Silvio Berlusconi invited Sacchi to Milan in the summer of 1987, in the sixth year of his coaching career. Arrigo was attending courses in Coverciano just as Squadra Azzurra was winning the World Cup in Spain, and he was preparing - no less - to make a splash in Calcio. Despite the domination of catenaccio, Italy has always been able to attack effectively and did not experience a shortage of attacking plan performers. The same Trapattoni tried to win all home matches, and only on the road he became more careful. Nevertheless, for more than forty years, that is, for several generations of players and coaches, the football worldview was based on impassable defense and dagger counterattack. First of all, the teams from the Apennines were looking for free space behind the backs of their opponents, and did not go forward with large forces and did not try to continuously control the ball. It's time for a change ...

Italian specialists switched to zone football even before the advent of Sacchi. Therefore, calling Arrigo the "father of the zone" would be a big mistake. Prior to him, Corrado Viciani worked in this direction at Ternan, Eugenio Fachetti at Lecce, Vinicio at Napoli, Giuseppe Marcioro at Cesena, and Nils Lidholm and his scudetto with Roma made this method a success. As for Sakki, his achievement, of course, is much more important, because he invented a fundamentally new method of work. He was not a pragmatist, he was a workaholic. For him, every little thing was a matter of paramount importance, nothing was left without his attention. He worked with the team every movement to the point of insanity. For this he was inspired by the theater, where the actors repeated their role until they memorized it, and it did not penetrate their subconscious.

Now such statements do not surprise anyone, but before they caused bewilderment and even frightened. Therefore, Sakki faced opposition from both his colleagues and wards, and journalists. Moreover, other coaches treated Arrigo with contempt, because he was never a professional footballer. Yes, he never thought of as a former player, and that was his advantage. Most of the footballers are conservatives and only repeat what they did before under the guidance of their coaches. Sacchi wanted to create something new, was an ardent opponent of thoughtless adherence to habits and rules. As he succeeded, he paved the way for other lay people. First of all, of course, for Jose Mourinho.

The same can be said for sports directors and other functionaries of football clubs, who, as a rule, are also former players. Sakki came from a different reality and threatened the work of the familiar system, made him think about what seemed unshakable. Not surprisingly, there were those who thought Arrigo was crazy. And he, in general, himself gave a reason for this, sometimes overstepping the boundaries of the permissible. There were those who, after several cases of obvious luck, called his success a coincidence and nothing more. They even picked up a rather offensive French definition - "cul de Sac" (in Italian, the word "culo" means not only "luck", but also "ass"). Sacchi did not go into his pocket for a word, ironically remarking in response: "The word" culo "is usually called the skill and success of other people."

There is nothing to be done - the football of the past could not and did not want to accept the innovator. The areas on the football field, over which there is a continuous struggle, have not changed for decades. The tasks of the performers also do not change within the framework of certain roles. Sakki only changed the approach to this fight. Instead of confronting specific opponents, his charges attack free zones. He advises: Italian teams should no longer resort to total personal tutelage. And he gets a completely natural question: why, Maestro? Sakki explains the elementary things: when using personal guardianship, in a certain area of ​​the field there is only one meter of space where you cannot give a pass (the player is there), and another twenty meters that are not controlled by anyone, and where you can safely pass, bypassing the enemy. Twenty versus one is not a bad advantage, isn't it?

However, even the charges never really loved Sakki. Yes, respected, but nothing more. They were often afraid because from the outside he seemed obsessed. He was always right. He always had something to say, and he did not hesitate to repeat his truth over and over again. He always demanded the maximum possible and did not leave room for error. He did not forgive: either they, or me. “I know I’m not very good,” he said. “But we have little time to talk. We must not stop. There is still a lot of work to do today. We don't want to be just different, we want to be the best in the world. Therefore, you need to plow and, above all, think. " This was another know-how. Each player has his own intuition, his own vision, but still everyone should in one impulse express a single Idea on the field developed by a trainer.

From shoe seller to revolutionary

Arrigo Sacchi was born in the small town of Fusignano, in the Emilia-Romagna region. The future revolutionary from childhood was not seriously interested in anything other than football, inheriting this passion from his father August. He once played for SPAL, but did not make a career in calcho. Arrigo's mother often likes to recall the story of how her five-year-old son, while walking in the park, gathered a whole crowd around him, who enthusiastically listened to his discourses on football schemes and the team of the heart - Inter Milan. Finding himself on the other side of the Milan barricades, Sacchi had to tell a different story from his childhood: "Once I watched football and saw how Herrera's team completely went into defense, and involuntarily began to root for their rivals from Celtic ..."

Sakki tried himself as a player, but from the first strikes on the ball at the Baracca Lugo club, it became obvious that the talent did not spend the night there. The guy continued to play until the age of nineteen in the position of full-back, after which he dropped both football and his studies, although there were only two months left before receiving an accountant diploma. Arrigo hoped that his natural sociability and knowledge of foreign languages ​​would help him out. I was not mistaken: I began to travel around the world and sell shoes made at my father's factory until I made money on Porsche. However, this kind of life did not like Sakki. One and the same obstacle always separated him from happiness - a passion for football. Wandering around Europe, he had the opportunity to carefully study the methods of preparation in various schools, especially the Dutch. And he hoped that sooner or later this knowledge would be useful to him. He drew inspiration from such teams as Real Madrid Di Stefano, the Hungarian national team of the times of Puskas, the Brazilian national team with Pele of 1970, the Dutch Cruyff national team. Sacchi respected Giovanni Trapattoni for his healthy pragmatism, Ottavio Bianchi for interesting tactical decisions in playing at high speeds, Valery Lobanovsky for playing Dynamo, Nils Liedholm for establishing zone football in Italy.

