The famous World Soccer magazine came with 'New Look' starting April issue. The new look was not so much in the quality of the paper of the design of the cover, but in the content and material itself.
I found it very interesting to take a little journey into the new look as it reflects a new world of soccer.
Well, first let me say that I start buying this magazine in 1992 or 1993, and it was a treasure to me. So much global news, article editorials and stories from here and there. Something, that I felt boosted my knowledge of the game and the way I view it. Since then, I purchased most issues of World Soccer, apart from my two years in the US where I was bit away from the game.
In last three years, however, I felt, I lost appetite to the magazine. Everything I wanted was available on the net. The magazine didn't added much. The articles, columns and opinions, seemed old fashioned to me. There were too many other magazines in the bookstore shelf, particulary two other magazines that I started to read more and more. FourFourTwo that had a lot of trivia, interesting news, details and interviews and more importantly, Champions Magazine, that was full of analysis, tactics, and deep insights. Now, that was the new treasure for me.
Now, World Soccer came with the new look, and in a lot of rich and interesting material, and I decided to buy every issue of it again. I can see that a lot of work and effort were put, to bring the magazine again to the level that it deserves.
I am writing this post, not to talk about World Soccer magazine, but how these changes, reflects a new world of soccer.
The first thing that caught my eyes, is the amount of graphs, analysis and statistics the magazine has. Whether you like statistics or not, it is part of the game today. Not just the media, or people who are into the trivial facts, but some new coaches do use it too. Statistics became part of following the game, how many correct passes Xavi performed? how many goals in CL scored from corner kicks, free kicks, or counter attacks? all type of endless statistics.
The other interesting thing, is the amount of graphs dedicated to financial figures. Profit, loss, debts, financial power became more important than others. Stories of multi-billionaires purchasing famous clubs is part of the business magazines, not just the sports magazines.
More space now is dedicated to tactical analysis and reviews. Now kids, below 10 years old, know all tactical moves may be more than some sport journalists in the 1980s. A game without the analytical studio with top coaches is missing something.
And most importantly, as I always say, the coach is the most important player in the team today.
Finally, new section to talk about new young players from around the world. Developing players in academies, polishing them professionally at very young age, is part of success of the game.
It is really new world of football, and talents is only one part of the game of it. I look into my continent, and countries that did all the previous things right, like Japan and South Korea had great 2010 World Cup and what you will see in the future will be just more impressive.
And countries, that lack of valuable investments in the game, not paying attention to young talents, playing the game just the same old way, and taking decisions based on gut feeling rather than factual analysis is lying waaaaay behind and really lost big part of their power.
I mean countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran, that had once in the 1980s and 1990s some wonderful teams and attractive football, but not any more.
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