Due
to some positive feedback, I have decided to make the debate topic a weekly
special
Topic
When Arrigo Sacchi came on the scene in 1987 with AC
Milan he was credited with breaking down the catenaccio culture and bringing a
more attack minded approach to the Italian game.
Many attributed his employment of zonal marking over
the man-to-man marking as the reason for a more attacking game.
Years later, Giovanni Trappatoni, insisted that the
Public had bought ‘hook, line and sinker’ the notion that zonal marking equaled
attacking football.
He asked observers to compare the years 1987 through
1991, when both managers were managing the Milanese clubs of AC Milan and
Internazionale Milano.
He argued that statistics show that his Inter scored
more goals and conceded more goals during this period, despite employing man to
man marking.
What are your thoughts on this, as well as each
manager’s legacy
We could also discuss Sacchis’ reign as Italy
national team manager with his tactics.
 |
Photo
from: Guerin Sportivo, October 31-November 6, 1990
(Giovanni Trappatoni) |
 |
Photo
from: Guerin Sportivo, April 26-May 2, 1989
(Arrigo Sacchi) |
A huge topic to be discussed, thank you very much for the proposal.
ReplyDelete1) Trapattoni did have a defense-first mentality, and that was pointed out by Platini himself at the times he played for Juventus; though, when the french star went on to manage France, he said that now he understood Trap's behaviour (that was after a defeat 3-2 vs.Yugoslavia). Indeed, he managed Juventus and Inter at their heights (1976-1994 combined), when he had the best players of Italy plus Platini, Boniek, Matthaus etc. He indeed scored lot of goals, but mainly with counter-attacks; the way most Italians manager handled the game since thes system vs.method debate of the 20's-30s. The press often wondered how Trap would fare in lesser famous teams with weaker players; in his later years he managed weaker national sides with a reasonable success so this means, as far as I'm concerned, that his attitude, character and personality puts him among the all-time bests.
2) Sacchi did indeed change the rules of the game as far as italian managers are concerned. He came along a new wave of managers in the eighties (Zeman; Galeone - Liedholm before them) that pushed zonal marking as THE system, but his enphasis was on defense and pressure all over the field; his teams were always the one with less goals scored against at the end of the league. Again, he basically had at his services two of the best defenders ever (Baresi, Maldini...) with better-than-average supporting cast (Costacurta and Tassotti at AC Milan; the Parma defenders in Usa '94). I agree with most of the press when they say that his impact is measured in terms of "mentality", i mean attitude, than in pure tactical innovations. He believed that his team had to play in a very specific way, regardless of the opposition's strenghts and weaknesses, always imposing its game, and attacking home and away. He is really credited, even also among its many detractors, for that attitude change.
Platini said that he learned from Trap that there are some matches that you know you just can't win, so you have to do all you can to not to lose
DeleteP.S. Trapattoni with one P and two Ts, :-D. Let's call him Trap! As he's used to say, "Don't say 'cat' if you don't have it in the bag" - what a character. Priceless.
ReplyDeleteTrap said during 91/92 season that capello's Milan were more dangerous, because sacchi's Milan would try to win matches 4-0 when 2-0 was sufficient and would burn a lot of energy and at crucial spring time of the season the players were too tired, case on point losing a title that was theirs for the taking in 1989/90 before Napoli came back in the final weeks
ReplyDeleteMaldino said around 1992 that sacchi's training practices were stressful physically and mentally and most welcomed the coaching change
ReplyDeleteRemember van hasten had a mini 2 week strike during 90/91 season because he felt as lone striker he was ineffective and wanted a support striker like massaro , I think by his last season they were playing 4-5-1
ReplyDeleteAs far as the national team sacchi called up 70-80 players if I am not mistaken many of whom played a game or two then disappeared like baiano, galia venturin carrera
ReplyDeleteI agre with all the above 4 post by sp.
ReplyDeleteWhen Capello arrived at AcMilan in the summer of '91, a team and a roster thought to be over blossomed again, won 3 leagues straight and reached 3 finals of the champions' league (winning 1). Sacchi's methods were incredibly stressful, he himself had to give up managing before burning out, in the late '90s-early 2000s.
I also remember Sacchi saying to Berlusconi, at the end of the the 90-91 season, "choose me or Van Basten", and Galliani and Berlusconi choose VB.
In fact apparently sacchi had considered others such as donadoni and gullet to be burned out by the end of 1990/91 season
Deletepersonally, based on what we saw on tv here in Italy and according to the accounts of the press, Sacchi's team was more spectacular: at his best it was truly one of the finest teams ever. Capello's side was more tactically savvy, spending less energy - as we said - but he also had different players with different skills to take care of, especially when the dutch trio Gullit-Van Basten-Rijkaard was fading.
ReplyDeleteThe only average team Trap managed was Cagliari 95/96 that turned out to be a disappointment, he did lead fiorentina to the champions league with the same caliber of players that would normally qualify for uefa cup only
ReplyDeleteYes, that was 98-99 if I remember well. Had Batistuta not got injured in february, they would have had a serious chance to win the league (a feat Fiorentina has not accomplished since 1969)
DeleteAs far as 94 wc, not taking Attilio Lombardo was a surprise as was not using Zola (before his sending off) after the season he had just had with Parma
ReplyDeleteSacchi was not the only culprit of our defeat in the final: Beppe Signori infamously turned down Sacchi's offer for place in the starting XI, as a winger, because he wanted to,play as forward only. A mistake he regretted later. What if....?
DeleteI am paraphrasing because I don't remember the exact quote but didn't say something along the lines of you don't have to have been a horse in a previous life to become a jockey
ReplyDeleteI should have pointed out in my previous post that Sacchi had made the quote
DeleteSimone, is Novantesimo minute, still broadcast in Italy? in the coming weeks, I will be uploading highlights from 90 minute and 'I temi di calcio' di Franco Zuccala from early 90s
ReplyDeleteYes it is, although it is not as 'culturally' important as it was in its heydays. Zuccala' was one of the finest journalists of the pack; many others were more local news correspondents turned superstars because of the huge audience of the show (Luigi Necco from Naples showing three fingers when Napoli scored three goals, etc) but very funny to watch for a teenager in the eighties. For those who don't know what we're talking about, Novantesimo Minuto was a tv show that showed the goals of serie a games at 18.00 in the sundays.
DeleteI was lucky enough that when I lived in the east coast in the (mid 80s to mid 90s), RAI America was broadcast at certain hours of the day, so I was fortunate to see "I temi di calcio', the match of the week and also 90 minuto
DeleteI guessed that Rai America was the source of that. The lumynous times of our serie a, when the best players of the world graced our football fields every week!
Delete