Finally succumbing to temptation, Arrigo began to coach the amateur teams of his region: Fusignanese, Bellaria, Alfonzine. Then he decided to work with young people, adopting the primavera of "Cesena", with which he won the title of Italian champion in 1982. This result is very important for Sakki, because it was the first professional success. It was then that the Serie B and C clubs began to look closely at the young Allenator. However, he chose to continue working with young people, feeling excellent in the role of a teacher. Sacchi moved to the Fiorentina primavera, where he also left a good memory. Later he was persuaded by the bosses of Rimini (Serie C), where everything went as smoothly as in all previous teams. In 1985 it was Parma's turn (Serie B). Even then Sakki said things strange for that time: “My wingers should not only attack, but also take an active part in defensive actions. The new team must move in sync, like an orchestra. I think in Parma, in the homeland of Giuseppe Verdi, everyone should understand what I mean. "

What happened next is well known. Sacchi had a chance to meet with Milan Berlusconi three times: two wins and one draw. Parma knocked Rosso-neri out of the Italian Cup. In this confrontation, Milan did not manage to cross the center of the field. Don Silvio immediately decided to invite the young coach to his club, because he saw him as the spokesman for his own ideas in football. Although, in fact, they look at football in completely different ways. Berlusconi believed (and still believes) that the game is born due to the presence of high-quality performers on the field, according to Sacchi, even great players must be only part of the team and work exclusively for it.

As Arrigo himself recalls: “In March, Fiorentina called me, this time as the coach of the first team. Italo Allodi personally called me to tell me this great news. Later, when I returned home, I found a message from my wife: "A certain Adriano Galliani called." I went to Milan, met with the president and became the Rossoneri coach. Even then, I thought that the one who decides to trust such a stranger as I was at that time is either a genius or a madman. For some reason I wanted to believe in the veracity of the first option ... "And also:" If I fail in Milan, I will calmly return to the province. I am 41 years old, I have a little hair left and those have already turned gray. I have never considered football the most important part of my life. They say I won't finish until Easter. Well, I can say that people here are kinder than in Rimini. They said that I would not finish until Christmas. " As we know, Sakki worked for three seasons, during which he managed to do more than some in his entire life.

So the era of Sacchi's Milan begins. Arrigo goes to Milanello, supervises the first training sessions and sees that his players are too slow, they cannot run as he demands. He keeps them in the locker room for more than an hour, explaining to them that they are now nobody and not because they have not won anything yet, but because they cannot even move around the field as they should. He makes them watch video tapes of Parma's game. For Baresi, he brings a tape of Gianluca Signorini, Genoa's libero from Serie B. He wants Franco to move like him. In the first matches, Rosso-Neri are too hectic, and the results leave much to be desired. There are also those who reasonably ask: "Who are you to teach us?"

Sakki also feels insecure, because he understands that the club does not have time to wait forever for the changes to pay off. Previously, it seemed to him that the Rosso-neri players were the ones who would be able to bring his ideas to life, but for some reason this did not happen. Next Sunday the team is going to a difficult trip to Verona, where, perhaps, everything will be decided. How the fate of the 1972/73 scudetto was decided, for example. The match ended with a brutal defeat for the Milan club. This time everything turned out differently. Milan won 1-0, the season went up, and soon Sacchi began to deservedly be called the Maestro. The footballers followed his instructions. The team attacked with ten men and defended with six. On any part of the field, there was a safety net and a change of position. When the team actions began, both defense and midfield moved in a single impulse. This has never been seen in Italy!

An important event preceded this success. Before the start of the meeting in Verona, Berlusconi stood at the exit from the locker room and personally informed each player that, whatever the situation, Sacchi would remain at the club for at least three years. He explained this in such a way that it became clear to everyone who was opposed to the coach that there was no hope for deliverance, it was time to start playing, and not create an appearance. It must be admitted that without the support of Don Silvio there would have been no revolution at Milan.

Having learned their lesson, Milan won victory after victory. Nevertheless, everyone believed in Maradona's Napoli, revered as the strongest team in the championship. Neapolitan coach Bianchi has never been a fierce supporter of catenaccio. He had his own way of working: Ottavio used pressure everywhere to get possession of the ball. Bianchi was a football snob, he was sure that everything that was possible had already been invented earlier, so he did not look for the philosopher's stone, like Sacchi, but tried to play match after match to win. The champion was determined three rounds before the finish. Milan went on a visit to Napoli, one point behind, and won 3: 2, completely dominating some sections of the game. They talked about the involvement of the "Comorra" in the failure of the Neapolitans, but there is no doubt that the football played by the "Rossoniri" became a revelation for Italy.

It may sound paradoxical, but Sakki's football is primarily focused on defense. The main goal was to prevent the opponents from hitting the goal. In many matches, goalkeeper Giovanni Galli never touched the ball, because the opponents could not even get close to his goal. In total, Milan conceded 14 goals in 30 matches, scored not so many - 43. Pietro Paolo Virdis and Ruud Gullit, whom Sacchi reclassified as a trequartista, acted in the attack.

Saki Method Football

How did they get to this kind of football? Sacchi's idea is based on the following components: motivation, ambition, dreams, the cult of perfectionism, a calm environment.

Let's leave aside the calm environment, which does not always fully depend on the coach, and note that all other concepts are intangible. Starting from motivation, that is, the ability to find the necessary incentives within oneself, to ambition, that is, the springs with the help of which motivation is released. And ending with dreams - an irrational belief in the feasibility of the unrealizable due to motivation and ambition. Sacchi's banal rationalism is not enough - he seeks to find a mystical justification for his football. The cult of perfectionism assumes that the above components need to be developed constantly, not ignoring the smallest detail.

