How Roberto De Zerbi is changing football transcript

how would you describe your own football philosophy to keep the ball to enjoy with the ball they're playing some of the best football of any team at the moment an absolute joy to watch them try every game to be protagonist on the pitch composure on the ball the authority and courage to take the ball in all areas working with passion working with ambition working with uh uh a Brighton and H albian are on their way to Europe a historic achievement for Roberto deser side every so often a figure comes around that changes the status quo of a sport with the uniqueness of his philosophy and the dedication to his methods Roberto derer is one of those people his passion for the game is obsessive he claims his mind is always on his work that even his family can't take him away from it and from his first professional job at foder he's been developing an entirely distinct footballing method one that has taken the World by storm and earned the respect of his peers he's the most one of the most influen managers in the last 20 years today I'm exploring the philosophy and the vision of a man who many are calling the next great football Mastermind a man who has bent the game to his will and already influenced coaches worldwide and yet whose work and achievements perhaps represent the greatest conflict in football today this is Roberto deseri the protagon [Music] despite the clarity of his ideas des's influences are unclear according to the man himself his work is inspired by his life and his role models his upbringing in AC Milan's Academy the leadership of former coaches such as fudges Pascal Marino and the modern greats Bel Elsa and Guardiola but regardless of those influences what has emerged from derer is his own Crystal Clear philosophy and a coaching method that has been meticulously designed in his own words that philosophy can be reduced to three fundamentals number one to keep the ball number two to try and be protagonists on the pitch and number three to work with passion and with a dream in pursuing Total Domination of the ball deser adopts some of the Johan cro Pep Guardiola laws of the game structurally he arranges his players so that they rationally occupy space which is famously Central to guardiola's philosophy in other words the players take up designated spaces and the ball moves from space to space as opposed to the players moving towards the ball and progressing with it it's this principle that creates the rigid structures we see in derer buildups and it allows players to know automatically where their teammates are located in almost any given scenario making possession and progression almost automatic again they play their way out from the back so impressively the structure itself is liable to change based on the opponent but desie favors those that make his footballing principles easier to execute for example his often used 424 shape has arisen largely because of der's single most important principal the third man a universal footballing concept but one that deser he has taken to the extreme when you watch any of his teams build up you realize what's actually happening is an extended web of third man passes between midfielder and Center back from one pivot to the other from forward into a pivot each Progressive pass breaking through a line of opposition pressure and when a team like desis Brighton understands this principle players actively look to receive not the first pass but the second and if executed properly it is virtually impossible to defend lovely triangle of passes there from Brighton of course der's possession game expands beyond the third man in buildup he is dedicated to playing out with the ball and expects his players to instantly recog recognize whether they have a numerical advantage in more advanced areas they'll rotate around the structure to create and exploit space and other times they break the positional Paradigm moving forward through zones to disrupt the opposition however all of these things are simply principles to understand what makes the Z's football unique we have to look closer to that second fundamental to always be protagonists because I think it's from here that the feeling of true uniqueness emerges whether it's a center back standing idle with their studs on the ball or a lightning quick passing move that shreds through the opponent doab teams have a very interesting relationship with time in fact it's time or timing that makes the Zer team so fascinating they are one of the only teams I've ever seen who are happy to completely stop just stand still wait it's incredibly provocative as if they're taunting you the crowd no doubt gets exasperated the opposition players too and when that frustration reaches its peak when they tempt that pressure that's when they're at their most dangerous because that's exactly what derer is waiting for space that didn't exist between the lines now exists space to be identified and exploited quickly and decisively the static becomes the dynamic slow becomes the fast the calm becomes the storm and so by manipulating Time by cycling through different rhythms the zabi's teams aim to assume complete control of the game whether they're slow and Meandering or dizzyingly fast or even ground to a halt their rhythm with the ball forces you to play on their turn they become as in Desi's principal the protagonists thoroughly enjoying their afternoon here but not only is this approach a fascinating spectacle it's proved equally effective deserie whether intentionally or not has created a possession system that gives its attacking players the luxury of space as if they were always playing on the Counterattack and that's resulted in teams that create not just a lot of chances but high quality chances and the data tells us just as much that goal just sums up what deser brightener all about but there's one more element to derer method that deserves exploring and that's his belief off the ball whenever possible his teams deploy an aggressive man-to-man press which can lead to a very high line compressing the pitch the purpose of this press is not just to control territory as in some strategies but actively win the ball in advanced areas and in the 2223 season Des Brighton created the most shots from high turnovers in the league adding another dimension to this possession machine so between the defensive aggression and The Possession Rhythm diabi has created a football that is exceptionally Dynamic full of Rhythm and Crescendo but most importantly a type of football that you can only see in its most authentic form from his teams this blend of positional discipline passing Automation and remarkable use of time is uniquely deservant