Inter Milan might have won their match against Frosinone 4-0, but former Italian national team coach Arrigo Sacchi believes that the brand of football that the team plays is “ancient” to say the least.
The Nerazzurri currently sit pretty at the top of the Serie A table with 30 points, just two ahead of nearest rivals Napoli and Fiorentina. Coach Roberto Mancini’s team have been extremely successful in grinding out the results, with small-margin victories in most of their games.
However, Sacchi believes that in spite of these positive results, the kind of football that Inter Milan play is not very appreciable.
a Inter are showcasing an ancient style of football, revisited by someone with clear ideas,a Sacchi was quoted saying in Gazzetta Dello Sport.
a In some countries, this style of football would not be appreciated, but ita s fine in a country like Italy where winning is everything,” he further said. a In many countries, football is a spectator sport. Here though, ita s not a spectacle because therea s no aesthetic beauty. Therea s no sport, because the rules arena t respected, as demonstrated by the many scandals.a
Italian ‘Calcio’ has hope in spite of all the scandals, says Sacchi
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Although Sacchi has pinpointed the famed result-oriented Italian game to the “scandals”, he did say that modern Italian football was improving.
a Wea re at a good time now, because we have a group of style-based Coaches, who are optimistic, more creative and teach the idea of playing openly everywhere,a he said.
Sacchi is widely regarded as one of the managers who tried to implement a more creative style of football in an era when Italian football was all about being strong at the back, with a good sweeper.
His exploits at AC Milan in winning the European Cup in back to back years in 1989 and 1990, a feat that remains unmatched till date. He also introduced the Italian national team to a free-flowing attacking style of play, when he took over as their head coach in 1991. Abolishing the sweeper (a must for almost any Italian side back then) he went on to guide his country to the final of the 1994 World Cup, losing out to Brazil on penalties.