Death of the ‘beautiful game’

THE EDITOR, Madam:
European money has effectively killed the beautiful game. Look at this year’s Brazil team: its players compete professionally all over Europe. In the days of the beautiful game, very few Brazilians played outside Brazil. The more Brazilians have played across the world, the weaker the Brazilian team has looked, and the more diluted its style of play has become.
What Brazil played at this World Cup was not Brazilian football. This hybrid of Euro-Brazilian football is not sustainable. Brazil must either get back to its roots or fully adapt to the European style of football. The European game is faster and more hard-charging. It is not as pretty, but it is ruthlessly efficient. Defending is fierce, and forwards take every half-chance they get.
The days when the Brazil of Zico, Júnior and Sócrates could beautifully walk the ball from its own 18-yard box into the opposing goal are gone and not likely to return. For those old enough to remember Pelé holding up the ball and waiting for Carlos Alberto’s overlap, Brazil no longer has players with the close control, skill and footballing intelligence needed to execute those world-beating plays.
The fact that Brazil has turned to an Italian to coach the team is a clear sign that it already knows the beautiful game is dead and that it must now adapt to the European style. Ancelotti is the most successful coach in European football history. If Brazil can make the transition, he is certainly the man for the job, but it will take time.
Long live the beautiful game.

SHAKEY WILLIAMS