The Culture Giants

Over the last many days, I was thinking about the synergies or the patterns consistent with the Four Semifinalists in the FIFA World Cup. The only thing that I could come up with is that the Four Semifinalists are Culture Giants. When I say Culture Giants, I am not necessarily speaking about Team Culture, although that is necessary for Elite Success. I am instead talking about the Football Cultures in Spain, in England, in France, and Argentina. That isn’t to say that countries not in the Semifinals don’t have strong Footballing Cultures. Portugal has a strong Footballing Culture. Germany has a strong Footballing Culture. But as someone who lives and breathes sports everyday, the Football Cultures in these countries are ascendant.

I love football. I love watching football. I love playing football. I love reading books about football. I love reading articles about football. I love listening to podcasts about football. The content ecosystem around football is largely part of my Daily Routine. It’s not enough just to watch the games, it's the conversation before the game and it’s the conversation after the game. While I find myself mostly disagreeing with pundits, every conversation demands critical thinking.

English Football in my opinion is at the forefront of these conversations. England may not be producing Elite Elite Coaches, but English Journalists are undeniably driving the most important English-Language conversations about Football. No Podcast is more instructive of English Football’s Intellectual Culture than the Libero Podcast. Another Example is English Authorship. Jonathan Wilson is the author of Inverting the Pyramid, The History of Football Tactics, and Angels with Dirty Faces. Wilson like many English Authors isn’t England focused. One of Wilson’s best qualities is his ability to weave Football Tactics with History and Culture in a Modern Context. The combination of these factors makes the conversation around English Football more intelligent and thought provoking than it has ever been.

Last Year, I was in both France and Barcelona. I remember sitting on my balcony watching kids play Football in a Church Courtyard. One of the Things about Barcelona is that you can feel football. As a Football Obsessive, I couldn’t help but walk every inch of Barcelona thinking about Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Andres Iniesta, Pep, Lamine Yamal, Xavi, and Laszlo Kubala. Because you find yourself stuck reverting to the same question. What is it about Barcelona and Catalonia that produces Football Greatness? When we talk about Spanish Football, the most mainstream voice is arguably Guillem Balague whose authorship ranges from Lionel Messi to Aston Villa.

Spain is also the Home of Football’s Changing Intellectual Architecture. The Best Clubs in England all have Spanish Managers. Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, Xabi Alonso, and Andoni Iraola all to come to mind. When Fulham had to replace Marco Silva, they jumped on Alvaro Arbeloa. Before the World Cup, Writer Sid Lowe interviewed Spain Head Coach Luis de la Fuente who coached the coaches at Las Rozas. This includes Lionel Scaloni who is the Head Coach of Argentina. I have to admit here that I don’t have Deep Knowledge of Argentina’s everyday Footballing Culture. What I do know is that Argentinian Coaches are in demand in Brazil, in South America, in the United States, and certainly in Europe. That’s of course not an accident. Argentina is considered the Intellectual Hub of South American Soccer.

France’s Football Culture is largely driven by its Multi-Cultural Society. São Paulo was once considered Football’s Talent Factory. That’s Changed. Football’s Current Talent Factory are the Paris Suburbs. The Paris Suburbs combine Immigration, Economic Inequality, Hip-Hop Culture, Street Football, and France’s Elite Football Ecosystem to produce the Best Sporting Talent in the World. The players that come through this Ecosystem are largely rebels against an unequal system that seeks to marginalize them. This isn’t a New Story. Multi-Cultural France first came to the forefront in 1998. That story has been a consistent feature of French Football in good times and not so good times.

Finally, there are Multiple Layers and Complexities associated with Culture. But Culture is a Pre-Requisite to Sporting Success. The question is, What is Culture? What are the Layers to that Culture? How do we Create Sporting Culture? If we have it, How Do We Maintain It?

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