As André Rizek said in Seleção Sportv, Vinicius Junior was voted the best in the world by FIFA for his performances on the field. The title enhances his courageous anti-racist behavior. It’s not the opposite, as some insinuate that he would be the best in the world for his stance against racism.
On the other hand, athletes, coaches, celebrities and other professionals should be analyzed for their behavior during their career and in life, and not for sporadic and media-related attitudes and gestures. It is the society of the spectacle.
Luís Zubeldia, São Paulo coach, gave a great interview to ESPN’s Bola da Vez program, under the brilliant command of André Plihal. The coach, with knowledge and clarity, spoke about the difficulty of choosing the best, when some work in the same position. This was one of the reasons why James Rodrigues didn’t stay at São Paulo, as he, Luciano and Lucas like to play as central midfielders.
Zubeldia and Abel Ferreira, two great coaches, need to learn to reconcile the passionate way of working during matches with respect for referees and assistants.
Many other coaches experience the same problem when choosing the best. When young Scaloni took over the Argentina national team, there were several great players from midfield to forward: Messi, Di Maria, Lautaro Martinez, Alvarez, Dibala and others. The coach resolved the dilemma and the team started to play with three in attack and another three in midfield, a winning mark for the team. The two sectors get closer, which facilitated Messi’s technical splendor.
Dorival experiences something similar in the Brazilian team. He has selected four in attack (Luís Henrique, Raphinha, Igor Jesus and Vinicius Junior). There are only two left in midfield, which are good, but not that good. This scheme works well when there are wingers who attack and defend alongside the two midfielders. This is not the case with Vinicius Junior, who has been a striker at Real for a long time, in the center and on the left. Tite experienced the same problem with Neymar.
After Mbappé’s arrival at Real, Ancelotti began to have the same doubt, whether to select the four brilliant attacking players (Mbappé, Vini, Rodrygo and Bellingham) or to place Rodrygo in reserve to have another midfielder. With just two in midfield, the team has been conceding many goals in the Spanish league and Champions League.
There is a legend in football, which was marked in the 1970 World Cup, that it is always necessary to choose the best. It works very well when some adapt to another role. Piazza was even more brilliant in defense than as a midfielder, his position at Cruzeiro. Rivellino, who was an exceptional central midfielder, adapted very well to the midfield role, forming a midfield trio with Gerson and Clodoaldo. I, who was an attacking midfielder at Cruzeiro (played with number 8 and had the role of a number 10), played in the cup as a center forward, number 9. Today, they would call me a false 9.
Life and football did not start with the internet, as some think. I am an elderly person who tries to understand the present, with one eye on the past and another on the future. I am not a nostalgic person, a quixotic dreamer or a dazzled modernist.
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