Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has opened up on why he feels that too much analysis could be ruining the essence of modern-day football.
In an interview with Marca, he said: “There is too much analysis in football, too much. Nowadays everyone knows how the opponent plays, there is so much information that in the end the most important thing, which is the footballer, is controlled by remote control.
“ And in our case, I don't know with other teams, you run the risk of losing the essence, of taking away from the player what he has best. If you are constantly telling him what to do, you run that risk. We transmit what is fair, what we believe we have to transmit, what is really important, so as not to overwhelm you with information.
“We are losing the essence of football, and not only at the professional level, but at the children's level as well. My children play in Spain and they are overwhelmed with information. They receive the ball and are already being told what to do.
“There are no dribblers because if they barely receive the ball you say ‘Pass it!’... Imagine if Messi, when he was eight years old, had been told all the time "Pass it!" his coaches, today we wouldn't have him. It's something impressive.
“Since football has ended up being such a big thing, everyone reads, studies, and believes that with that they can lead. You tell a 7 or 8 year old child to make a run, to make the coverage... he is seven years old! Let him play ball, make mistakes, and when he is 14 or 15 we start correcting him. It is a message for the future. This is a sport and the beauty of football should not be lost.”
Scaloni helped Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, their first such championship in over 35 years. He also helped them clinch the 2021 Copa America title, which they’ll aim to retain in the upcoming edition starting from June.
