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Asharq Al-Awsat
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
South American Clubs Still Lack Killer Instinct, Say FIFA Experts
The gulf between South American and European teams may not be as wide as expected at the Club World Cup, but a clear gap still exists in their efficiency in front of goal, according to FIFA technical experts. Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, and Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany and US national team coach, were speaking at a round table on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase. "At the start of the competition, many opponents seemed to fear playing against the European teams," Wenger said. "But as things progressed - especially the Brazilians - they began to realize it might not be so different after all." Flamengo and Botafogo beat European teams during the group phase of the 32-team competition, with the latter's 1-0 victory over European champions Paris St Germain standing out. Wenger said growing belief, especially among Brazilian sides, has shifted the dynamic heading into the last 16. "Maybe it's also because they've gained the confidence to do it. That shift in mindset could mean we'll see a different Brazil in the knockout stage than we saw in the group phase," he added. The Frenchman highlighted the influence of Filipe Luis, whose Flamengo side showed what Wenger called the most European tactical profile among South American sides at the tournament. "Filipe has ... played in Europe, and you can see that in the way his team approaches the game," Wenger said. GAP CLOSING Wenger and Klinsmann said South American clubs were quickly closing the gap in infrastructure and preparation. "When we visited the teams, we saw delegations of up to 100 people - support staff, analysts, advisors," Wenger said. "With squads of 23 to 35 players, these clubs are now fully professional in every department. That level of preparation allows teams to learn quickly." The key difference, however, remains in execution. "In the final third, European clubs are simply more clinical," Wenger said. Klinsmann agreed, saying the real divide lies in mentality. "Experience is also a big part of quality," he said. "When is a club like Pachuca or Monterrey (of Mexico) playing in a tournament like this?" Drawing on his time as US national coach, Klinsmann stressed the importance of testing players outside their comfort zones. "That's why I always said, 'Get us into Copa America. Get us into Europe'. That's the kind of competition that develops a winning mentality," he said. "If this tournament were held again next year, Pachuca would be a different team - more confident, more refined. "But they have to be more clinical. When you're in the box, it's your head that makes the decision, not just your feet. And that's the difference." With the round of 16 underway on Saturday, analysts said the knockout stages would offer a clearer picture of how much ground South American teams have made up, tactically and psychologically. "We might see very different attitudes now," Wenger said. Flamengo face Bayern Munich on Sunday and Inter Milan meet Fluminense on Monday.
CNA
28-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
South American clubs still lack killer instinct, say FIFA experts
MIAMI :The gulf between South American and European teams may not be as wide as expected at the Club World Cup, but a clear gap still exists in their efficiency in front of goal, according to FIFA technical experts. Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, and Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany and U.S. national team coach, were speaking at a round table on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase. "At the start of the competition, many opponents seemed to fear playing against the European teams," Wenger said. "But as things progressed - especially the Brazilians - they began to realise it might not be so different after all." Flamengo and Botafogo beat European teams during the group phase of the 32-team competition, with the latter's 1-0 victory over European champions Paris St Germain standing out. Wenger said growing belief, especially among Brazilian sides, has shifted the dynamic heading into the last 16. "Maybe it's also because they've gained the confidence to do it. That shift in mindset could mean we'll see a different Brazil in the knockout stage than we saw in the group phase," he added. The Frenchman highlighted the influence of Filipe Luis, whose Flamengo side showed what Wenger called the most European tactical profile among South American sides at the tournament. "Filipe has ... played in Europe, and you can see that in the way his team approaches the game," Wenger said. GAP CLOSING Wenger and Klinsmann said South American clubs were quickly closing the gap in infrastructure and preparation. "When we visited the teams, we saw delegations of up to 100 people - support staff, analysts, advisors," Wenger said. "With squads of 23 to 35 players, these clubs are now fully professional in every department. That level of preparation allows teams to learn quickly." The key difference, however, remains in execution. "In the final third, European clubs are simply more clinical," Wenger said. Klinsmann agreed, saying the real divide lies in mentality. "Experience is also a big part of quality," he said. "When is a club like Pachuca or Monterrey (of Mexico) playing in a tournament like this?" Drawing on his time as U.S. national coach, Klinsmann stressed the importance of testing players outside their comfort zones. "That's why I always said, 'Get us into Copa America. Get us into Europe'. That's the kind of competition that develops a winning mentality," he said. "If this tournament were held again next year, Pachuca would be a different team - more confident, more refined. "But they have to be more clinical. When you're in the box, it's your head that makes the decision, not just your feet. And that's the difference." With the round of 16 underway on Saturday, analysts said the knockout stages would offer a clearer picture of how much ground South American teams have made up, tactically and psychologically. "We might see very different attitudes now," Wenger said.
