After Bayern Munich’s 1-2 loss to Milan’s Inter in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, former Germany defender Philipp Lahm offered his opinions on Italian football.
The Italian teams of today make me think of a Ferrari, which has had its horsepower cut to 200 and has a semi-empty tank that runs out of fuel 10 kilometers before the finish line. The most exquisite design is insufficient. Despite being more structured than Germany, Italy was unable to match the Germans’ level of intensity in the Nations League last month.
The absence of initiative, dedication, and athleticism on the field is the primary sporting cause of the problem in Italy. In addition to players jogging less, they spend a lot less than the other four best leagues—Spain, England, France, and Germany. This persistent lack of dynamism leads to a quality problem. No player can compete at a world-class level when the opponent’s pressure is too low.
All of these leads me to the conclusion that Madrid’s “Atletico” eliminated “Bayern” in the 2016 Champions League semifinals. We had 180 minutes of top vigor from our opponents. I’m still impressed by Diego Simeone’s football skills. Lahm remarked, “In reality, all of Italy should play like “Atletico,” in his Guardian column.