It's clear that a program like Sakka's requires special players, so he set the club the task of finding not just high-quality performers, but personalities. Smart people who can understand what Arrigo is talking about and not make fun of his ideas, which sometimes seem crazy and have nothing to do with football. That is why the "Prophet from Fusignano" raised the personal characteristics of football players to the same level as the tactical and technical ones. Since he liked to consider himself a philosopher from football, he had no choice but to repeat the statement of Diogenes, applying it to selection: "I'm looking for a man!"

But that's not all. As soon as the players mastered the first part of the program, it was time to move directly to football. Three more rules were in effect here. First of all - a serious attitude to the matter on the part of the club management, a willingness to support an innovative project. Then - the idea of ​​the game. The players should like the game, everyone should be willing to contribute. Strategy and tactics are gifts from a coach to his players. If the players do not understand the idea, do not get pleasure from its implementation, there will never be a team. Finally, the best footballers should feel part of the project and not demand personal privilege. Everyone must obey the same rules, otherwise there will be no discipline. Everyone should do their best in the same way. That is why the personal characteristics of each player are so important.

Having dealt with the team issues, Sakki addresses the individual footballers and explains what qualities are mandatory for them. We are talking about intuition, about memory as the ability to reflect on the field what was learned in training, about patience, that is, the willingness to repeat the same thing until the skill is brought to automatism. Culture is also of great importance, which means not so much knowledge of languages ​​or historical events, but culture in life and on the field, the ability to understand what the team needs at one time or another of the game, how to behave in the locker room; awareness of their role in the team and in the club; values ​​and traditions that the player brings with him to the club.

Until 1987, footballers were never considered in such categories. And colleagues, not trying to understand Sakki, characterize him as "a person who used a hundred words to say what others have succeeded with the help of twenty." Having his own opinion on any matter, he strove to speak out, especially in his first year of working with the grandee. Not only about football, but about the country as a whole. He even explained the difference between a footballer and a player. Sakki said: “A footballer is one who knows how to play football, to kick the ball. And the player is the one who understands the game. " Perhaps it is not worth explaining who commands more respect. And once, Sacchi noticed that the last time Italians went on the attack two thousand years ago, back in the days of the ancient Romans. Although he always liked this joke, it is difficult to call it successful, given that it was the ancient Romans who very actively and not without success used such a combat maneuver as a counterattack.

Sacchi once said: "The Scudetto is the merit of Angelo Colombo." Rijkaard, Gullit, Baresi and, of course, van Basten performed alongside Colombo, but they were not the main ones, according to Sacchi. This phrase clearly shows the attitude towards all the prima donna footballers who consider themselves better than others. Sakchi's achievement also lies in the fact that in his invincible Milan, all players and their merits were assessed equally, regardless of their abilities. Van Basten used to ask the coach why he treated him the same as everyone else. And he received in response: "So that there was something to respect you for." Marco realized what Sacchi wanted to say only when he became a coach himself. Then he apologized because "players like me were giving you unnecessary problems." The coach was not angry: "You solved many problems for me."

An even more difficult relationship developed with Roberto Baggio when Sacchi called for a revolution at the Squadre Azzurra.... Arrigo claims to have always respected Divine Ponytail, but did not accept his selfish demeanor. According to Baggio, the team exists to serve the talent of geniuses. Sakki could not agree with this concept. Talent is important, but only within the team. It turned out differently, for example, with Gullit, who was ready to give all of himself at the disposal of the team. And the coach taught him how to use his physical strength for the good of everyone. Why counterattack when you can just crush your opponent? Ruud served as a kind of war machine for Arrigo. The key word is served.

Sacchi pushed his charges to the limit. Before him, training took place in one lesson three times a week. After that, they train every day, often two sessions. This is probably why with the teams he built, Arrigo won less than he could. But no one could play the same football as him. When his AC Milan passed into the hands of Fabio Capello, an unprecedented winning cycle began: four Scudettos in five years and 58 unbeaten games. There is no doubt that Capello is a better coach. Sakki is more than just a trainer, he is a pioneer. He could invent something out of nothing, but in the process of creation his performers reached a state of physical and psychological exhaustion. Their strength could not last long.

When his Milan were just beginning to show the first signs of fatigue, van Basten, at the request of his teammates, asked the coach why they should not only win, but also persuade, while their opponents are content with one victory. Arrigo replied: "Because we are the best and we must do everything to stay so." Therefore, Sacchi was not surprised when his Milan were named the best team in world football. Then Arrigo dialed van Basten's number and said: "Now you understand why it was not enough for us just to win?"

It was a surprise that not only the team burned out, but also the Maestro himself. As they say, a candle lit on both sides burns out twice as fast. Sakki was just that candle. He burned out from his own fire. At some point, he felt that he could no longer think about football, he could not follow the rules he had established. Being a workaholic, he could not help being honest with himself: when he felt that there was no more love for football, he did not see the point in just doing a profession. Neither the beloved Milan, nor Atletico, nor Parma could revive him from the ashes. And even million-dollar contracts did not hold him in place. He was probably one of the few sports directors in the history of Real Madrid who retired voluntarily.

When talking about the legacy of the "Prophet of Fusignano", it is often written that he used the 4-4-2 scheme, unusual for the Calcio of that time. But this is not entirely true. According to Arrigo himself, he did not have a game formation - there was only order on the field, necessary to implement his idea of ​​the game. Just like the Romanian specialist Stefan Kovacs, who is revered as the father of the great Ajax along with Rinus Michels. There is no schema. There is a game idea. And the difference is big. After all, a scheme can belong to everyone, an idea - to one person.

Until now, Sakki's colleagues do not feel much sympathy for him, but they invariably recognize two main achievements, and, oddly enough, both relate to the game in defense. First. Sacchi brought the zone game to perfection, approved it in Italy so that all other coaches in the future could use it without any problems. Second. Sakki invented the ball game. According to his theory, on any part of the field where the ball hits, the team should be in the majority.