Reuters
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
South American clubs still lack killer instinct, say FIFA experts
MIAMI, June 28 (Reuters) - The gulf between South American and European teams may not be as wide as expected at the Club World Cup, but a clear gap still exists in their efficiency in front of goal, according to FIFA technical experts. Arsene Wenger, FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, and Juergen Klinsmann, former Germany and U.S. national team coach, were speaking at a round table on Saturday as the tournament enters its knockout phase. "At the start of the competition, many opponents seemed to fear playing against the European teams," Wenger said. "But as things progressed - especially the Brazilians - they began to realise it might not be so different after all." Flamengo and Botafogo beat European teams during the group phase of the 32-team competition, with the latter's 1-0 victory over European champions Paris St Germain standing out. Wenger said growing belief, especially among Brazilian sides, has shifted the dynamic heading into the last 16. "Maybe it's also because they've gained the confidence to do it. That shift in mindset could mean we'll see a different Brazil in the knockout stage than we saw in the group phase," he added. The Frenchman highlighted the influence of Filipe Luis, whose Flamengo side showed what Wenger called the most European tactical profile among South American sides at the tournament. "Filipe has ... played in Europe, and you can see that in the way his team approaches the game," Wenger said. Wenger and Klinsmann said South American clubs were quickly closing the gap in infrastructure and preparation. "When we visited the teams, we saw delegations of up to 100 people - support staff, analysts, advisors," Wenger said. "With squads of 23 to 35 players, these clubs are now fully professional in every department. That level of preparation allows teams to learn quickly." The key difference, however, remains in execution. "In the final third, European clubs are simply more clinical," Wenger said. Klinsmann agreed, saying the real divide lies in mentality. "Experience is also a big part of quality," he said. "When is a club like Pachuca or Monterrey (of Mexico) playing in a tournament like this?" Drawing on his time as U.S. national coach, Klinsmann stressed the importance of testing players outside their comfort zones. "That's why I always said, 'Get us into Copa America. Get us into Europe'. That's the kind of competition that develops a winning mentality," he said. "If this tournament were held again next year, Pachuca would be a different team - more confident, more refined. "But they have to be more clinical. When you're in the box, it's your head that makes the decision, not just your feet. And that's the difference." With the round of 16 underway on Saturday, analysts said the knockout stages would offer a clearer picture of how much ground South American teams have made up, tactically and psychologically. "We might see very different attitudes now," Wenger said. Flamengo face Bayern Munich on Sunday and Inter Milan meet Fluminense on Monday.
