Tag Archive for 'combattività'

The fighting is the key to win the European football championship

Winning is a mixture of different ingredients that in soccer concerns the quality of the players, their ability to be cohesive in the most difficult competitive situations, is influenced by the coach and of course by the opponents play and many other aspects, including luck.

It is likely that the strongest teams that have been eliminated from this European Championship have suffered from some of these variables. I do not have the information to be able to analyze the match by examining these variables, however there is a characteristic that in my opinion is the glue to these variables and that is often decisive in favoring the final victory.

When Mourinho says that he wants “11 bastards”, Conte wants in his team aggressive players like Vidal, Ferguson waited for the 75th minute because knew from that moment his team would be unleashed, the same Tuchel saying that his players are predisposed to fight because this is their nature.

These different words affirm the idea that fighting spirit is the ingredient that a team that wants to win must show and that without this attitude even the best in quality will never achieve this result.

So let’s not be surprised if many of the best teams were eliminated, they obviously didn’t play with this approach. Combativeness does not mean to be foul but to want to win contrasts, to get up immediately when you fall, not to protest with the referee, to kick to score goals, to maintain the intensity of play throughout the match. The role of the coach is decisive in stimulating this kind of commitment.

Juventus low motivation

In soccer, the sport competition is a situation where the performance of a team is compared to the standard required for that event. In addition, each team should show on the field the desire to overcome difficulties through collaboration among the players, while to the opponents should be dominant the competitiveness. Certainly a team needs talent players but nobody definitely win if there is no integration amomg the players’ behavior, if it lacks the group cohesion. These concepts are not to be thought of as good intentions, general and non-specific, because they are the basis of the winning teams. If you apply these principles to the present condition of Juventus it’s evident, at a glance, that the behaviors of the players in the field do not match, if not in small part, to these simple rules. It lacks the so-called team spirit and a united group, which are important objectives to address effectively to cope with with a  challenging season and highest level. We do not forget that the motivation should be a psychological dimension always present and independent of the quality of the game. Indeed, precisely when there may be uncertainties or difficulty performing the work required by the coach, as it’s true for Juventus at the start of this season, it becomes imperative for the players to be on the pitch with the fighting spirit and tenacity required to whom is part of a team. It’s maintaining high the motivation to play that the players, the team and the coach could think only about the technical aspects of the game and not on the misbehavior of the team, not so motivated in the field. In moments of crisis it serves the leader, Allegri, send a few ideas that are clear, specific and perceived by players as achievable since the next game. The team needs to know that it takes time to improve the collective quality of the game but that combativeness and toughness are mental qualities that should be present until the next match. Otherwise Juventus will continue to play with the excuse that if the team does not have a good play or it’s few time that the players are together, this approach will determine the lack of confidence in following the instructions of the coach. In addition, the core of the team represented by the defense players as a whole has done little to show on the field this attitude and to motivate their mates, they will have to commit much more. Juventus now has a team humiliated by the superficiality with which it approached this new season. The biggest mistake by the managers was to say it would be a transition year, thus giving players the perception that it would not be so important to maintain the standards of the past. Now they have discovered that losing the games, because of the inability to be a team and to react immediately to mistakes pleases no one and leading the team into an abyss; we’ll see if they will be able to motivate everyone to play with the right intensity to show the capabilities of the team. The task of Allegri is not only technical but he has to help the team to change emotional minset, he will have to explain that there is no excuse for anyone in the field and that it serves combativeness and toughness.

The team psychological skills

The team psychological skills I think most influence the play and the performance are the following.

Collaboration – Each player has the responsibility to actively contribute to the team cohesion. This attitude must be trained every day, it’s the structure that supports the team and it’s based of relationships among the players, the coach, the technical and health staff and the managers. It’sessential that everyone in the team has a well defined role and specific goals. Each player must accept his position and be committed and engaged. Who was not convinced must quickly clarify his position, otherwise he will not engage fully in the team.

Fighting spirit and toughness – In every game are positive and negative moments; the team as a whole has to find the positive in the difficulties and the team skill is to think that this is the time to demonstrate the ability to resist and then to behave in combative and tenacious way. Concentration and self-control in the field must serve to moderate the excesses of aggressive behavior that can result in impulsive and too fouled behaviors.

Concentration – it means to do the right thing at the right time. It concerns to follow the guidelines coming by the coach but also the management of the thoughts after a mistake, in times of increased pressure of the opponents, in the crucial moments of the match but also after scoring a goal we should not relax but stay focused.

Competitive stress management  - Emotions are difficult to manage effectively and this is why so often limit the performances. There are those felt by the young players, who have to learn to manage their role not only in the game but also in daily life and there are those of the more experienced players, who must also continue to maintain their  emotional commitment balanced. In connection with the game it’s necessary that everyone can find the optimal emotional condition to start the match well. The players should identify what are the emotions that allow them to play well and those which hinder them,working to consolidate what it’s good.

Self-Esteem – I often say to the athletes I work with that to be a champion it takes courage and humility. Courage to think that I can achieve great things with the team, so have confidence in me and at regards of the teammates, and then have the humility to commit myself every day to achieve this dream, step by step. To accomplish this task is not easy, because it’s easier to dream without engaging or to try to do the best but without an idea in the mind of what / how he’s doing. In a team confidence it’s not just a personal issue but it’s also a collective factor to build and to keep growing.