There is no doubt that Sacchi changed the approach to football in Italy and opened the way for many followers. There were also those who approached his developments from a more practical side and made them effective and long-lasting. Nevertheless, no one was able to fully reproduce Sakki's ideas. Probably only Jose Mourinho can compete with him in relation to every detail. There were more successful coaches than Sacchi, Capello and Lippi, but none of them played such a significant role in the development of Calcio. They just got more wins, and Sacchi changed football forever. Alas, this achievement is so great that Arrigo himself could not bear the burden.

The fact that after Sakki the calcho has changed is proven even by numbers. When Arrigo first came to Milan in 1987, they averaged less than two goals per game at 1.92. At the end of the 1990/91 season, when he was forced to leave the post of head coach of Rossoneri, this figure increased to 2.29, that is, 113 more goals per league, and continued to grow. Today all coaches use zone defense, almost all use three strikers or at least two strikers and an attacking midfielder. However, Sakki is still unhappy. He goes on to talk about the superficial attitude towards football in Italy and the dominance of catenaccio. Probably because its main drawback is an irresistible striving for perfection.

Grants website and company share the thoughts and opinions of one of the greatest coaches in football history, Ariggo Sacchi.

Ariggo Sacchi is rightfully considered one of the main innovators of football in the late 1980s. As head of Milan, the Italian specialist completely changed the approach and vision of the most popular game in the world, skillfully manipulating tactical schemes and applying innovations during the game, which ultimately brought many victories to the Rossoneri. Thanks to Sacchi, Milan returned to its former power and importance on the international arena, winning the Champions Cup twice in a row and a number of other equally prestigious awards, and also managed to compete with the formidable Napoli at that time in the fight for the Scudetto.

Football is the most important of all the minor ones.

They say that a good coach must be a former footballer, but in order to become a great jockey, you don't have to be a horse before that.

Each trainer has their own methods.

Only obsession will allow you to achieve what others will not.

Whenever I was wrong about a player, it was because of his character, but not because of the quality.

The emphasis today is on results, not how well you are doing. You cannot build a skyscraper in a day, but you can build a hut.

Your biases are playing with your ideas.

Action is needed, not words.

Football was and will be the only thing I can talk about.

Victory may remain in books, but the ways to achieve it will remain in people's memory.

Football is played first with their brains, and only then with their feet.

There is no perfect command.

It is very difficult to think intensely about two things at the same time.

Remember, five percent is intuition, insanity, inspiration, and ninety-five percent is sweat and study.

All football is based on hope. Taking away the dream of a promotion from a small team is the end.

Leading the field requires humility, determination, and ironclad tactics.

The leader of a team can only be one who is its soul. I need players who can do any job, know how to defend and attack.

It takes an eye, patience, memory and a strong ass to win.

Remember that even a penalty kick is almost always won by the one who deserves it. It is not true what you think this is a lottery.

Only the results are taken into account.

Milan, which I got from Liedholm, was a good team, but some players did not fit my project. For example, Agostino Di Bartolomei is a great player who, however, did not fit my vision. Therefore, I did not need him. And also Dario Bonetti, who played for the national team, but constantly confused day and night.

At first, it was hard for me in Milan, as at every new job. The team treated me without prejudice, but with distrust. I said unexpected things about football - both mentality and training programs. In Italy, if you remember, Giordano Bruno was burned. They looked at me like a heretic.

In Italy, you are either a genius or a donkey. In both cases, you don't need to exercise.

I was lucky with the Dutch in the attack and the Italians in the rear.

Once Galliani told me: "Arrigo, you can spend as much as you want, there is no problem with that!" "No," I replied. "We have to buy players who fit the team. If they are cheap, it's even better." Then you will have more patience - often, when you spend a lot, you immediately demand results.

Berlusconi thinks that football is a performance of many soloists, but I believe that it is a team sport. But Cavalieri was always democratic and supported my choice.

Gullit is the emblem of our game, taking Gullit away from us is like taking away Maradona from Napoli, Platini from Juventus or Falcao from Roma.

Marco Van Basten has the softness of a Brazilian. He could go down in history, like Eusebio or Cruyff, if he believed in it more. From a technical point of view, there is a chasm between him and Gullit.

Maradona was too big - an unstoppable Domokles sword. But this is an exception, which only confirms the rule: I would take it and, perhaps, be mistaken. I would never trade Gullit and van Basten for Maradona.

Playing against Maradona is like playing against time, because you know that sooner or later he will score.
Ancelotti is the best defensive midfielder in Europe tactically.

Franco Baresi is my strong support in the team.

The ball is round when Platini hits it, and square when I hit it.

Is Giovanni Galli going to Napoli? Sorry for the man.

Winning the Champions Cup is like winning 32 Scudettos.

Championship? We need it as a training session for the Champions Cup matches.

The biggest nonsense that a coach can say is: "Now stop thinking about how to play beautifully, let's think about winning."

Italian fans are often unable to distinguish between what matters and what doesn't. There is too much ignorance. If you ask them what this thing is - football, they will not find the answer

I don't like conservatism, backwardness, lack of innovation in Italian football. Instead of making progress, many teams are taking steps backward and lagging further and further behind.

In Italy, this is not a sport, because sport has its own rules, and we tend to ignore them. We have a consistent scandal every year. And this is not a show, because someone's merits and beauty are not interesting to anyone. Now do you understand what football is like in Italy? This is a social need.

Since childhood I have admired Real Copa, Hente, Puskas and Di Stefano. If I was told that someday I would coach a team like this, and maybe better, I would laugh.

Messi is a unique and impeccable footballer. He is detailed in the final phases of attacks, but is also able to return to midfield and help the team there. One footballer is unable to neutralize him; for this it is necessary that the system of the game of the whole team functions flawlessly. Before us is a football genius, the same as Diego Maradona. At the moment there is no equal to him.

