Italy and Juventus icon Claudio Gentile has hit out at modern football, claiming defensive lines have devolved over the decades and attacking units are less incisive than they used to be. Gentile, who marshaled the Italian backline en route to the 1982 FIFA World Cup, also had a few words to share regarding the Bianconeri’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Anc’io lo Sport (via VoceGiallorossa), the ex-Fiorentina and Juventus defender revealed his thoughts surrounding the tactics involved in today’s game.
“I think there is a defensive phase with too much horizontal dribbling. Before the ball went towards the opponent’s midfield and we went in search of the goal. Before there were more chances to score, today there is a lot of dribbling that makes you lose some enthusiasm.”
When quizzed if defenses or attacks are stronger in contemporary football, Gentile emphasized how important it is for calcio to revive the glories of the past, especially in terms of defensive marking.
“They have the same value, there are attackers who are less incisive than they used to be. This is current football. When I see a game with defenders who are 4-5 meters from the attacker, my skin gets irritated. However, we must take note that this is current football. But we have to bring Italian football back to the glories of the past, even if we don’t see many prospects in this sense,” before going on to add: “There are no defenders like me on the pitch. I no longer see close marking like I used to. Today I don’t see them anymore and it’s disappointing. We see defenders who have no points of reference, they get in the middle of the area and wait for the ball slams into him. Italian football has this kind of shortcomings that don’t give good prospects for the future.”
Finally, the world champions shed light on Juventus’ shortcomings, as the Bianconeri’s European hopes were dealt a huge blow with the loss in Rome.
“In my opinion, the Champions League dream has faded for Juventus. It would have already been so before the game in Rome, but now all dreams are over. It was a burning defeat but it was undeserved. Juve also played decently and Roma weren’t superior, but this is football and we must already think about the future.”
Juventus sit in 8th place with 35 points, on par with Bologna, who have a game on their hands. Whereas Roma sit in 4th after the win and are well in contention for a Champions League spot, having capitalized on Milan’s loss to Fiorentina
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