The value of the ball - the tool of the trade at the heart of the game (Thiago Motta) (Patreon)

Introduction

My relationship with the ball began, like for almost every child, as a "gift object," given to me by my father as a birthday present when I was a little boy. Right from the start, thanks to the sentimental, affectionate, and emotional component derived from my father's gesture within the family environment, a symbiotic and natural bond with the ball blossomed within me.

The ball became the most precious object for my expressive field, which was the game of football at home, on the streets, alone or with friends, amidst dreams of becoming a great footballer and the desire to have fun and score goals to defeat any opponent.

This relationship was also solidified when the transition from typical childhood recreational play to the first more structured experiences in football clubs and indoor football became increasingly frequent. During this transitional phase between childhood and adolescence, the ball transformed from a simple recreational plaything into an instrument of team play, representing a more complex form of collective game.

Thanks to the ball, the horizon of the game expanded from the familiar circle of family and friends to that of the new family, the footballing one. And the game, from a recreational expression, increasingly turned into a competitive expression, projecting not only an idea of individual and collective movement but also personal value in belonging to a group, a family of devoted ball enthusiasts.

Even as I acquired more accurate expressive skills, linked to different types of balls (eleven-a-side football and five-a-side football), the emotional component was still present. It maintained the personal affection for the "gift object" while expressing collective affection for the expressive "tool" of the team.

In both cases – personal recreation or as a collective instrument of the team – the ball reaffirmed itself as the most precious possession, the supreme good of the game.

Losing it - during any game situation - unconsciously meant not only losing the object of high personal value (the gift from my dad) but also the essential tool to express belonging to the group-team, the family-team.

Losing the ball, therefore, became a sort of individual and collective "football crime" to be rectified in the most decisive manner, whether on the streets with friends by asserting personal dominance, but above all on the field, in a competitive context, through team play.

With my transfer to Barcelona, in Spain, all these foundational elements were expanded, deepened, and perfected, reinforcing the awareness of the centrality of the ball and its management, both individually and collectively, as an expression of the game of football.

This was, in any case, a natural evolution, with the ball understood both as an "emotional object" and as a "collective instrument," but with a cultural deepening aimed at improving ball control throughout different phases of the game, from both a personal perspective ("the ball is mine") and a collective one ("the ball is ours”).

The perception of losing the ball was no longer just a simple "football crime," but also a stimulus for reflection, not only to devise the best conservation strategy but also to prevent loss and, of course, to regain possession.

In short, the ball and its management became the focal point of a more structured personal and collective philosophy of interpreting the game, which laid the foundations for the future success of Barcelona in La Liga and in Europe.

My arrival in Italy allowed me to enrich and consolidate my technical and tactical baggage, this time according to different football philosophies. These philosophies were not necessarily focused solely on the object/tool of the ball but rather on alternative space occupation and the consequent positioning on the field, also taking into account the opponents and their respective football doctrines.

The cultural diversity of Serie A, due to the multitude of approaches or contrasting notions that are dear to me, has allowed me to further fuel my reflection on the centrality of the ball in both personal and collective play, complementing beliefs and principles, even in the application of opposing football fundamentals.

These fundamentals, in fact, have highlighted and tested the universal mechanisms of approaching the game through the universal and natural prism of the ball as an object/tool.

In this sense, the intellectual disparity between "masters" like Gian Piero Gasperini at Genoa and José Mourinho at Inter can be summarized in a comparison of experiences: during the halftime of the Milan Derby on August 29, 2009, and in the management of the attacking maneuvers of the Genoa team.

While both coaches emphasized controlling the game through verticality in their play, the methods to achieve it were diametrically opposed.

Mourinho at Inter preferred verticality between the lines, as became evident to me at the end of the first half of the first leg of the 2009 derby. We were leading Milan 3-0 after the first 45 minutes. The margin was obtained through game criteria and ball management that closely aligned with what I felt was most suitable. However, as we walked through the tunnel after leaving the dressing rooms, Mourinho instructed me to focus not on control but on releasing the ball and making vertical passes behind the Milan defensive lines. In the second half, we only scored one more goal for a final 4-0 victory, but that year we still won the treble.

At Genoa, Gasperini demanded a more elaborate management of vertical play. Not only through direct passes between the lines but also by privileging an organized structure of passing. Often, in my role as a playmaker, it was my task to directly serve the number 9, Milito, for direct vertical plays. However, Gasperini wanted verticality to be achieved by utilizing the players in the attacking third as intermediaries. In such a system, the play not only developed vertically but also allowed me to actively participate, positioning myself in the opponent's area and multiplying the resources to score goals. Gasperini once pointed out to me that with a game based on direct vertical passes to the forward, I might put Milito in a position to shoot, but I would automatically exclude myself from the action and consequently limited the team's creative alternatives to reach the goal.