Messi is the only one of all the superstars to justify his lavish advances.

I've always said that Madrid has the best president in the world when he respects his coaches. Florentino and Carlo formed a lovely couple. Carlo has everything, but it sometimes happens to him that he is too calm. But with Florentino behind him, he is always cheerful.

Juventus is ahead of everyone by 10 years.

The culture of victory has always been part of Juve's DNA, passed on to the players who make them heroes.

Italy has no dignity or pride. I am certainly not a racist, and my career proves it, for example, working with Frank Rijkard, but look at the tournament in Viareggio. I would say there are too many colored players here.

Winning while playing beautifully is not always necessary in Italy. For me, a flimsy victory was not a victory.

Mourinho is not only the greatest coach, but also a psychologist and motivator.

Supermotivator Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, who knows how to prepare players for the most difficult situations, and Pep Guardiola is the best teacher. His Barcelona from 2008 to 2012, my Milan from the 80s, Ajax Cruyff from the 60s and 70s - these are the three teams that helped develop football.

I have exceeded my limits and my dreams.

Starting at the amateur level, I made it to the final of the World Cup, so I have no reason to complain about anything.

First article of the material "Piece of history"... In this section I will talk about coaches who seem to have become more than that very part of the story, but still, they did not become a new part, but only supplemented it.

“When I came to Italy, from the very first training session, I made the players change their attitude to the game. Catenaccio was ubiquitous in Italy. After a goal was scored against the opponent, the whole team went into defense. I made the players score and score, attack and attack, until the strength left them ", - Arrigo Sacchi.

Decades catenaccio was the basis of all Italian football, this is not surprising, because the Italians themselves created it. Tenacious play in defense, the use of tactical fouls, the game is strictly in its position and rare moves to the attack. This is how it is worth briefly highlighting the essence of catenaccio.

Such football was suitable everywhere exactly until the legendary Johan Cruyff... His Barcelona, ​​his Dutch players, who always attacked, moving around the field, playing short passes, changed the meaning of the game. Since then, this kind of football began to develop, and "Total football" has become more than just a phrase.

Cruyff's tactics were developed in the USSR. Lobanovsky went a little different way. He tried to bring universalism his players to the maximum possible, pressing all over the field, a swift attack, a perfectly built defense. It was with this that Dynamo Kiev shot three times in its history, it was in this way that the Kievites were the last to receive a standing ovation after the 4-0 victory in Catalonia, it was then that Lobanovskyy outplayed Barça in his vision of the game, but only once.

Arrigo Sacchi followed in the footsteps of these two, in truth, the great tacticians of the twentieth century. He led Milan to the championship in the days of Napoli and Maradona, he is the last of the coaches to win two European Cups in a row, and how beautifully he did it. His strategy, style and vision of the game, his attitude to training made him a great coach and ruined him at the same time. 2 sides of the same coin, two sides of victory ...

“I have never forgiven a bad attitude towards training. I have always said that training is a serious process, and when it comes to this, it’s no time for jokes, ”- Arrigo Sacchi.

Yes, he was cruel, impulsive, but he changed something, no, he changed everything. His Milan is a perpetually attacking team, attacking well, defending well and scoring fiercely. Goals for every taste, Real Madrid's routing, KECH taking out an opponent in the final, that's what that Milan is remembered for, that's what Sacchi brought to this team.

In the summer of 1987, Arrigo took over Milan. And what did he do? He brought this club incredible football, sold-out in stadiums, in matches, with obvious outsiders. He brought Milan three football legends - Ruddy Gullita, Mark van Basten and the genius of the middle line - Frank Reikard.

He made the players train hard, he criticized absolutely everyone, but he never changed his principles. While attacking, we will not only not concede, but we will also score. The concept of Arrigo, which in the 87-88 season allowed his Milan in a chic style to formalize the first victory under the wing of Silvio Berlusconi, beating not just anyone, but Napoli himself. Along the way, leaving the UEFA and Italian Cups in the early stages. But who needs them? Such a season, such a victory.

The following year, Milan became only 3rd, but what the Rossoneri did in the Champions Cup is beyond words. In 1 \ 2 they came across Real Madrid - the favorite of KECH, but, but, but ...

In the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Marco van Basten's very sophisticated and long-range header brought the Rossoneri a 1-1 draw. Well, on the San Siro Real Madrid was beaten 5-0.

Legend has it that before this match the coach of Real Madrid sent a scout to Milan. So to speak, follow the Rossoneri training process. When he arrived, the reaction to his answer was overwhelming. He did not understand anything, the players all the time played 11 on ... 0. Yes, with an empty net, this is how Sakki prepared the players for this match.

“The stands were full, we could not lose, I asked my guys what they would do, to which they answered me - to attack until the forces left us. Then I realized that it was going to be something grand, ”says Arrigo Sacchi about that match. 5-0, genius of van Basten, Donadoni, Reikard, Gullit, Ancelotti. Great match, great team.

“Sakki loved to talk to each player separately. He asked him questions, and then listened for a long time to the answer of each player. He harshly criticized all his charges, but never put before him no imaginary conditions or veils. He helped and listened to everyone, ”- this is how Gullit describes him, the one whom Arrigo so clearly tried to remove from the team because of his old age.

In the finale of that memorable season, the great club beat Romanian Steaua, the dirtiest club from Bucharest, which intimidated football in Europe at the time. 4-0 and no chance Steaua went home. Attacking the Rossoneri scored a colossal number of goals, and they did it no less sophisticated than today's Barça.

The following season, Milan finished third again, but won the Cup, Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup again, taking everything they could for the second time in a row. Benfica was replayed, which for another half a century will be under the terrible curse of the European Cup finals, because of the malicious Guttmann, but that's another story.

