In football, as in all aspects of life, there are role models to admire. However, legendary coach Fabio Capello argues that Italian football has been overly influenced by Spain’s Pep Guardiola, causing Serie A to lag behind on the international stage.
Capello remarked that Italian clubs used to excel with their pressing and direct play, but by emulating Guardiola’s tactics, Italian football is now about a decade behind. He noted that teams have slowed down on the pitch, and ball possession often lacks effectiveness.
“Italian clubs once dominated European football with pressing and vertical play. Then we began to imitate Guardiola, but we’re ten years behind, and the results are evident. We are slower, and our ball possession is frequently ineffective. The ball moves slowly, and we lack decisiveness.
This strategy has not benefited us in the Euros and may hinder our performance in European competitions. While Spain focuses on possession, they also play more vertically. Guardiola’s City maintains possession but does so in the opponent’s half, unlike what we see in Serie A, where it’s often in front of our own penalty area,” Capello said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
