Is the Beautiful Game lost?

The game of football has often been dubbed the “Beautiful Game” but is it still the same beautiful game? No not for me. The place to begin when studying the decline of the beauty of football is to look back to the history of the game. Only a few generations ago there were great players like Zinedine Zidane, Henry, Kaka, Iniesta or Ronaldinho and these men oozed class and beauty but today, when you think of the world's best you don't think of the precise dribbling, technicality and beautiful passing of the players listed above because football has become a game of attrition, players press the ball but no one puts a challenge in because of fear of injuries. The game has slowed down, fewer risks are taken and the game prioritises stamina and fitness.

Tactically the game has changed majorly as well, this is because of the additional technology. Before, managers could prepare their teams for tactics that another coach had played before but they couldn't know what he would do on the day, now, there is so much technology to analyse these tactics that the game has become about changing the style of play and using all parts of the team. Now, although this may sound better, all players on the team getting involved. This means we don't see, as many, of the darting runs and elegant dribbles we saw from Ronaldinho or Zidane.

The best way to beat another team is to have stronger, faster, fitter players instead of, in the past, technically brilliant and elegant players. You also need to have a team that can change its style of play in accordance with the game and what the other team are doing.

Overall, the loss of the “Beautiful Game” has given us a more tactically technical game and more athletic players who are able to push their limits giving up on skill in exchange for athleticism, however, a balance between skill and athleticism must be met and an example of this happening can be seen at Manchester City. Their passing style of play is elegant and they have creative players like Phil Foden and Rodri who remind us of the Beautiful Game yet, they also have tactically smart and strong players like John Stones, Erling Haaland and Rodri as his class can’t be ignored tactically and skillfully.