In France, the educational and intellectual journey of the concept of play expressed through the centrality of the ball transitioned from a theoretical value to a practical and pedagogical expression. This was not only evident in Carlo Ancelotti's PSG but particularly under the management of Laurent Blanc, amidst a league that generally held contrasting technical and tactical precepts to such an approach. This contrast only served to enhance the superiority of a philosophy applied first as a player on the field, translating the experience of individual management in service of the collective with the ball into technical and tactical terms. Subsequently, as the coach of PSG's Under 19 team, this philosophy was transmitted to young players as foundational principles for a comprehensive and layered vision of football, all based on the primal and natural element of football: the ball.

From this perspective, the proposal of this thesis is to approach the interpretation of football through the centrality of the ball, understood as an "emotional object/tool of work," including its psychological significance (Part One). This centrality is interpreted as team and individual mastery to be cultivated through specific technical exercises, ensuring the broadest range of choices for building and evolving collective and personal play. These concepts are illustrated through a practical case study that encompasses the various aspects addressed here (Part Two).

PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Throughout my football career, I often observed how teammates would self-limit themselves technically during training sessions and matches, resulting in a reduction of both the team's tactical options and individual performance.

High-level football is a sport in which performance responsibility is shared, but where the technical element of individuals, manifested in their ability to control and manage the ball, predominates. The ball can be defined as a tool of work through which each team member expresses their abilities, as part of a collective group working towards the primary objective of scoring goals and, by extension, winning.

This objective can be achieved through a variety of approaches, tactics, and interpretations of the game, based on the players' characteristics, the opponents, and the strategies employed. However, it all starts with the fundamental element: the touch of the ball. From a technical perspective, the touch of the ball holds paramount importance, as it directly affects the gameplay. From a mental standpoint, it serves as a tool for the realization of various psychological stages that contribute to the overall development of the individual. Furthermore, there are also emotional and affective dimensions associated with the ball, as mentioned in the introduction, which trace back to its embryonic significance.

Hence, the mastery of the football player's working tool, the ball, is of utmost importance. As the central component of the game of football, the ball becomes the guiding thread for a series of reflections on the individual's mental approach and the practical consequences on the team's performance and results. The team is understood as a complex composition of personalities that may or may not harmonize in pursuit of the common objective.

The Personality

Returning to the observation, throughout my career, of those teammates who limited themselves in expressing their technical mastery, the importance of controlling professional competence emerges. This entails the transformation of the definition of the ball from a mere tool of work to an instrument for the realization of the individual player's personality and, consequently, that of the team to which they belong.

The ball, from a simple object of play/work, thus becomes a tool for enhancing psychological and mental capabilities to face the challenges, goals, and difficulties that arise from its professional use. This, in turn, brings about significant collective benefits in a virtuous cycle that allows individuals to fulfil themselves and contribute, through their cultivated and improved abilities, to the team's fulfillment.

First and foremost, it is necessary to define the personality of the individual player/person, shaped by genetic predisposition and early formative experiences within a specific social and cultural environment where they have been able to express themselves. This definition is linked to the fundamental evolution of the relationship with the ball, which, as mentioned in the introduction, extends back to the player's emotional and affective connection with the ball during childhood.

Moreover, according to some studies focused on youth, until the age of 11, the affiliative dimension of playing sports with friends, meeting new people, and having fun remains predominant. It then expands to the pursuit of excitement in competition and the enthusiasm derived from it until the age of 14. Finally, it develops into the need to maintain not only physical fitness but also, and above all, a sports competence that allows individuals to excel and make a difference within the collective. Thus, they can contribute to achieving the shared goal within the group/family that represents the team.

Consequently, without delving into Freudian intricacies of personality definition and development, it is necessary to understand the concept of drive as an endogenous impulse towards the external world, characterized by an origin, a goal, and an object.

Personality, according to philosophers like Umberto Galimberti, represents the set of psychological characteristics and behavioral patterns of an individual. In their integration, these characteristics form the irreducible core of the individual's personality, even amidst the multiplicity and diversity of environmental situations in which they express themselves and operate.

Personality allows for the integration and organization of physical and psychological elements to facilitate the individual's adaptation to the environment.

The individual/football player finds themselves acting in a complex context, expressing themselves on multiple levels, from training to the continuum of the match, in a specific place—the stadium—exposed to the pressure of thousands of fans and media attention, both punctually (during the match) and daily through newspapers, TV broadcasts, and, last but not least, social networks.

