Emmanuel LANGELLIER, Media365: Posted on Monday, January 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
1998 world champion Robert Pires was not shy about criticizing today's football.
It is a proven fact that football has changed. For several years now there have been VARs, video referees, younger and younger players at senior levels, there are more and more of them, less and less meetings can be watched for free on TV, and social networks are also very present. It has evolved over the past 20 years. They don't seem to show any positive trends. Robert Pires . The 1998 world champion, who is still involved in the world of football as a consultant, delivers his poignant views on football today.
Worse: “Technically, I think it’s worse than before.”
“I’m bored these days because there are a lot of games in France, Spain and Italy. He believes it is due to the fact that certain players are technically limited, the former national team attacking midfielder (79 games, 14 goals) told journalist Mehdi Maïzi. If you look at the Ballon d'Or list in my time and the list today… if you look at the names… we could name five really strong Italian players at the time. I'm talking about Pirlo, Roberto Baggio, Cannavaro, Nesta…” “I can't think of that right now. I think technically it's less good than before. The man who wore the colors of Metz, Marseille, Arsenal, Villarreal and Aston Villa during a great career between 1993 and 2011 added: And that's just my opinion and maybe I'm wrong. It bothers me when people say athletes are strong because they are athletic and move quickly. Okay, but what is he doing with his feet?! That's my interest. »
Reply to comment Jimmy Cabot retires at just 30 years old . “The evolution of football certainly raises questions about its appeal, but the myth that players were more skilled 20 years ago… and becoming a legend by sitting on chairs two at a time or dribbling a conscript football is no longer possible today. I don't. “This is just my opinion.” The former Lens player wrote on social networks before continuing: “If I had to define football as the peak of its evolution, it would be the year 2000 when the players would be there and the passes would be perfect and fast. Or touch the ball three times. Zidane and Ronaldinho will be absent from this game, but of course that's not something we want to see on TV. »
2025-01-13 20:21:42
For Pires, the move was better.
