NEW HEAD COACH ON THE BENCH. ONLY FIVE TEAMS HAD TRAVELLED TO AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND WITH THE TECHNICIAN WHO HAD LED THEM TO THE 2004 FINALS IN PORTUGAL AND, OF THOSE, ONLY LARS LAGERBÄCK AND OTTO REHHAGEL STILL OCCUPY THE SAME SEAT. CURIOUSLY, TWO ‘VETERANS’ FROM THE 1996 FINALS – FATIH TERIM AND GUUS HIDDINK – WERE BACK IN THE FRONT LINE FOR THE 2008 FINALS BUT, IN GENERAL, CYCLES OF NATIONAL TEAM MANAGEMENT TEND TO BE BRIEF, WITH THE RESULT THAT LITTLE ‘ACCUMULATED EXPERIENCE’ IS CARRIED FROM ONE EVENT TO ANOTHER. Broadcasting information as widely second half of the final, when they as possible within the coaching family were chasing the result against Spain. therefore makes sense. UEFA’s Tech- nical Report was launched at the 8th Although heaven-sent late goals pro- UEFA Conference for National Team vided milestones on Turkey’s route Coaches staged in Vienna in late Sep- to the semi-finals, the foundations tember and has since been dispatched for fortune were laid by Fatih Terim’s to national associations. An abridged astute substitutions – many of them version is posted on uefa.com. Based at half-time. Like many of his col- on observations by UEFA’s Technical leagues, he focused his structural Team, the publication sets out to high- Getty Images changes on the midfield screening light some of the trends which came Russia’s Roman Pavlyuchenko (right) positions, changing the midfield shape into sight at the peak of the national and Spain’s Marcos Senna challenge for and attacking potential of his team the ball in the semi-finals. team pyramid. by switching from two to one. Spain’s in response to specific situations. The Luís Aragonés trod the same path in There was no shortage of material in silver-medallists were a case in point. the opposite direction in response to Austria and Switzerland. One of the Germany opened the tournament with sustained German pressure early in salient features was that few teams built Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose as the second half, sending on Xabi their campaign on a rigid structure. an attacking partnership – the latter Alonso to accompany the excellent Only Austria and Greece occasionally lying slightly deeper – with Michael Marcos Senna in the screening role. operated with three central defenders Ballack and Torsten Frings operating in and two wing-backs. Both switched to front of the back four. During the sec- Spanish formations highlighted another a zonal back four in their second fix- ond half of the crucial game against feature of a final tournament where tures, reverting to three at the back for Austria, Joachim Löw inserted Thomas twin strikers were a relatively rare sight.