Sacchi will spend 1 more season, but alas, Milan started to pass it. 3rd place in Serie A, again. But the departure from KECH, and the categorical attitude towards the coach on the part of the players and Berlusconi's unwillingness to argue with Arrigo led to his resignation in 1991. Arrigo had 4 great coaching seasons, he changed the concept of Milan, he changed the way of football and the style of playing football throughout Italy.

Sacchi left Milan with a piggy bank of Euro trophies. He did not become the greatest coach in the history of the Rossoneri, he did not become an innovator, no. He only made Italy play differently, he became the one who brought catenaccio to its knees in front of such Milan, he only used Cruyff's aspiration, diluting it with Lobanovsky's universalism. A slightly different style came out "Total football", but still, this kind of football is not inherent in Italy and is very difficult for the players in terms of training.

Milan will soon bring Barcelona to its knees by beating Stoichkov and Company 4-0. Milan will win 2 more Champions League titles, Super Cups, Intercontinental Trophies, but this is a different Milan, this is a different story, a story that started from Arrigo Sacchi. He was the first to bring Barcelona's game to the Apennines, he is truly brave and stubborn if he dared to do so.

Sacchi will lead Italy to the final of World Cup 94, where Roberto Baggio misses the decisive blow in the penalty shootout. He created a sensation, no one expected it from Italy, and in the final Brazil looked no better than Sacchi's team, but, alas, again.

He will fail Euro 1996, then train Milan for another season, leaving for Atlético Madrid and ending his coaching career in 2001 at the club where he showed himself as an outstanding personality, in Parma. Now, 66, a bald old man drives his Porsche and runs his own business. Born into the family of a small fish merchant, Sacchi made history in Milan. He did not become more than a part of history, but he never asked for more, he just wanted his team to play the way he wants, and everything else did not interest him much.

This is how he is, Arrigo Sacchi, like, like a great coach who has achieved a lot, but on the other hand, a cruel man who does not spare even the best players in the world, always stands his ground ...

Thank you for your attention, many thanks to dozens of sources and TV programs. Many thanks to CNN, BBC, Sports.ru.
That's all. The author will be grateful for the expression of emotions, as if a comment, or something else, because these are trifles, but it is always nice that your work is appreciated.

Arrigo Sacchi may return to the Milan structure. Alexey Loginov tells how one of the best coaches of the 20th century can be useful for the Rossoneri in the 21st.

Berlusconi wants to see Sacchi in Milan. And for a long time. But for some reason they still cannot reunite. This time, information appeared in the Italian press that the former coach of the Rossoneri was predicted to be the mentor of Filippo Inzaghi, as the president himself wished. In fact, so far we are talking only about the position of coordinator of the youth sector - what Sacchi has been doing for the last four years at FIGC.

Mentoring is a fairly common phenomenon in Italy, usually practiced in the lower divisions. At the same time, a famous coach is invited to the post of sports director, and the team is led by one of the young. Several years ago Luigi Simoni and Fabio Pekchia worked this way at Gubbio. True, it all ended very quickly - after a series of defeats at the start of the season, Pekchia was fired, and Gigi had to get up at the helm himself. Of course, there are better examples - Francesco Guidolin and Andrea Stramaccioni in Udinese. But few people will like it if one of the most legendary coaches in football history looms behind him. So Filippo Inzaghi hastened to delimit the roles and said that although Sakki is a guru, he himself is used to making decisions.

And the Prophet from Fusignano, apparently, does not have the slightest desire to interfere in the affairs of Inzaghi - his presence in Coverciano did not in any way affect the style of play of the National. With Cesare Prandelli, they mostly exchanged duty compliments. Much more Sakki interacted with the coach of the youth team. In the success at Euro 2013 - in Israel, the Azzurrini reached the final - there is also his merit. Subsequently, Davis Manja admitted that Sakki took patronage over him from the first days and actively helped in tactical and other issues. Arrigo did not remain in debt - in the summer of 2013, he recommended his ward Galliani as an alternative to Massimiliano Allegri.

Considering the relevance of Sacchi's return to Milanello, it would be a mistake to simply try to transfer his ideas from the 1980s to the realities of today. Total pressing, the use of artificial offside, maximum compactness, zone defense, 4-4-2 line-up, lectures until midnight and tactical schemes drawn right on the doors - all this was then. But Arrigo hasn't been coaching for 15 years. During this time, his followers managed to go from blindly copying Sakki's methods to their almost complete denial. And the scuola sacchiana itself was divided into several directions, which are as far from each other as the Sith and Jedi.

Therefore, it is very doubtful that Arrigo, who in four years at Milan has done more than others in his entire life, would not have come up with anything new. Most likely, he would focus on the development of pressure systems, because, as an expert on Italian television, he often admires the methods of Josep Guardiola. According to him, it is in this direction that modern football should evolve. That football, at the origins of which he himself stood.

Sacchi's ideas, considered revolutionary at the end of the twentieth century, are today used in one form or another by leading European teams. Some of them are also relevant for modern Milan.

1. Zone principle of defense

Those who believe that it was Sakki who invented the "zone" is mistaken. In reality, he only improved the system, the founders of which were Maestrelli and Lidholm. In those years, many coaches knew in which direction to move, but only Sakki managed to achieve synchronization from the players. In addition, he was opposed to the theory that the stars can no longer be taught some new techniques. His famous phrase: “A soccer player (calciatore) is one who knows how to hit the ball. And the player (giocatore) is the one who understands the game. " (The word "calcio" is also translated from Italian as "kick", "kick"). Therefore, from the first to the last day, Sakki tried to turn football players into players - he taught to understand the game and hated those who thought they knew everything: “They are like old carpenters who believe that they should not learn something new! "

Sakki explained that when playing in defense on the field, there are four landmarks - ball, space, opponent and partners, so any maneuver should be made with them in mind. It seems that some would not hurt to master the basics of zone defense - it is enough to make out this goal of Atalanta against Milan.