Therefore, the importance of calmly expressing one's skills becomes fundamental not only for the direct expression of the individual player but also for their interaction within the work group/family/team and with the external environmental context.

Each of these levels of expression presents potential difficulties that contribute to inhibiting the player themselves through limited or conditioned use of the ball, understood—notably—as not just a basic tool of work but as a multifaceted revealer of the psychological and mental potential that can be intervened upon to facilitate the creation of a virtuous team spirit, enabling the achievement of set goals.

Stress

The pursuit of a goal should be approached as an engaging challenge, inevitably accompanied by a certain level of stress, which, however, is understood as a vital element in the individual's mechanism of adaptation and survival.

Stress and its management thus become an initial indicator of the individual/football player's personality and their ability to keep it within a tolerable limit that does not interfere with decision-making, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral processes.

The first source of stress for a football player stems from their ability to demonstrate mastery of the ball through which they aspire to integrate into a team, carving out a technical relational space with teammates. The primary intention is not only to express oneself but also to experiment with creativity in the game, possibly making mistakes that are not subjected to excessive criticism, and always with the goal of completing the journey leading to victory.

In this context, stress related to the lack of technical mastery of the ball and its management arises from a perceived sense of limitation that is seen as threatening due to environmental demands perceived as excessive compared to the player's self-perceived abilities to cope with them.

Practically speaking, this mechanism is manifested, for example, in the player's feeling of isolation, both during training sessions and, with more detrimental consequences, during matches. This isolation occurs not only through the team's lack of involvement of the player/individual who fails to express appropriate skills for the group's work and its aim of winning but also in the act of "hiding," denying availability to a teammate in specific areas of the field and phases of the game that generate more challenging situations and, consequently, more stress.

In this sense, an interesting exchange of remarks during a social media program involving former champion Didier Drogba is worth mentioning. He shared his experience at Chelsea, where he found himself confronted with teammates who were technically less gifted and, therefore, considered inferior and unreliable, as well as being subject to veiled mockery in the presence of teammates, but direct and fiercer in private group chats.

Considering the need to identify a solution to this problem, its ambivalence must be taken into account. For example, sociologist Aaron Antonovsky's theory observed that stressors are counteracted by personality-specific resources on one hand and specific environmental resources, such as a network of supportive social relationships, on the other.

Therefore, the connections with direct teammates, with whom moments of difficulty are faced, are of utmost importance.

Stress Management

Returning to the essential capacity to manage stress, induced by internal and external stimuli, it is necessary to reinforce the principles of coping and resilience.

Coping, considered in psychology as a process that significantly tests an individual's resources through actions and connected emotions, essentially aims to reduce the risk of harmful consequences that may result from a stressful event and contain negative emotional reactions, as highlighted by Francesco Riccardo in "Educazione allo Sviluppo del Potenziale Personale" (ed. Calzetti Mariucci). On the other hand, resilience, according to psychologist Edith Grotberg, refers to the human ability to face life's adversities, overcome them, and emerge strengthened and transformed.

In short, resilience also encompasses the capacity to use the experiences arising from difficult situations to build the future.

However, this inherent capacity needs to be brought forth, nurtured, and developed in the player precisely through the fundamental tool of their work, which is the ball. By creating a habit and reinforcing its natural and spontaneous use for personal improvement and collective interaction, starting from training sessions, it allows for the development of mutual trust between the individual and the group, fostering harmony and shared respect for choices and objectives. This reduces the likelihood of conflicts that could compromise team cohesion, performance, and ultimately, results.

In my experiences as a football player, I have observed that in Spain, for example, there is not inherently more quality among players, but there is certainly an emphasis on establishing a greater familiarity with the ball, considering it as the primary expression of a player's craft. Going back to my own experiences in Brazil, I can confirm that a football player's training cannot be separated from the ball, as it is considered the natural method of expression for the player.

In contrast to situations where tactical components are excessively emphasized during training, which can have beneficial effects on a team's ability to occupy spaces based on different phases of the game, it risks depriving the player of the habit of a personal relationship with the ball, perhaps only touching it a few times during an entire session.

Emotional Intelligence

The ball also comes into play as a means to develop the player's emotional intelligence, which forms the essence of team spirit amidst individual differences.

Emotional intelligence, in fact, facilitates communication exchanges and problem-solving abilities, stimulating both individual and collective constructive processes.

It is true that only when one is aware of their personal competence can they master social competence, understood as the ability to manage relationships with others through empathy and social skills that foster collaborative bonds, consolidating consensus and support around oneself.