Juventus: from the abyss to success

Juventus had expected the test to be who it said it was and not a scary team in Europe. Juventus has due to arrive on the edge of the abyss to know its value. Juventus in this match has been fighting continuously. Now he must learn to think better as a team. After going ahead, it was expected that the Greeks would attack to get the equalizer and, unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened after just two minutes. Be calm would allow him to predict the reaction of the opponent and get ready to fight it. In fact until the second goal Olympiacos Juventus played and it went on and on but in a confused way. Then the incredible happened, Juventus has changed his fate because the fighting has combined the strength and the conviction that it was possible to win. And that has made ​​all the difference compared to the first half. The next time it might find this state of mind before being at one step from the abyss, because the other teams do not always allow this type of recovery. A big step forward, but the European mentality does not exist yet.

The mental skills of the soccer teams

Today begins the Italian football championship. The  Napoli exclusion from Champions League immediately put in evidence the importance of the psychological capacities in determining the supremacy on the field as well as the final result. Among the main features to look for in the game to know if a team is a match positively oriented are:

  • Tactical Intelligence: do the right thing at the right time
  • Combat: do not allow to the opponents to be comfortable when they play with us
  • Toughnes: try harder and persist longer under adversity
  • Responsibility: accepting the role and instructions provided by the coach
  • Sense of belonging: feeling an active player of the team, collaborate and support the teammates at all times
We’ll see during the season which teams will show more of these psychological skills.

Coach the fighting spirit

The fighting spirit is an important psychological dimension that an athlete must show to possess and master. Being a fighter means to be tough and persistent  to maintain the best possible performance  even in the face of the competition adversities. You can exceed on aggression, becoming fouled and dangerous to themselves and others. Instead, you can give up after the first moment of difficulty, believing that there is nothing more to be done. One of the aims of the training, it shall be to increase the fighting so that it can be express in the race.

Napoli unsuccessful emotional condition

Yesterday I wondered who between Juventus and Napoli would have shown the will to win from the start of the game and Juve did it from the first moment. It would be useful to understand why this state of mind it has been demonstrated by Napoli only during the second time it has provided, as we say, “a proof of pride.” In my opinion an experienced coach like Benitez should have parameters to determine if before an important game his team is in the best emotional state to face an opponent that you know the game system and as well you know the fighting spirit that, his coach, Conte is able to convey to his players. With this awareness, you go in knowing what  it’s very likely to happen the field and that really did take place. Of course the players are not robots that perform the Benitez’s order, however, a team that wants to win cannot enter the pitch with that attitude. So I think it is important for Napoli to understand how the attitude of the players has been so dismissive, you may be inferior in terms of quality of play, but not in relation to the will to face to the best of your abilities the opponents. The only one who has shown a positive approach was Reina, the Napoli goalkeeper, who has played his role with determination. Napoli needs to improve its ability to go in the field with the emotional condition allowing to play a game with determination, otherwise the class of individual players and the team will remain locked in a drawer where you’ve lost the key.

Win? It’s an attitude

The football champioship is made ​​up of many games, and the result of a Sunday does not determine for sure who will win it. It’s also true, however, that there are days that have more significance than others and the results of these matches bring any advantage not only defined in terms of points won or lost, but that also have a strong psychological impact. It ‘s the case of this last match of the championship in which Juventus had to show that it is in not in crisis and win a game in a convincing way, while Napoli and Lazio, the direct pursuers just three points, they had to prove themselves to have acquired that psychological maturity that allowed them to win to continue to keep up the pressure on Juventus and prove themselves to be able to maintain the pace you need to stay on top. Well Juve’s won (4-0 vs Udinese) while the other two have missed the target. The difference between dominate and tie is made of episodes, but what matters is the awareness of having to stay focused and always fighting at a high level. These features are missing at Napoli and Lazio, who have yet to grow from this point of view.

Juve: quality and fighting spirit

Juve last night against Chelsea could suffer defeat very hard after the two goals scored in a few minutes and instead it has managed to overturn the result. This game teaches that the quality of the game without fighting spirit of the team is of little use. Combat is not a scientific term, but in my opinion clearly indicates the ability to play ball on ball consistently throughout the game. The second characteristic of fighting is the ability to play this way regardless of the outcome of the game, you play ball on ball when you win 2-0 but even when you’re losing 2-0. It expresses the conviction of being in the field with this attitude until the final whistle. The little combative teams can overcome this deficiency with individual actions of their best players and in this way can also win some games. Unlikely to repeat the results of this type continuously, because in football to win a championship or an international tournament counts the reaction of the team not only the inspiration of star players.

Does Prandelli use the sport sciences?

Ma qualcuno gli può dire che oltre ai test fisici, per capire chi è più in condizione e chi meno, esiste la psicologia, che potrebbe fornirgli utili indicazioni, altrettanto scientifiche, per capire chi ha la mentalità per giocare partite importanti con uno spirito combattivo e vincente.