The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) is comprised of a number of recognised football experts who analyse every game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. On 12 July 2018, they held a media briefing at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The following FIFA TSG members attended this briefing:
- Carlos Alberto Parreira (head of the TSG)
- Marco van Basten
- Bora Milutinovic
- Emmanuel Amunike
- Andy Roxburgh
You can watch what was said at the media briefing on the above video and read some of the views of the experts below.
Carlos Alberto Parreira
Through all these years, there have been a lot of changes – both on the pitch and off the pitch. One thing that did not change is the talent, the quality and the passion for the game. Talent is the biggest weapon a team can have. But if it was just about the talent, Brazil would have been world champions more than five times. At a World Cup you need to be ready at the right time and you need to show commitment, hunger and passion to win.
Marco van Basten
Russia have organized a wonderful tournament and we’re looking forward to a great final. Croatia have players with a lot of experience. Luka Modric is reading the game and guiding his team. Croatia’s biggest strength is their fighting spirit though. They showed it in every game. The French players are all playing in the big European clubs. It’s almost logical that they came so far in the tournament. A final is always special and there will be small things that will make the difference.
Bora Milutinovic
The most important thing is to know who you are and against whom you are playing. In order to be successful you need good mental preparation as well as to focus on details. Former world champions like Argentina, Brazil and Germany didn’t reach the semi-finals but I’m convinced that they will come back stronger. This turnout shows that talent is important but it’s also important to be in good spirits.
Emmanuel Amunike
The World Cup was a disappointment for African teams because the expectations were much higher. Football has developed a lot and it will continue to change. If we don’t embrace youth development and just continue to dream then we won’t be successful. Raw talent alone doesn’t give you good results. We have the responsibility to not just rely on talent but teach the young players how to anticipate and read the game.
Andy Roxburgh
You could see the tactical flexibility of the teams – from match to match but also within the matches, for example in the Belgium-Brazil game. At this World Cup, we could see high intensity pressing - what we call 'the Pep Guardiola effect' - and a great variety of styles that made the matches incredibly exciting to watch. Set pieces turned out to be an important asset at this World Cup. In the previous Champions League season, 45 corner kicks led to one goal on average; here at the World it was 30 corner kicks to one goal. That shows efficiency, speed of action and thought.
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