In this reflection by Riccardo, the parallel with the indispensable need for a calm use of the ball emerges forcefully, as the main purpose of emotional intelligence is to aid in making optimal decisions that are fully rational and emotionally aware, positively involving others in the pursuit of a shared objective.

Riccardo also emphasizes how within groups, each member should be self-aware because self-awareness is the starting point for any change.

Self-awareness is cultivated within the team when the coach, according to the studies of Tammy Horne and Albert Carron, designs behaviors and exercises that enhance personal skills, involving the commitment of all players, in order to satisfy the players' need for fulfillment.

In a workgroup, collective satisfaction is achieved when individuals can find and assert their own technical identity within the group itself.

This fosters personal motivation, social cohesion, and intergroup collaboration, thinking in terms of "We" and limiting issues of rivalry that are detrimental to morale and results.

Competence

Beyond the tactical knowledge derived from it, the ball as a tool also becomes the primary expression of an individual player's competence, where competence refers to the ability linked to the knowledge and experience acquired in a specific field of activity: the combined knowledge and know-how.

In professional contexts, the ability to deliver effective performances best exemplifies the meaning of competence, also understood as the skill to intentionally and effectively use one's knowledge in productive activities and problem-solving.

Therefore, in my opinion, the ball becomes the embodiment of competence for producing team play, according to the chosen tactical values, as well as for facing the opponent.

Through the expression of football competence with the ball, we go beyond mere mastery of execution, which is understood as the technical ability to control the ball. We expand our thinking to include a certain representation of the structure and criteria of this competence, as a potential expressive element of a comprehensive and collective idea of team play.

Thus, it becomes an essential pivot connected to the ability to handle complex situations that arise in every match.

Awareness and Empathy

Without ever losing sight of the need to contribute to the development of the player's/person's personality, enabling them to confidently and securely confront the stress induced by an unnatural relationship with the ball that limits their expressive possibilities on the field, we come to the theme of self-awareness.

This concept allows for better preparedness in facing various situations that life/match entails, adopting behaviors and attitudes that serve one's objectives. It also involves exhibiting skills and abilities that generate behavioral flexibility and versatility, both individually and collectively.

Through self-awareness, the capacity to control emotions increases, shifting them from harmful intensity to a stable level, transforming them into something pleasant that facilitates a state of serenity, essential for self-mastery of the expressive tool represented by the ball and one's role within their belonging community, the team.

Awareness also leads to easier stress management, previously attributed to a player's lack of mastery over the expressive tool of the ball. However, it should be noted that the solution also lies in the ability to effectively communicate discomfort, both verbally and non-verbally.

The impact of empathy, understood as the ability to put oneself in another's shoes, perceiving their emotions and thoughts, should not be underestimated. The lack of mastery in ball control technique can indeed multiply the obstacles to healthy communication, which is not only beneficial for the individual to feel part of the group but also for the group to avoid the formation of further forms of censorship.

In this case, censorship refers to the teammates' failure to involve the player perceived as less technically skilled, who, through their lack of personality and self-awareness, exposes the entire team to additional stress-inducing situations.

Furthermore, there are risks posed by the opposing team's ability to easily identify the weak point of their opponents and take advantage of it. In practical terms, the lack of empathy can facilitate the suppression of spontaneity in passing and ball circulation among players.

Consequently, the indispensable cohesion of team solidarity, which allows for facing obstacles with a "we" attitude or denies a broader potential resolution, deteriorates. This reduction of possible solutions occurs by excluding the teammate considered less suitable.

The failure to demonstrate technical mastery of the ball may lead the player themselves to disable the mechanism of empathy, and it may also discourage the rest of the teammates from reproducing it. If empathy is understood as the ability to immerse oneself in another's reality to understand their perspectives, thoughts, feelings, and emotions, this principle of sharing, on which the concept of team solidarity is based, is essentially blocked.

The potential consequences are harmful, as they can directly undermine the group's dynamics, triggering a negative spiral in the mutual attitudes of individuals. The more prominently skilled players not only tend to isolate those who are less comfortable but also limit their own work, considering that the more physical role rightfully belongs to those with fewer technical abilities.

This is the typical case of highly skilled forwards who refuse defensive work, considering it a duty for those teammates who, lacking sufficient technical capabilities, must compensate by doing the dirty work. This attitude inevitably leads to the disintegration of the relational fabric on the field, pushing the less self-assured player, less skilled in ball mastery, not only to refrain from exposing themselves during possession but also to disengage more vigorously from teamwork. This happens because they are rejected by others or no longer willing to be considered as an inferior element within the team.

