Out of the box: Coaches who made stars twinkle

Football’s biggest stage has been a laboratory for great coaches to catch rivals off guard with revolutionary tactical experiments

Lifting the World Cup is the ultimate dream for any player who wants to be regarded among the elite of world football, and behind every successful team is an astute manager. The man pulling the strings doesn’t always get his due, but his contribution to the team’s success is massive. Throughout the history of World Cup, there have been managers who have brought about fundamental tactical changes to their team’s approach, guiding them to success.

Perhaps one of the first pivotal shifts was pioneered by Italian manager and the only two-time Cup winning coach Vittorio Pozzo. He is credited as the creator of the ‘Metodo’ 2-3-2-3 formation, which took Italy to back-to-back World Cup titles in 1934 and 1938. It also offered more defensive solidity than the more commonly used ‘inverted pyramid’ 2-3-5, proving that Italians were always ahead in terms of defensive solidity.

The World Cup’s post-World War II era is largely remembered for Brazil’s dominance, but their success was arguably down to their abundance of attacking riches. An array of talented forwards including but not limited to Pele, Mario Zagallo, Garrincha and Jairzinho, saw them overwhelm opposition. From 1958 to 1970 they missed out on lifting the World Cup only once, in 1966, while their best victory perhaps came in 1970.

Facing an Italy side that relied on the ‘Catenaccio’ or ‘door-bolt’ tactic – a system which relied on counter-attacks – Brazil ran out 4-1 winners.

TOTAL FOOTBALL

Perhaps the man whose tactical impact is felt most widely today is Johan Cryuff, whose ‘Total Football’ is the hallmark of most successful modern teams. The system emphasised on fluidity. When one player moved out of position, another took his place; this helped in retaining the team’s shape.

This tactical fluidity then morphed into players being able to function in more than one position.

Nowadays, tactics and formations are more homogenous than they have ever been. This does lead to tepid viewing sometimes, but it is also an indicator of how much the game has developed.

WORLD CUP STALWARTS

Some managers have left a lasting legacy on the World Cup. One of the most successful has been Helmut Schoen, who coached Germany at four consecutive World Cups from 1966 to 1978. After finishing second to England in 1966, Germany finished third in 1970, after losing to Italy in the semis. Four years later, Germany beat a star-studded Netherlands in the final. Schon retired after Germany exited in the second round of the 1978 World Cup but continues to hold the record for most matches coached (25) and most matches won (16) in World Cup.

Carlos Bilardo is another notable figure in football’s greatest tournament, having guided Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and to a runner-up finish four years later.

Carlos Alberto Parreira, on the other hand, is the only manager to have been part of six World Cup campaigns. He led Brazil to the 1994 title and to the quarterfinal 12 years later. In 1982, 1990, 1998 and 2010, he coached Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa respectively, the teams bowing out in the group stages on all four occasions.

In the last two decades, Dutch tactician Guus Hiddink has left an indelible mark on the World Cup. After guiding his native Netherlands to the 1998 World Cup semi-finals, he memorably took co-hosts South Korea to the last four in 2002. Four years down the line, his Australia team reached the last 16 stage before losing to eventual champions Italy.