Filippo Inzaghi Before You Know Him

Filippo Inzaghi is now pioneering his way as a coach. After failing at AC Milan, Inzaghi took a job coaching at the club who compete in Lega Pro (the third level in the pyramid of football competition in Italy), Venice in the year 2016.

Pippo, his nickname, was apparently successful to bring the club based at Pierluigi Penzo Stadium got a promotion to the Serie B competition in just over a year.

But rather than talking about his work as a coach, it seems the public is still more happy to discuss football striker with nicknamed Super Pippo while still playing. Yes, we still often compare today's attackers with Inzaghi who has retired since 2012.

When we see an attacker who often scores with a ball gag, the name of Inzaghi is remembered. Similarly, when you see an attacker who often get caught offside or a lot of diving, Inzaghi's name was the Lord.

Our reaction will also be the same if you see an attacker who does not have a qualified technique and does not heed the aesthetics of play. This shows that Inzaghi, with all his attributes, is an iconic figure and hard to forget.

Labeled as attackers without technique is already gorged on the admissibility. The Maestro like Johan Cruyff or Sir Alex Ferguson ever called him can't play football and was born in the offside position. However, the former player who used to be his opponent commented on different things.

Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender called Pippo the most difficult attacker to keep, while Roberto Carlos, who often faces him when dressed in Inter Milan called him a player who can provide solutions amid the deadlock of his team.

But from these comments, there is no one praising Pippo's technical qualities as an attacker. Existing, Pippo considered only lucky players. Cruyff also continued his assessment of Pippo as a "player who can not play football" with additional attributes "he is just in the right position."

I do not want to be the umpteenth person who defends Pippo at once explains that we need to see the other side to better appreciate Pippo. It seems that all football fans already understand that as an attacker, Pippo's only undisputed advantage is the goal record.

This was what took him to stay at the highest level until he scored more than 300 goals throughout his career, also won various prestigious trophies at club level.

Trying to discuss Pippo from a technical point of view playing ball, I want to say that Pippo was not a bad skill player. In fact, Pippo was actually a complete attacker just like any other attacker.

I would like to invite you to watch a compilation of goals that Pippo scored in the era before he was widely known. Specifically, I suggest seeing footage of Pippo's goals while strengthening Atalanta in the 1996/1997 season.

If you've finished seeing 24 goals made by Inzaghi that season, hopefully, the assessment of you will be slightly changed. You, of course, see for themselves that the goals that make Pippo as Serie A top scorer at that moment were a very varied process.

Not as we remember when he played at Juventus or Milan, when goals made by Pippo created from close range through tap-in process, received a cross, or kicking the ball gag.

But when playing at Atalanta, Pippo was able to score goals almost by any means. Although goals from close range still dominate, Pippo also often scored through long-distance kicks, first-time kick, even he ever found the opponent's goal through free kick execution!

Pippo also able to start his goal through acceleration and dribble which was quite difficult to do. Such goals were certainly hardly ever seen in the career phase where we all know Pippo at Juventus and Milan.

This actually indicates that Pippo was a good footballer. That is, at least the basic techniques that must be owned by a player competing at the highest level already owned.

Surely it was difficult for a bad footballer to be able to trick the goalkeeper like Petr Cech or Pepe Reina in a one-on-one duel.

The Adaptation of How Pippo Play

Pippo's high technique was clearly visible when he strengthens Atalanta. At that time, Pippo's age was still 23 years old. That is, energy owned by the brother of Simone Inzaghi was still abundant.

For example, he can do the acceleration from the edge of the opponent's pitch then bring the ball into the middle and release a hard kick without difficulty. Though Pippo that we know was not known for his hard kick.

Second, Atalanta own factor which in fact was the mediocre club. Emiliano Mondonico, who at that time became coach of the club with nicknamed La Dea gave Pippo the freedom to become the main pedestal of attack.

When his team did the attack, Pippo often became part of it, not just waiting in the opponent's penalty box.

Thus, there was room to accelerate and show skill. Together with Gianluigi Lentini and Domenico Morfeo who became his partner at the time, Pippo was really a different player.

The brilliant performance at the mediocre club certainly invited the attention of big clubs. It was Juventus who took him a season later.

Playing in big teams was, of course, different. At Juventus, it was entrenched Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero, Angelo Di Livio, Vladimir Jugovic, and others. These names were a guarantee of creativity.

Being one team with them, Pippo was no longer played as a creator, he was just completing the creations that have been composed by the geniuses.