Thus, a process of deterioration of individual and collective decision-making possibilities is triggered, accompanied by a limitation of game perspectives and the identification of opponents' weaknesses. Additionally, there is a risk of further destabilization from the opponent's attitude if they can perceive and exploit the weakening of the collective strength they are facing.

Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking

Hence the importance of the concept of critical thinking, understood as the ability to examine the situation and take a personal position on it, according to Galimberti's definition, which explains how this capacity constitutes the foundation of a responsible attitude towards experiences and autonomy in relation to environmental conditioning.

Therefore, it is more essential than ever to insist on providing the player with mastery of the technical means of ball control and management, in order to facilitate not only the freedom associated with critical thinking but also the problem-solving ability induced by creative thinking.

When we refer to creative thinking, we mean the capacity, present since childhood, to think of possible alternative solutions to difficult situations, breaking behavioral patterns that act as constraints. In this interpretation, the doubt caused by technical limitations in ball control and management experienced by the player is a prime example.

Creative thinking is linked to the principle of sharing and exchanging ideas, which are crucial for a team game. Albert Einstein stated that while logic takes you from point A to point B, imagination can take you anywhere.

By combating self-censorship and personal limitations induced by technical limitations in the mastery of the working tool represented by the ball, we ensure inexhaustible and infinitely valuable psychological and mental resources for the player and the coach. This allows individuals to make decisions directly on the field without succumbing to the fear of losing the ball, causing the team to lose it and consequently losing credibility in the eyes of teammates and, not least, opponents.

If the related stress becomes intense and unmanageable, there is a higher probability that the individual/player will refrain from making decisions or repeatedly delay them, weakening the fabric of the game. This is manifested on the field by the problem of not making oneself available to teammates in building the action, self-censoring and excluding oneself.

The problem of the inability to make a decision arises, according to the terms of psychologist Gaetano Kanizsa, also mentioned by Riccardo, when an individual motivated to achieve a goal cannot do so automatically, mechanically, instinctively, or through learned behavior.

Training in ball mastery and management allows for the development not only of problem-solving skills to be applied in preparation for the match and on the field but also critical thinking, creative thinking, and the management of emotional aspects in relating to teammates, the environment, and opponents.

In essence, focusing on the technical training of ball control and management induces a phenomenon of "unleashing" or "unbridling," as seen in the process of brainstorming, which allows for the identification of a greater number of solutions to each problem.

It is known that when one possesses only one possible solution, they feel constrained; with two possible alternatives, conflicts arise; while with three alternatives, one can feel genuinely free.

The same can apply on the playing field if the appropriate tactical and psycho-mental conditions are created, enabling the player not only to process and confront choices with the necessary confidence, spontaneity, and certainty in their abilities regarding the ball but also to interact with teammates and feel protected by them, in addition to dealing with opponents and the pressure from the environment.

This paradigm can have beneficial effects not only for players with limited technical abilities but also for those with high technical competence, who can express their skills more freely in service of the team, feeling supported and protected by their teammates. This is also possible by extending their trust to those teammates with fewer technical skills but who are motivated and strengthened in their role within the team through their commitment and growth in ball mastery and management, fostered by mutual empathy cultivated during training.

This easily transforms a team with a few key players into a team of protagonists, each contributing their own attitudes and talents to the collective effort. Even the star player contributes to the collective strength because they understand the advantages not only for the team but also for their personal expression of talent and the deserved recognition. And when even the star player applies themselves to, for example, defensive work in regaining possession of the ball, it automatically reinforces the collective strength in ball recovery. This compensates for the technical limitations of the player with less ability, who in turn finds comfort in the collective compensation for their own limitations.

By strengthening the individual/player's personality, their creativity and communication skills are consequently enhanced. By nurturing technical mastery in the use of the ball, a mental well-being is promoted, which in turn increases motivation to take care of oneself and others.

Self-Efficacy

As a result of this virtuous process, supported by careful development of individual technical skills, there is an awareness of self-efficacy, as defined by Canadian psychologist Albert Bandura. It refers to the belief in one's ability to organize and execute sequences of actions necessary to produce specific results. This belief empowers individuals to effectively face any challenge, feeling capable of meeting the event's demands, with specific tasks, motivation, personal resources, and action coming into play.

The parallel with the player's role on the field is evident, considering that if an individual believes that the outcome of their performance can vary based on their direct effort, they will develop higher expectations to successfully achieve their predetermined objective. Moreover, they convince themselves that such results can be repeated in the future, thereby fostering perseverance in overcoming difficulties that may arise during task execution.

It is also important to note that, according to the approaches of Schunk and Zimmerman mentioned by Riccardo, mastery and the presence of effective models who positively face challenges stimulate the learning of new skills and strategies in others.