and the fact it's being deployed successfully at the elite level is a Monumental achievement it's one thing to design a theory of football but it's quite another to make it a reality and in that regard it can't be denied that derer is a great football coach on the training field he's typified by his high level of involvement Brighton Captain Adam Lana called him the most Hands-On coach he's ever worked with citing that he frequently participates in his own sessions taking on different roles to show the players not just tell them the finer details of what he's asking for and the unity with which his teams play is a testament to der's talent for teaching but what stands out even more from interviews about derer comes back to his third fundamental to work with passion ambition and crucially a dream because it is the pursuit of a dream that makes deserie more than just a coach his work is not just about convincing players of a footballing idea but Awakening their desire for something greater a dream that appears almost impossible at benevento it was to avoid almost certain relegation at saso and Brighton it was to take a modest Club to the bright lights of European football whatever the dream the collective effort required means to zabi must Foster an incredible sense of togetherness to do so he doesn't just issue instructions to his players no he inducts them into his own footballing Universe putting Relentless faith and trust in them teaching them not only the what but the why the intent and meaning behind his football it's a relationship that isn't just that of a coach or even a leader but a mentor and from a human perspective it's clear his players love him for that he changed my life last season so whatever he wants from me I'll give him no problem and is it any surprise that in that context this man is so capable of creating extraordinary teams teams in which every player is willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good where the collective comes far above the individual and the group behaves almost like a single formidable organism in fact when it all clicks the Harmony in which Desi's teams play is quite rare to see in a sport as complex as football and yet despite all these coaching triumphs diab's career has known as much failure as success at benevento he could not avoid relegation at saso he could not achieve his European ambition only after moving to England did his dreams start to become a reality which serves as an important reminder that a football coach no matter how talented is only as good as the quality of their players and that's where this story takes an interesting turn because derer for all of his tactical genius and for his incredible leadership is from a certain perspective playing an impossible game for some he is wrestling with the very essence of football when the people speak about the our uh style of play H they are not speaking about the Zerby but uh the zby doesn't play on the pitch in the main theer's football is uncontroversial despite its peculiarities it feels at home in the modern footballing landscape a mix of heavy possession principles and proactive high-intensity defending but from another perspective we can find the argument that Desi's method is one that takes football down a PR ious path perhaps theer's greatest Triumph is that he's able to generate absolute belief in his ideas ideas that are exceptionally strict and meticulous every player knows where they should stand where their teammates will be standing and know what options they have in almost any scenario if the ball is here and your opponent does this you know that you can do this in many ways it is the epitome of the positional game where the team becomes a machine this is why deserie can drastically change his players without affecting the team Dynamic almost at all his system creates such specific parameters and objectives you're less reliant on the individual's unique tendencies in fact you have little need for individuality merely the raw ingredients that you can mold to your system from a sporting sense this can be incredibly powerful it safeguards you from injury and loss of players but could it not also be a source of concern if completely different players can be made to look almost identical if you can swap them in out with virtually no consequence have you lost an important part of football's Essence when discussing his team's buildup phase deserie often talks of solutions that he and his staff create for individual games as if he were playing a game of chess Imagining the best possible move in a specific board position but is it possible to Sol football in such an abstract way can footballers be reduced to porns completing perfect actions is it possible to erase chance and error and create the perfect game that derer is searching for I ask these questions not because I have the answers but because I think it's a conversation worth having when I watch der's teams I can't help but be in awe of their cohesion the level of understanding the collective Rhythm for the players and the fans of his teams he is and will continue to be a miracle worker a deliverer of Unforgettable moments nobody can deny the authentic Joy when a goal is scored or a club achieves a historical success yet there's this feeling bubbling under the surface behind the Romantic notion of keeping the ball there is so much science Precision positions angles patterns this method which is so imbued with passion is riing on self-discipline personal restraint those rhythms which can feel so musical are not spontaneous but pre-designed triggered mechanically by opposition pressure perhaps then the story of Roberto dieri is more than anything one of contradiction this Collective effort to become Superior to exert dominance through shared sacrifice to achieve this Collective dream is ultimately one man's dream and one man's Vision in the football of Roberto deseri there is truly only one protagonist and For Better or Worse that's what makes his journey so utterly compelling if you enjoy this video you can listen to an additional 9-minute discussion on derer control of time through my brand new patreon page you'll hear additional quotes from Pep Guardiola and an extended conversation about decision Mak at the elite level of football if that sounds interesting check out the first link in the description and get access to all future bonus content otherwise I hope you enjoyed this video I tried to go above and beyond what I usually do so hopefully it was worth it you can expect more of this style of video in between my regular ones in the future so thank you so much for watching thanks for your continued support and I'll see you in the next one take [Music] care