ANTI - FOOTBALL???
Anti – Football (Football without its beauty)
The just concluded UEFA EURO 2016 will be remembered for many occurrences like
the violence between English and Russian fans, the surprising display of Iceland, the
handball-like displays of two German footballers in the knockout stages of the competition
and Cristiano Ronaldo’s theatrics from the touchline in the final match between Portugal and
France. However, one disturbing part of the competition that would always be noted in the
record books was Portugal’s display of Anti – Football in the final match of the competition.
They were just so defensive and lacking flair in the final third especially after Ronaldo’s
injury. Other teams like Iceland were also thought to have deployed negative football tactics
with Ronaldo’s tongue lashing towards the little country termed unnecessary and an act of
arrogance. Fernando Santos’ Portugal team were singled out for criticism because they
played uninteresting football throughout the tournament, the most terrible of it being their
round of 16 match against Croatia where no shot on target was recorded throughout regular
time, it was termed a ”sleepy stalemate”, they had other brilliant moments though, most
importantly their 3-3 draw against Hungary in their final group stage game and in their
victory against Wales in the semi finals.
Anti – Football methods are win at all costs football that favours‘Football de Resultados’ (win oriented teamplay) over ‘Football d’arte’(artistic teamplay) and is thought to be common place in Italian football even though modern Italian coaches have devised new tactics and offered entertaining football on different stages. Anti – Football is usually thought to have originated from a tactical system
called Catenaccio or the chain and had a strong emphasis on defence. It was described as
Italian football at its paranoid and most brutal. It was thought to have been made popular by
Inter Milan’s Helenio Herrera who had previously coached Atletico Madrid and Barcelona
where he was sacked despite his almost perfect tactics. Helenio Herrera was born in Buenos
Aires though his exact date of birth is not known. He became Inter Milan’s coach in 1960 and
brought in the new method which was a modification of Karl Rappan’s verrou (bolt) system
developed in the 1930s
Rappan’s verrou system involved the use of a defensive sweeper called the verrouiler (or libero as later known) just before the goalkeeper. Helenio Herrera’s Inter also dubbed “la Grande Inter” was popular for their man-marking defenders and the final sweeper that cleared loose balls and double marked when necessary. Even though they were utterly defensive, Herrera described his system as attacking, stating that ‘The problem is; lesser sides trying to copy my style implemented it so badly, forgetting to implement the attacking principles my catenaccio included’.
The Catenaccio was made popular by Herrera, but it had been used by other coaches successfully before the 1960s, notable among them were Gipo Viani, credited with the discovery of the Catenaccio with his club side Salernitana which had defensive problems and Alexander Abramov who coached a soviet club now known as Samara both in the late 1940s. The most striking exponent of the playing style though, was Nereo Rocco with club side Triestina which he restored to glory in latter part of the 1940s, he also achieved success with Padova between 1956 and 1960 with the same tactical method before going on to coach AC Milan. His style was regarded as the Pure Catenaccio and was a little more romantic than Herrera’s, allowing for more goals than other catenaccio playing sides.
Other teams have deployed anti – football tactics in recent times, most popular of them is German coach Otto Rehhagel who won the UEFA EURO 2004 with Greece. He played without the normal zonal marking back four but used three man markers and a libero, adding further solidity with a five man midfield and a lone striker. Greece played inartistic football throughout the tournament but were victorious anyways, favouring result over flair. Another recent coach that has favoured results over artistry or flair is the self acclaimed Special One; Jose Mourinho. In his first six games in charge of Chelsea in 2004, Chelsea conceded only one goal and racked up fourteen points, but they only scored six goals and his football was described as scratchy and a little dull. One match that marked Mourinho’s evident display of negative football was the second leg of the UEFA champions league semi final between Inter Milan and Barcelona in 2010, he was in charge of Inter at that time. Following Barca’s 3-1 loss in the first leg at Milan, Mourinho’s team were utterly defensive in the return leg, dropping all nine remaining outfielders behind the ball after they had a player sent off in the 29th minute. Barca found Inter’s defence impenetrable and though they lost just 1-0, Inter won on aggregate and won the Champions League consequently. Mourinho also used negative, ugly football in Real Madrid where he conceived the a triangle of aggressive, hard tackling midfielders that could either win the ball back high up the pitch or offer an impenetrable block in front of the defensive four called the Trivote.
We could hope for more entertaining football from different present and upcoming coaches in the future of the game but for now, let us felicitate with Portugal on their recent victory and forget the debate. I hope we all enjoy the new football season.
(Photo and facts credit - Jonathan Wilson; ‘Inverting the Pyramid’ & ‘The Devil and Jose Mourinho’.)
Wisdom.