Like a good guitarist who played the show along with other reliable guitarists, Pippo was willing (and forced) to reduce the parts that feature guitar solos that will make it the center of attention.

He was also willing to reduce the volume for some duration of the song, but he will always be ready when needed. Yes, while in the field for 90 minutes, how many minutes of Pippo interaction with the ball? Probably not reached 10 minutes.

But he waited patiently, running and searching. Finding the right position, waiting for the opponent off guard, waiting for loose custody, then scored.

"Adapt or die" may be the principle Pippo has held since then. Realizing that the demands on him were scoring goals, he also continued to hone his goal scoring skills.

Pippo was among the most diligent players who watching the opposite match video to find their weaknesses. Goals have become his obsession. So it was not surprising also if he often looks selfish and rarely gave the ball to his partner.

When his time at Juventus had run out with the arrival of David Trezeguet a younger and convincing, it was Milan who saw the advantages. Despite having to pay 35 million euros plus Cristian Zenoni (very high at that time), and Pippo was 28 years old, but Milan through newly coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that Pippo was the right partner for Andriy Shevchenko.

The rest was history. In Milan, Pippo played for 11 seasons, scored 126 goals and won numerous prestigious trophies until retirement at age 39. Remarkably, until his retirement the Pippo's role was not small with the goal ratio was still maintained high.

Pippo figure that looks fragile can survive for as long as possible at the highest level. When scored two goals in the Champions League final in 2007 against Liverpool, he was 34 years old.

Even when there were a shift and a variety of tactical modifications that require attackers to play more roles in the process of building attacks and becoming the initial wall of defense, Pippo coaches still often played him, because then at least it presents the threat of goals with high levels of certainty.

No matter how a team plays, goal scoring becomes the primary goal.

Incidentally, Pippo on the 9th of August was the 44th birthday. If this season Venezia plays brilliantly, it's possible that football fans will start talking more often about his work as coaches, rather than as players.

Happy birthday, Pippo, and hopefully return to Serie A soon!

Relativity of Time and Space in Johan Cruyff Football

young Johan Cruyff (ibtimes.co.uk)

I'm not sure how many digit IQ of Johan Cryuff, but I suspect that the IQ of the player who never get an international title as a player all his lifetime is not much different from an Albert Einstein. Especially when talking about the issue of space and time.

The issue of space and time is one of the interesting discussion. Not only because this discussion makes you look cool when discussing it, but also because of all the problems in this world is about two things. Moreover, if we talk about football.

FourFourTwo've made a list of the best clubs ever existed on the earth. There is Real Madrid in Alfredo De Stefano-Ferenc Puskas era with a five Champions Cup title in a row in the third place. In second place is AC Milan with Dutch trio blended by cold hands Arrigo Sacchi, and the first -Well, you can guess - are Ajax Amsterdam in Rinus Michels era with  Cruyff as pole "pillars" in there.

Then where FC Barcelona Josep Guardiola era ever cruelly ravaged Europe? Unfortunately, the club with one alien was only ranked fourth.

If you must argue about the position of Michels team in the first position, then it 's obvious it was there for the first time to understand football as a game with the approach of space and time. Do not worry; I will not give you a variety of theoretical physics was unfocused to understand it.

What three of the four best club ever existed on earth is a club that uses a similar approach in his playing schemes. If then Madrid in Puskas-Stefano era is in the top four, just because they are the truth embryo of "Los Galacticos".

Embryos which in a club is no longer concerned about players nationality to collect super players in one team. If you are still unsure of my claim, let alone check, that Madrid era had sent a formal proposal to Santos to recruit Pele. Either unlucky or lucky for football fans of the time, Pele is firmly rejected.

Okay, back to the issue.

Ajax era of Rinus Michels was a team that uses the most sophisticated scientific approach if thinks and at once the simplest if applicable. The understanding of time and space of this kind is easy if football is a game of individuals. The problem of football is a team game, meaning that this scheme has been running if your team can move as one body.

There should be a single authority if you move a limb. You need a brain to move the two hands, and if you have two brains, then moving a finger it would be tough for their more than a whim.

That is why many who agree that the "Total Football" is not a personal contribution of Michels. Michels was laid the first stone od the foundation, but it was Cruyff who became the architect and occupant temple called "Total Football".

Cruyff probably never learn physics or geometry to understand it, but in the field, all the space and time he successfully mastered. It is true, Pele or Maradona was a great player for being able to change the game single-handedly.

But Cruyff was on different sides. He can change the course of the game alone -and this is important- together involving the role of all his colleagues in the field.