Hence, the experience of observing teammates who are moderately skilled from a technical standpoint, within a virtuous collective context fueled by highly technical elements and a willingness to contribute to a common goal without prejudice, leads to an increase in their level of ball mastery and management over the months and training sessions. They increasingly contribute to the expressive possibilities of the team on the field.

Anxiety-inducing moments thus become potential challenges, stimulating and positive, contributing to the acquisition of additional motor and technical skills. In summary, they strengthen the collective awareness of the team's strength.

Riccardo, in the aforementioned book, also recalls that in the sports context, athletes who are more confident in their effectiveness demonstrate greater concentration, especially through the control of intrusive thoughts and appropriate management of stress factors. They are more accepting of the risks of competition and ready to face inevitable moments of crisis.

Psychologists Jessica Militello and Patrizia Steca further emphasize that personal efficacy is crucial both in training, promoting high-level construction and refinement, and in competition, optimizing choice, effort, execution, and orchestration in various activities. It is important to note that the belief in increasing one's capacity enhances the intrinsic satisfaction derived from performance, making it engaging and meaningful.

Motivation

This establishes an additional step that, through the use and mastery of ball control technique, strengthens motivation. Motivation is understood as the force that drives action, directing behavior towards specific goals, supporting the effort required to achieve them, and acquiring and managing external and environmental stimuli.

Motivation is intrinsic, allowing individuals to engage in an activity because it is stimulating and pleasurable, deriving satisfaction from feeling increasingly competent, regardless of external stimuli typical of extrinsic motivation. Thus, individuals are able to adopt the appropriate behavior without being discouraged by the difficulties associated with their activity.

Adversity becomes part of the whole, to be managed according to the Expectancy-Value model of 1983 by AA.VV., precisely as a component of the game, waiting for the right moment to showcase one's potential and skills. As a result, athletes give their best in a balanced pursuit of their limits, finding stimulation to improve and thus fueling the team's virtuosity.

Subsequently, there is a state of alignment not only with one's abilities but also with integration into the context in which the individual expresses themselves.

The Flow

In an ideal model, where global harmony is established at the team level, the individual/player can converge towards a state of flow. Flow is understood as a mental condition in which the athlete is so immersed in their performance that they experience a sense of serenity, concentration, and complete absorption. It is a sort of trance that combines physical activity and consciousness, resulting in maximum concentration, an essential ingredient for performance excellence.

Even Pelé, as recalled by Riccardo, described his flow as "a strange calmness, euphoric with the impression of being able to run all day without getting tired, dribbling anyone, almost physically crossing the opposing team.”

Without aiming to make every player a potential Pelé, it should be emphasized that all the components described so far in their psychological meaning find a common thread in the concept of technical mastery of the professional/emotional instrument of the ball.

At each stage, the recognition of the usefulness of appropriate and serene ball control helps promote and consolidate the psychological and mental aspects that contribute to the development of the football player.

Last but not least, it becomes evident that the technical and psychological maturity of individual players also contributes to the development of a model of collective intelligence that drives a team. Natural hierarchies imposed by personality traits and individual competencies do not harm the life of the group/family in achieving the common objective represented by victory.

Strength and Opponents

This overall expression of the personality and consolidated skills of a team has a direct impact not only on the team's performance as the sum of the mutual completeness of the individuals, obviously orchestrated within a context of predetermined game philosophy and tactics, but also on the opposing team that finds itself facing a collective and unified block, ready for common sacrifice in the face of adversity. They possess a shared and protean game paradigm that values individual skills brought together to achieve the objective for which everyone takes the field.

Consequently, by nurturing the individual ball touch, understood as a fundamental element, as the first affectionate gesture linked to childhood, as a spontaneous sign filled with sentiment and pleasure, a natural relationship with the ball is developed. This leads to the development and strengthening of mental and technical resources to contribute to the deployment of individual expressive capacity and that of a team force. This not only facilitates the resolution of adversities faced during a match but also inhibits the opposing team by adding an additional hostile variable.

Through the individual's habit of using the ball naturally and serenely, a deterrent group effect is created against opponents. The opposing team is forced to adapt their game by including an additional risk of danger. This is not only induced by the difficulty of contending with the opposing group's objective but also by the threat posed by each of its individual elements benefiting from the technical, physical, and mental support of the rest of the team.

This paradigm, which I would define as collective inhibition of the opponent, contributes to transferring an additional factor of stress onto the opponent. They struggle with the difficulty of incorporating the risk of being subject to the opposing team's tactics. This implies further consumption of valuable mental and indirectly physical energies.