Like Sergei Eisenstein, who sought to find a new cinematic language, Arrigo Sacchi contributed to the development of a language in which mere mortals could talk about the plans of coaches. What was previously explained only by gestures, different cazzo and vaffanculo, acquired an almost poetic sound. Television gatherings have become fashionable, during which experts and former football players, as well as blondes, musicians and film actors, for several hours discuss schemes, roles, baricentro, the quality of pressure, the transformation of the module in the attacking phase, and much more.

Sacchi experienced for himself what it is like to feel the dislike of the so-called professionals. Therefore, he never stopped sharing knowledge with others. The fire stolen from the gods of calcho went to people.

To everyone who loves Italy, we say GRAZIE!

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The whitehouse address
11.03.2014

Arsenal have deja vu: again the Gunners came to Alliance Arena hoping to win back two goals against Bayern. Arsenal's approach to the first game may in itself deserve a certain amount of praise, but the result of the game of Wenger's team brought the fans only disappointment. After the red card, and possibly after an unbeaten penalty, the pendulum swung decisively in the opposite direction to Arsenal, and Bayern calmly dominated the rest of the match. The second round of the confrontation seems to be a mere formality for the German team.

Both trainers are remarkably similar in their approaches. True, Guardiola has at his disposal not only the greatest team on the planet, but also coaching insight, which the French specialist still lacks today. Nevertheless, both coaches can be compared with Arrigo Sacchi, and their achievements (to one degree or another) - with those of the famous Italian.

For Arrigo Sacchi, former Milan and Italy coach, the last coach to win the European Cup twice in a row, football has not changed since the early 1990s. This is an interesting point of view from a coach who is considered a football revolutionary and a great tactician who led one of the strongest teams in Europe. Arrigo Sacchi is a legendary and iconic figure in football.

To say today that nothing has changed in this game is quite bold, even if this does not quite correspond to the truth. Still, in recent years, the 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 formation has come to the fore in tactical schemes, in addition, the position of the free defender, the libero, has disappeared (although it is quite possible that it will soon reappear). Not to mention the fact that the roles and functions of the players themselves on the field have undergone major changes. Of course, football has transformed. Maybe Sakki just says that the coach's job has remained the same?

Many will notice that modern coaches are better prepared, more intelligent, they are not only good managers, but also excellent psychologists, and of course, shrewd tactics. But if all this is true, then Sacchi is right: the field of football has not changed its boundaries since the days when he coached Milan. Sakki combined all these qualities. He was an ingenious coach - creative, unorthodox, able to convince a group of world-class players that his “4 - 4 - 2” scheme, which was alien to Italian football, and the tactics of constant pressure associated with it, was the formula for success.

Do not forget that at that time he was not known to anyone, either as a coach or as a player (Sakki never played in professional football). At the same time, he insistently demanded that the Milan players change their prevailing cautious, defensive approach to the game to a more attacking and aggressive one. It was his ability to inspire and persuade that brought him success, and it is these traits that have made many modern coaches famous. And if we look at the impact that Wenger and Guardiola have had on modern football, we find these similarities and overlaps.

The importance of persuasion

When Arsene Wenger came to London in 1996, he found himself in a football league that was clearly inferior to other leading national leagues in tactics and scientific approach to the game. While many European championships have changed in many ways - the formation of the squad, the nutrition of the players, the work in the foreign transfer market - English football has seemed to have frozen over the past decades (the most radical changes have taken place in England among television people).

Wenger convinced Arsenal players to change their habits, to switch to a healthy lifestyle, especially in terms of proper nutrition, as well as to pay more attention to the training process, to realize its value. Taking advantage of the international transfer market, he brought some outstanding footballers to the squad, eventually building a winning team that challenged Manchester United, ending their dominance in English football. Eighteen years later, it can be said that it also brought about an economic revolution, as a result of which Arsenal had a modern stadium and a business model, which made the London club one of the most profitable in the world of football. Thus, Arsene Wenger showed not only his coaching talent, but also his economic and psychological talent of persuasion.

As for Guardiola, he also revolutionized the club in accordance with his ideals and principles. However, he certainly had an advantage: he was a famous Barcelona player. And yet, when he came to this club in 2008 as a head coach, not everyone believed that he was professionally fit. Like Sacchi and Wenger, he had to prove that these doubts were in vain. And he proved it, and very convincingly.

Guardiola has built one of the greatest teams in the history of world football. This team could compete with Sacchi's Milan and Wenger's Invincibles. Guardiola convinced the team to agree and follow his methods, tactics and approach to football. And incredible success awaited them ahead. Even Wenger admits that this team was the best he had seen on the pitch: “So far in my life, this team has been the best - of those against whom I have been able to play. And the first half hour of the first game between us at the Emirates was the best example of football that I have ever seen. "

Guardiola's arrival at Bayern was fraught with other difficulties: it was necessary to convince the players who had just won top football titles with this club, dominated Europe in the previous season and were very pleased with the state of affairs and their play. Why change anything? But Guardiola had a different point of view, and he consistently convinced the players that his methods, his path, would bring the club even more success and improve the quality of football. In principle, this is how it happened. Today Bayern looks better than last season - and after all, last season, it seemed that you simply cannot be better on the field ...

Both Guardiola and Wenger have a lot in common in terms of their influence on the players and the revolution they have made at their clubs. Like Sacchi, they were able to convince the players to change their approach and work selflessly for the team.

Sakki's hard pressing game was built on the basis of cohesion, understanding and dedication from the team. Each player had a strictly defined role, each worked for the team. Guardiola brought a similar style of play to Barcelona - a tactic that was critical to his team's success. The method of all three teams was based on dominant possession of the ball and a rapid transition from defense to attack. Skill, speed and intelligence were at the core of the trainers' beliefs.

