To achieve or to avoid?

A common saying is; there are no right or wrong in football. Another saying is: the winner is always right.

Both quotes are (logically) correct, but I would like to add another perspective to the understanding and important factors of football development.

When we study history; the conquerors fascinate us and not the lords staying inside their castle with the gates closed at all times. The brave fascinates us and optimistic conquers who dared in contrast to those who didn’t dare anything.

When I study and analyse football; my mindset is the same. I’m fascinated and deeply inspired by the coaches and leaders who try to develop the game and make football an improved and better game. It shouldn’t be a discussion about 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 or whether to play to the side or play it fast forward.

It has to be about whether the coach is trying to achieve or to avoid.

I know that in certain matches the smarter and more efficient gameplan can be to try to avoid - depending on your own team shape and the quality of your opponents. So my achieving/avoiding point is much more as evaluated over time.

Why is this even important? Football is still the most played and watched sport across the World, but this can quickly change as the new generations grow up in a different World with more opportunities and a different mindset towards sports and entertainment. So we have to ‘protect’ football by keep developing (achieving) the game, so the interest still will be massive around the globe.

As a professional player or coach/leader in football; we tend to forget a simple logic. We only have this privileged job as of:

- There are sponsors and TV investing heavily in football (paying the clubs/federations, who then pay us)

- Because there are fans and observers interested in the game (buying the product)

So inside the game we all have a huge responsibility. Not to be selfish and focus on our own career entirely, but always working towards a common purpose – in favour of the game and for the future of football.

Therefore we have to appreciate and admire the ones trying to achieve and criticize the ones always trying to avoid. A way to ‘win’ is also to develop the game and maintain the interest of football.

For love of the game!