More concretely, a team facing a cohesive, harmonious group with diverse skills compensated by an attitude of sharing each member's abilities, beyond individual limitations and the common objective, will be inclined to adopt at least a cautious approach, even in simple tasks like pressing or ball recovery. They fear exposing themselves to the full and reactive force of the opponent.

This force is not only expressed by the most technically skilled individuals but also by those who may be less gifted but, through specific training aimed at daily improvement in ball control and management, contribute to completing the group's potential. This strengthens their collective awareness and ability to manage stress, enabling them to face game phases with more confidence and courage. They have a deeper understanding of their individual and collective resources, fostering a positive spirit that liberates and multiplies creative resources and freedom of action on the field. This facilitates the belief in successfully achieving the predetermined objective.

However, everything begins with the first touch of the ball, the basic element of the game and the initial intimate moment of assessing the value of a football player.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

The concepts expressed in the previous chapter, of a "cohesive, harmonious, and versatile group in diverse skills," have emerged from my personal football experience, as well as from observing various tactical phases in the matches I have studied and observed.

The case of Leeds United

For example, when observing the game of Leeds United coached by Marcelo Bielsa, I have noticed those elements of "collective technical confidence" present in all individual players, actively participating in all phases of the game.

To better explain the concept of "collective technical confidence," let's consider an action of Leeds United in the opponent's half during the build-up phase. Often, we see the central defender, Stuart Dallas, horizontally positioning himself alongside the wide midfielder, Jack Harrison, drawing the opposing team's pressing towards them in order to create advantageous spaces behind the pressing lines.

Once this effect or tactical advantage is achieved, it is very interesting to note how the central defender remains available to the teammate in possession of the ball. He does so by either 1) positioning himself in the space that has opened up or 2) requesting the ball for a diagonal vertical pass, utilizing the advantage of the space created due to the pressing, towards the other midfielder on the opposite side.

I will use this typical action, among the many in Marcelo Bielsa's tactical repertoire, to highlight some points that I consider important:

A) The most evident point concerns the awareness of all team members about their tactical importance in the game, driven by their confidence in themselves when in possession of the ball. Determining passing lanes or positioning themselves in spaces is, in my opinion, only possible through a conscious and natural relationship with the tool of the game, the ball.

B) Possession of the ball should not be confused with a sterile and therefore useless series of horizontal passes. Instead, it should be a prelude to a more effective and rapid vertical progression. The concept of ball possession is often confused - it is not for me to say whether rightly or wrongly - with a game played through horizontal lines. These examples from Bielsa's game - among the many available when evoking the Argentine coach - help explain how the theoretical concept of ball possession must absolutely include quick vertical transitions.

C) Highlighting the aforementioned speed, it is crucial to maximize physical fitness along with the development or improvement of technical abilities. This allows for the maximization of the advantage gained from the spaces created through ball possession.

D) I find it interesting to describe the concept of freedom of choice demonstrated in this case by the central defender Stuart Dallas. He has the option to either move, with or without the ball, into the spaces created behind the opposing pressing lines, or to remain in a waiting position, offering himself as a passing option. I believe that these mechanisms, which obviously also stem from tactical instructions from the coach, achieve their maximum effectiveness only through the conscious application of the players themselves. This stems not only from their knowledge of tactical strategies but also from their natural and, where necessary, improved relationship with the tool of the game, the ball.

The case of Germany 2014

Regarding the other phases of the game, specifically the defensive phase, the movements made by the German national team, coached by Joachim Low, during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2016 European Championship in France, are very interesting.

It is evident that their tactical organization incorporates the principle for players to "think about attacking while defending and think about defending while attacking.”

In fact, during the match against Italy in the 2016 European Championship, I was struck by the difference in balls recovered in the opponent's half between the two teams: 5 balls for Italy and 22 for Germany.

When losing possession, the German players positioned themselves within a maximum distance of 5-10 meters from their opponents, ready for immediate pressing, thereby immediately complicating Italy's ball progression.

These elements also align with Jurgen Klopp's tactical philosophy in the defensive phase. He himself states, "Counter-pressing is one of the best plays; the best moment to regain possession of the ball is right after you've lost it and your opponent is still in the process of orienting themselves regarding passing lanes, thus forcing them to waste unnecessary energy in futile attempts to retain the ball.”

This concept translates into high pressing, always focusing on the ball, with two players positioned centrally to maintain essential balance.

There were moments during the game when Germany's defensive line found itself no more than 10 meters from Italy's penalty area, aiming to suffocate counterattacks.