In addition, of course, all these coaches were influenced by Rinus Michels. Sacchi idolized Michels and was passionate about his legacy and philosophy of the game - and indeed, the philosophy of total football has revolutionized the game for future generations.

Creative players

All three coaches believe in the need to have creative players on the team - that is, those who can hack the opponent's defense with an unexpected decision, those who can organize ball control. As Wenger says, "Great players ultimately make the result - they are the ones who make the difference in class on the pitch."

Nevertheless, the past decade has become the "era of special footballers". A defensive midfielder like Makelele is becoming a key player in successful teams. Sakki is not at all a fan of this position on the field. He said: " In my football, the playmaker is whoever has the ball at the moment. By the way, but if we talk about Makelel, then it is unlikely that he could become a playmaker. He just doesn't have that many ideas - what to do with the ball. But v selection and destruction he gorgeous».

Nevertheless, football is becoming a game of narrow specialists. The proponents of all-out football tried to combat this trend, but it was not they who flourished, but the likes of Mourinho. In the middle of the last decade, Sacchi said that football has become “about managing individuals, so specialized footballers are multiplying at a tremendous rate. Individual actions supplant team play. But in the end, this is an indicator of weakness, a reactionary tendency. "

The idea of ​​a collective game, of achieving success through team actions, was temporarily lost. This means that the balance was lost - between attack and defense. There was no more unified organism. Wenger just wanted to get rid of the individual "specialists", hoping to create a team of creative players, like Sacchi. However, local successes of Wenger were followed by failures.

Then Guardiola entered the arena. It was he who turned these ideas into reality, creating a Sacchi-style team - a team of playmakers, united into a team. Guardiola revolutionized football or, if I may say so, returned football to the ideals of Arrigo Sacchi.

Wenger's problem was that he was trying to recreate the same style, the same success at Arsenal, as the medieval alchemist - but he lacked the main ingredient. And this is where they differed - Gvaridola and Wenger.

Main ingredient

Sakki was extremely pedantic in terms of team preparation, he paid special attention to the positions of the players and the distance between the lines. It was important for him that the players feel as one and are focused on their tasks, especially in those cases when they did not possess the ball. Guardiola did the same at Barça.

Guardiola was like a general who organizes and prepares his team for each game, carefully planning the upcoming duel. Perhaps only Mourinho can match him in terms of in-depth tactical preparation of the team, work on movement, positioning and understanding of strategy.

But Wenger was different from Guardiola, although both believed in total football. Wenger, unlike the Spanish coach, did not and does not recognize the tough management of the team at all levels.

When asked about the rivalry between him and Guardiola, about Guardiola's talent as a coach, he said: “Football is not chess. It belongs to the players. We are only preparing the team to perform well in the upcoming match. But don't forget that the main characters are on the pitch, not on the coach's bench. "

So Wenger believes that football is not chess. Well, it seems that he is still mistaken. Wenger's philosophy is centered around the players and is connected with the need to achieve real interest, involvement in the affairs of the team, and also - responsibility for the result. In addition, his philosophy is related to giving players freedom of decision-making. At Guardiola, every detail is thought out and planned, everything is calculated, the management of the team is clear and verified, aimed at achieving excellence in the game.

Sacchi knew the importance of this method, and Guardiola knew it. The head coach is not an animator and curator, but a leader and general. For this reason, Wenger has not been able to achieve success, in terms of trophies, in the past nine years. He gave the players too much freedom in the game, and this requires a more intelligent tactical approach. Sakki is right - the game has not changed since his era, since these principles were key at that time. And Wenger just doesn't seem to want to take it for granted.

Wenger's belief in player self-management on the pitch is admirable, but that is what caused his coaching regression. He tried to get closer to the team, but it is simply impossible to do this until the end. On the other hand, the quality of the game and the success just depend on the influence of the coach on the players. Talented, properly trained footballers always achieve success - just look at the achievements of Mourinho.

Arsenal's continued setbacks in Europe or against leading English teams are driven by Wenger's appropriate coaching approach. Wenger has always tried to let his players control the game on the pitch and make their own decisions. But even with the likes of Adams, Vieira, Bergkamp and Henri, he was unable to win major European titles. There was always something missing. And today his team is perfectly prepared in technical terms, but it clearly lacks a leader and organization of the game.

Guardiola, on the other hand, proved that players need a coach to build a cohesive team and team out of them. Players need to prepare for each opponent, and prepare carefully, not missing out on any details. Sakki's success follows from his coaching method: style and the players themselves are very important, but team building is the most important, it is a key parameter of success. Guardiola and Mourinho know this little secret, and their successes prove it.

Wenger, of course, can believe in total football, he can try with all his might to reproduce the quality and style of Milan Sacca and Barça Guardiola, but without a key parameter he will hardly succeed in anything serious and great. He should have read carefully the title of Rinus Michels' book, which would point out to him why his team had no titles in the last decade. The book is called Team Building.

It is quite possible that soon the two coaches will meet again - and most likely, Guardiola will once again prove to be stronger than his competitor. Wenger can of course refer to the quality of the players on the pitch, but wouldn't he be better off thinking about the impact of proper coaching on these very players? Wouldn't it be better to think - isn't his approach to the game wrong? At 64, it is probably too late to change his attitudes and principles, on the other hand, with the current attitudes and principles, he will never succeed in Europe.

I will end the article with a quote from Arrigo Sacchi, from his definition of a head coach: “This is a maestro who has his own style and who understands that he needs to aim for the quality of the game, and this desire should not be superficial. I go to a particular baker not because he is considered a good specialist, but because of the quality of his bread. A maestro is one who demands only the best, who is strict, harsh and strictly adheres to his principles. "