If Pele and Maradona use his muscles and their brains to trick the opposing players, the Cruyff use his brain to trick the opposing team with all players in his muscles.

The Controller Time

Football is space. There is a ball, and there is a field, there is two-wicket, and there is a line. But when people go in there, then football that had only limited room suddenly have a perspective time. The relativity of time can only occur if there is a subject who experience or feel. The subject, in this case, is a football player.

The entire universe is a pluralistic space perspective. Intertwine intertwined and so elusive.

I will take the example that this is not too difficult to understand.

The stars we see at night, actually are the stars we see billions of light years before. We see the light at the billions back and are up to our eyes is light in the past. It may be that when we look at the stars, the stars we see at the same time has become a supernova or fade die slowly.

Why did it happen?

For such a long distance from the Earth to the stars, we see very far. So far, until the unit of length for the size of the space of the universe is how long the light can take it. And because light takes a time to reach Earth then when it gets to our eyes, the stars we see are a form of reflection of the real stars.

Another example that easier is the sun, the nearest star from Earth, which is about we just take an average of 8 minutes 20 seconds. Then it means the light we receive is the sun in the past, in the past 8 minutes 20 seconds ago.

That is why in football, we know the term "vision play". Ability in which a player can design an early attack foundations. The views far into the future. The views across the dimensions. Long-term plans to open the empty space of the opposing team and exploit them.

Vision is a matter of predicting gameplay. Predicting space on the football field at the same subjects in it. Predicting the meeting points of space (the field) and time (the players) are favorable.

It is complicated, because of what is seen by the players on the football field everything is past. The distance between players to players, at least, create the time bias to get to the eyes of the player who is carrying the ball.

There is a fraction of a second-time difference between the reality of what is visible. Of course, the difference is not as much as when the sun to the earth. But in fact, there is clearly a difference.

Andrea Pirlo is probably one of the closest examples that can translate the cross-dimension of a player's ability. A game that looks simple, but the simplicity of it represents the highest level of football. Pirlo can predict how the meeting point of the ball which he sent from a distance of a few tens of meters to be placed to the foot or head of Filippo Inzaghi while both are playing for AC Milan.

Consideration of the distance and time intertwined with the pace of the ball and the acceleration run of Inzaghi should be in a perfect composition to deliver an assist. When Pirlo saw Inzaghi in a position that far, he was seeing "Inzaghi in the past" and immediately he should be able to do calculations to see where the next point position "Inzaghi in the future".

In the larger construction, Cruyff able to unearth his ability to cross dimensions to be used for the greatest benefit of his team.

If you have time to watch how the opening match of the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup when he meet with Uruguay, you will understand that the understanding of space and time not only understood Cruyff alone. But also the entire team. Or if you want a bit radical, the whole "limb" Cruyff was playing in the match.

"If you get the ball you have to make a field as large as possible, and if you lose the ball, you have to make a field so small as possible," are the words of Cruyff matter of "Total Football" is often quoted everywhere.

If we look deeper in practice, the real word of Cruyff did not just stop at the issue of space, but also time. As my premise was, that so there's a subject (player) on the pitch then when it is also a time perspective also have a big hand.

Once your space is limited, then at the same time your time will be limited as well. Once the Dutch players lost the ball and they do the pressing so tight, players Uruguay not only lose the space but also in time.

Time to rethink vision of the game to the next stage. Even when time is not enough to rely on the legs reflexes to do dribble to avoid opponents brunt.

On the other hand, when Cruyff and his friends play the ball, they not only expand space but also extend the time. By lengthening the time, Cruyff's team can catch their breath. Designing the vision to play step by step. In the end, the displacement position and role of the player in the "Total Football" became possible because of the amount of time available.

"There is only one ball, so you need to have it," he said. If the ball can be controlled not only the playing field can be controlled, but also the perspective of time in the field.

And there, then "Total Football" represents the utilization of the relativity of space and time in football with the plenary.

Unfortunately, "the controller time" is only able to control the time at the football field. Off the pitch, Cruyff was a human being. She has no power at all to control time.

Seven days ago (24/3), the news of his death shocked the world of football. Personally, I never really liked Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer for me is much more powerful if we talk to winning the title. Both as a player, coach, and as an aged old man (in fact Beckenbauer has longer age).

But nothing that can not be sad when I heard Cruyff, a figure that changed football with an ego the size to be an entertaining spectacle had breathed her last.

And even if his body can not stop death, Cruyff has shown that the legacy and the great man could not be stopped even by time.