Migration and Muscles: A new common sense?

For decades the relationship between migration and musculature was clear for Europe-bound Latin American footballers: more is better. Regardless of talent, the more muscle the higher the odds of finding a place on a top dollar European side. Until recently it was common wisdom, almost reflexive in nature. In a 2001 interview Diego Maradona was asked his opinion on the possible migration of Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola. His response was quick and to the point. I'm paraphrasing but it was something in the order of: "if they want to succeed in Europe, they better start going to the gym." 

Making reference to the old adage that European football tends to privilege less talented players who can tolerate the physical rigors of the game over those with more talent but less 'body' and bulk, Maradona's comments seem out of touch in today's context. The arrival of Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona FC this season highlights this apparent shift away from so much emphasis on physical strength. After a successful stint at River Plate in Argentina and at Udinese for the last three seasons, all relevant questions about Sanchez's game  point to pretty much any place except his body. Can he adapt to Barça's pressing and passing? Is he willing to put up with bench time? Where will he play if Messi owns Barça's right flank? The questions go on and on--some are very relevant given Sanchez's distinct style and game--but none of the important questions seem to reference Sanchez's 'durability', a code word all too often used to comment on a player's size and strength. 


Part of the reason for this apparent shift lies in Barça's high output offense which relies heavily on very talented players but even more so on a cohesive effort to apply high pressure defense and recover the football as quickly as possible. During this week's Audi cup games Barça coach Pep Guardiola started teams that featured stars but also young players from La Masia, Barça's youth academy. During the games he practically swapped out the entire starting eleven and introduced a mixed set of players to replace the starters. Guardiola balanced the spectacle by carefully shuttling stars in and out and when Iniesta left the game, David Villa entered the game. What was interesting to watch was the way in which the seemingly endless stream of substitutes did not at all distract from the style imposed by Barça. Even more than that it was also significant to note the diminutive stature of almost all the La Masia products making their debut at the Allianz Arena. It is not only a privileging of a particular style of play but also an appreciation of talent, technique, and collective play over brawn and muscle. 


The questions around the arrival of Sanchez should be about this style of play and not much else beyond that because that is what matters at Barça at the moment. Whether this can become a lasting trend remains to be seen and depends, unfortunately, much more on the quality of the refereeing than anything else. For the time being, and as long as referees protect players in the spirit of FIFA's vaunted Fair Play, it will continue.