It remains evident that if counter-pressing is not executed quickly or if the central areas of the field are not immediately covered, it provides greater opportunities for lethal opponent counterattacks, facilitating their ball possession. In the 2014 World Cup, Germany's pressing was even more evident, as seen in the match against Brazil. The positions of the two defensive fullbacks, Howedes and Lahm, and the three central midfielders - Khedira, Schweinsteiger, and Kroos - were constantly in the opponent's half, supporting the pressing actions of the attacking line formed by Ozil, Klose, and Muller.

In this case as well, it is noteworthy how the central midfielders consistently positioned themselves in advanced positions not only to impede Brazil's usual easy passing game but, above all, to regain possession of the ball as quickly as possible.

Among the many potentially useful examples, I have chosen the examples of these two teams, Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds and Joachim Low's Germany, to reiterate the following concepts in which I strongly believe:

A) To achieve dominant football, one must not fear the ball.

B) For attacking football, one must desire and obtain ball possession.

C) The defensive phase should be aimed at the fastest possible recovery of the ball.

It is evident from my analysis that the ball is always the focal point of my attention. I believe that when the team positions itself consistently and cohesively in relation to the ball's position, not only do the opponent's tactical options automatically decrease, but also the tactical and physical effectiveness of one's own team increases.

CONCLUSIONS

With the journey we have taken so far, I wanted to highlight the fundamental value of the object, the ball, starting from its sentimental and emotional connection to the pure concept of childhood play, which then branches out into the ambition of making it a professional life choice. By delving into its influence on essential mastery from a mental and psychological standpoint, both individually and as a team, it allows us to elevate its virtuous effect to the highest competitive levels as a professional tool. This leads us to the evaluation of technical exercises that, in my opinion, in their daily practice, contribute to better match preparation, which, in turn, is seen as a moment of catharsis, the culmination of the ultimate satisfaction of taking the field as a recognized member of a group aimed at achieving the objective of victory.

Regardless of the types of exercises adopted by each coach, I want to emphasize the particular effectiveness of reproducing potential match situations during training, using an equivalent number of players for each phase of the game: from defensive organization to construction and finishing, without neglecting the recovery and counter-attacking maneuvers. But always and in any case, in the presence of the tool of the trade: the ball.

Only in this way can a player feel complete, through the constant presence of the ball, and not only be technically comfortable but also tactically prepared in a collective context that enhances the personal qualities they have nurtured throughout the week through constant "dialogue" with their teammates. This "dialogue" takes place in the context that most closely resembles the real moment of collective expression, through the shared universal language: the ball.

If we practice and cultivate this common language more, the dialectical exchange becomes abundant, and the final performance becomes engaging, fully harnessing the talent of each participant, realized precisely in the momentum of the game as a collective expression.

Reproducing the various potential perspectives of match actions also allows for incorporating different types of exercises in every training session. I consider this variety indispensable to break free from the routine of daily work, which can lead to a flattening of the training itself and compromise the virtuous balance that the centrality of using the ball entails.

Breaking away from the repetitiveness of daily work helps foster an atmosphere of curiosity and essential enthusiasm, not only from an individual perspective but also for the team spirit, which is further reassured by the comforting effect of being able to face in a match what has been experienced virtuously and creatively but always pragmatically in training.

Where, in any case, the ball must remain at the center to develop and consolidate individual characteristics, simultaneously facilitating collective cohesion.

In short, even in training, the ball becomes the guiding thread that has the multiple effects of facilitating the reproduction of realistic patterns to be applied in a match, serving as a mediator between different phases of the game, as well as between different team units and individual players.

All of this nourishes an anti-routine approach that helps defuse the risks associated with repetitive gestures, which inevitably lead to a loss of concentration and a decrease in the quality of work produced.

Therefore, a coach cannot do without an organic approach, as the team, in its complexity, is organic. It is a harmonious complex of individuals who work daily to take the field together.

It remains a fact that the intrinsic victory of every coach, beyond the resulting scoreline, lies in creating a daily work environment that allows each individual player to feel at ease and enhance their technical abilities, making them an indispensable element to the group, which in turn is reassured by the consolidation of team spirit that compensates for any limitations, highlighting their qualities, and ultimately fielding the best available elements.

This virtuous movement is achieved by choosing to impose the constant presence of the one element that carries an emotional charge that blossoms from childhood play and flourishes to propagate itself vigorously until the highest level of competitive play. A tool of the game that then becomes the profession of any professional player.

And this one universal element, which - according to the thread I have illustrated in this thesis - spans the temporal dimension from childhood to adulthood, allowing the development of the sentimental sphere into multiple psychological and mental effects while organically encouraging individual and collective technical work, even to overcome daily repetitiveness, is simply the ball.