Al-Ahram Weekly
28-06-2025
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Final third ability keeping Europe ahead as gap narrows: Wenger
Wenger, speaking alongside members of FIFA's Technical Study Group, who have been analysing games at the 32-club tournament, said however the distance between UEFA's top clubs and those from South America and elsewhere has been proven to be narrower than many imagined. "Overall, what was a surprise to me, we as Europeans we come here and think, maybe we are a bit too strong for the rest of the world and it was a little bit an experience of humility," he told reporters. Wenger said South American teams had shown how competitive they can be and that South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, whose only defeat was a 4-3 loss to Borussia Dortmund, had also shown an impressive level of play. "They put us in our real place here, especially the Brazilian teams and I must say also teams like Mamelodi Sundowns, when you look at the game against Dortmund, the numbers, you look at the team... even Ahly, they are out of the tournament like the Sundowns but the competition is much tighter than expected," said the Frenchman. But Wenger said that the data and analysis conducted by his group showed that a quality gap remained when it comes to the attacking third. "Definitely it is the final third," said Wenger. "The timing of the pass, the quality of the pass, the quality of the run, the quality of the execution (of finishing), it all lies there." Former Germany and USA coach Juergen Klinsmann, another member of the study group, said that the experience of high-level competition could help increase that quality level. "Part of that quality comes from experience. When is Pachuca or Monterrey playing in a tournament like this? That is why when I was coach of the USA I said 'get me into Copa America, get me friendlies in Europe and not here in this region'," said the former World Cup winning striker. "It has a lot do with the level of competition they usually get in their club environment, because in the box it is in your head, in your mind, because they can play, obviously they are good players," he said. The last 16, which got underway on Saturday, features four Brazilian clubs, Saudi club Al Hilal, Mexico's Monterrey and Inter Miami from the United States, along with nine European clubs. European clubs Porto, Atletico Madrid and Salzburg failed to make it out of the group stage. Wenger said the tournament should motivate clubs around the world to up their standards even more. "Our hope is that the teams who did compete go home and say 'next time, we know what we had to do to be stronger'," he said. The 75-year-old Wenger said he felt the tournament had a real future. "Overall, I would say it went better than I expected it and I am quite optimistic," he said. "It looks like it is the start of something that will never stop again." Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Short link:
France 24
28-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Final third ability keeping Europe ahead as gap narrows: Wenger
Wenger, speaking alongside members of FIFA's Technical Study Group, who have been analysing games at the 32-club tournament, said however the distance between UEFA's top clubs and those from South America and elsewhere has been proven to be narrower than many imagined. "Overall, what was a surprise to me, we as Europeans we come here and think, maybe we are a bit too strong for the rest of the world and it was a little bit an experience of humility," he told reporters. Wenger said South American teams had shown how competitive they can be and that South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, whose only defeat was a 4-3 loss to Borussia Dortmund, had also shown an impressive level of play. "They put us in our real place here, especially the Brazilian teams and I must say also teams like Mamelodi Sundowns, when you look at the game against Dortmund, the numbers, you look at the team... even Al Ahly, they are out of the tournament like the Sundowns but the competition is much tighter than expected," said the Frenchman. But Wenger said that the data and analysis conducted by his group showed that a quality gap remained when it comes to the attacking third. "Definitely it is the final third," said Wenger. "The timing of the pass, the quality of the pass, the quality of the run, the quality of the execution (of finishing), it all lies there." Former Germany and USA coach Juergen Klinsmann, another member of the study group, said that the experience of high-level competition could help increase that quality level. "Part of that quality comes from experience. When is Pachuca or Monterrey playing in a tournament like this? That is why when I was coach of the USA I said 'get me into Copa America, get me friendlies in Europe and not here in this region'," said the former World Cup winning striker. "It has a lot do with the level of competition they usually get in their club environment, because in the box it is in your head, in your mind, because they can play, obviously they are good players," he said. The last 16, which got underway on Saturday, features four Brazilian clubs, Saudi club Al Hilal, Mexico's Monterrey and Inter Miami from the United States, along with nine European clubs. European clubs Porto, Atletico Madrid and Salzburg failed to make it out of the group stage. Wenger said the tournament should motivate clubs around the world to up their standards even more. "Our hope is that the teams who did compete go home and say 'next time, we know what we had to do to be stronger'," he said. The 75-year-old Wenger said he felt the tournament had a real future. "Overall, I would say it went better than I expected it and I am quite optimistic," he said. © 2025 AFP
