I happened to see the Champions
League final on television in Italy,
where the programme covering the
match was called“Pressing”.
It is the buzzword of modern
football, the tactical style preferred by
men like Hansi Flick andJurgen Klopp.
As soon as the match had finished,
the conversation among pundits was
insistent: are we now in a period of
domination by German coaches?
Flick and Klopp, victorious in the
last two finals; Thomas Tuchel, this
year’s runner-up;Julian Nagelsmann,
coach of semi-finalists RB Leipzig.
It is a seductive thought. Among
pundits, coaches, aficionados and
ordinary fans, there is an endless
search for the latest trends, a quest
for explanations, and a desire to see
empires built and legacies created.
Few could doubt that Bayern
Munich were worthy champions in a
most curious 2019-20 football season.
They played some exhilarating football
in dismantling Barcelona 8-2 in the
quarter-final and were superior in the
final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Yet, look back to last autumn and
Bayern were a club in turmoil. They
had lost 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt,
their heaviest defeat for a decade,
and coach Niko Kovac was sacked.
Flick was promoted from within. He
had not been in charge of a team for
15 years since a spell at Hoffenheim,
and was only supposed to see Bayern
through to the winter break.Instead, he swiftly rejuvenated the
team. Yes, it was a high-pressing game,
but it came with flexible and pragmatic
adjustments in tactics during matches.
He also had Robert Lewandowski.
A prolific goalscorer who stays fit
and in form is crucial to champion
teams. If Kylian Mbappe had taken his
chance just before half-time in the
Champions League final, isn’t it likelythat PSG would have lifted the trophy?
Here is the profound truth of the
modern game: winning the Champions
League is about the marginal moments
far more than the tactical trends.
The moment of genius when Trent
Alexander-Arnold took a quick corner
for Liverpool’s decisive goal against
Barcelona in the 2019 semi-finals;
Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute header in
the 2014 final that opened the door
for Real Madrid to beat Atletico in
extra-time; the many chances missed
by Bayern in the finals of1999 and
2012 that allowed unlikely comebacks
for Manchester United and Chelsea.
Margins are slim between Europe’smajor clubs, and sometimes between
them and the next level of teams like
Ajax, Atalanta, Lyon and Leipzig. This
is why the Champions League is so
compelling – because it is unpredictable.
In the knockouts it is a proper cup
competition, where one poor match,
one piece of misfortune, one key injury,
can end the hopes of the best teams.
Pick this season’s winner? Not likely.THEWORLD THIS MONTH
AT THE HEART OF THE GAME
Jim
HOLDEN
The football intelligentsia will guide
you towards a German coach now that
Pep Guardiola’s style has supposedly
been “found out”, and when his old club
Barcelona are suffering internal chaos.
They are just guessing. We don’t have
a clue who will be European champions
in 2021. It could be any of a dozen clubs.
Who knows how Andrea Pirlo will
fare as head coach atJuventus? He
could be the most inspired choice.
Will Messi’s form be affected by the
saga? Will another year of experience
make Dortmund’s youngsters a force?
Will PSG take the final step next time?
Is the rejuvenation of Manchester
United magic or make believe?
We haven’t yet mentioned Liverpool
or Real Madrid or Manchester City. The
transfer work of Internazionale and
Chelsea may prove substantial.
Which club will be in crisis, change
coach, and emerge as a revitalised
unstoppable juggernaut? Remember
how Zinedine Zidane took charge of
Real inJanuary 2016 and won the
Champions League months later?
He won three titles in succession,
yet without amazing tactical innovation.
Zidane just found the practical knack
of winning matches, and his team came
out on top in the decisive moments. In
the end, this is what matters most.Winner...Flick is
the latest German
manager to be
widely-praisedHere is the profound truth of the modern game:
winning the Champions League is about the marginal
moments far more than the tactical trends
Magic moments define the biggest games – not tactics