The just concluded UEFA EURO 2016 will be remembered for many occurrences like
the violence between English and Russian fans, the surprising display of Iceland, the
handball-like displays of two German footballers in the knockout stages of the competition
and Cristiano Ronaldo’s theatrics from the touchline in the final match between Portugal and
France. However, one disturbing part of the competition that would always be noted in the
record books was Portugal’s display of Anti – Football in the final match of the competition.
They were just so defensive and lacking flair in the final third especially after Ronaldo’s
injury. Other teams like Iceland were also thought to have deployed negative football tactics
with Ronaldo’s tongue lashing towards the little country termed unnecessary and an act of
arrogance. Fernando Santos’ Portugal team were singled out for criticism because they
played uninteresting football throughout the tournament, the most terrible of it being their
round of 16 match against Croatia where no shot on target was recorded throughout regular
time, it was termed a ”sleepy stalemate”, they had other brilliant moments though, most
importantly their 3-3 draw against Hungary in their final group stage game and in their
victory against Wales in the semi finals.
Anti – Football methods are win at all costs football that favours‘Football de Resultados’ (win oriented teamplay) over ‘Football d’arte’(artistic teamplay) and is thought to be common place in Italian football even though modern Italian coaches have devised new tactics and offered entertaining football on different stages. Anti – Football is usually thought to have originated from a tactical system
called Catenaccio or the chain and had a strong emphasis on defence. It was described as
Italian football at its paranoid and most brutal. It was thought to have been made popular by
Inter Milan’s Helenio Herrera who had previously coached Atletico Madrid and Barcelona
where he was sacked despite his almost perfect tactics. Helenio Herrera was born in Buenos
Aires though his exact date of birth is not known. He became Inter Milan’s coach in 1960 and
brought in the new method which was a modification of Karl Rappan’s verrou (bolt) system
developed in the 1930s
Rappan’s verrou system involved the use of a defensive sweeper called the verrouiler (or libero as later known) just before the goalkeeper. Helenio Herrera’s Inter also dubbed “la Grande Inter” was popular for their man-marking defenders and the final sweeper that cleared loose balls and double marked when necessary. Even though they were utterly defensive, Herrera described his system as attacking, stating that ‘The problem is; lesser sides trying to copy my style implemented it so badly, forgetting to implement the attacking principles my catenaccio included’.
The Catenaccio was made popular by Herrera, but it had been used by other coaches successfully before the 1960s, notable among them were Gipo Viani, credited with the discovery of the Catenaccio with his club side Salernitana which had defensive problems and Alexander Abramov who coached a soviet club now known as Samara both in the late 1940s. The most striking exponent of the playing style though, was Nereo Rocco with club side Triestina which he restored to glory in latter part of the 1940s, he also achieved success with Padova between 1956 and 1960 with the same tactical method before going on to coach AC Milan. His style was regarded as the Pure Catenaccio and was a little more romantic than Herrera’s, allowing for more goals than other catenaccio playing sides.
Other teams have deployed anti – football tactics in recent times, most popular of them is German coach Otto Rehhagel who won the UEFA EURO 2004 with Greece. He played without the normal zonal marking back four but used three man markers and a libero, adding further solidity with a five man midfield and a lone striker. Greece played inartistic football throughout the tournament but were victorious anyways, favouring result over flair. Another recent coach that has favoured results over artistry or flair is the self acclaimed Special One; Jose Mourinho. In his first six games in charge of Chelsea in 2004, Chelsea conceded only one goal and racked up fourteen points, but they only scored six goals and his football was described as scratchy and a little dull. One match that marked Mourinho’s evident display of negative football was the second leg of the UEFA champions league semi final between Inter Milan and Barcelona in 2010, he was in charge of Inter at that time. Following Barca’s 3-1 loss in the first leg at Milan, Mourinho’s team were utterly defensive in the return leg, dropping all nine remaining outfielders behind the ball after they had a player sent off in the 29th minute. Barca found Inter’s defence impenetrable and though they lost just 1-0, Inter won on aggregate and won the Champions League consequently. Mourinho also used negative, ugly football in Real Madrid where he conceived the a triangle of aggressive, hard tackling midfielders that could either win the ball back high up the pitch or offer an impenetrable block in front of the defensive four called the Trivote.
We could hope for more entertaining football from different present and upcoming coaches in the future of the game but for now, let us felicitate with Portugal on their recent victory and forget the debate. I hope we all enjoy the new football season.
(Photo and facts credit - Jonathan Wilson; ‘Inverting the Pyramid’ & ‘The Devil and Jose Mourinho’.)
Wisdom.
it is great to have sport line on the blog now and thanks to wisdom i now know what anti-football is and even though I'm not into football per Se i can reason football logically now. I'll be expecting more....... thanks to med-mentors!!!
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