Football, it is an Art!

Here is a round ball, the child is asked to kick; he kicks the ball with natural facility aimlessly at first. Next the child tries to direct his kick so that the ball strikes a particular target. By trial and error the child learns to adjust his kicking action to improve better and more consistent precision.

"Football is like a religion to me. I worship the ball, and I treat it like a God," said Pele. Goal, gola, gol! Whichever language we speak, a game of football provides 90 minutes or more of adrenaline-pumping action, intense drama and breathtaking skills. Football in a huge stadium watched on television by millions of people throughout the global world. But, wherever it is played, football inspires powerful emotions and fierce loyalties like no other game on earth.

The game of football is pronounced - Association Football, Soccer, Calcio, Fussball, Futebol, Futbol or any of dozens of other linguistic variants. This is the greatest game in the world; it is the people's highest passion. People with no other social or cultural connection like - Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo, etc. who work a charm or spell on the world football stage. It is estimated that there are more than 60 million registered football players worldwide, with another more than 60 million unregistered players. It was estimated that more than 2 billion people watched the 1998 World Cup final match. Euro 2004, where only European nations played attracted a global viewer-ship of 8 billion. In 2002 World Cup football had a staggering 29 billions eyeballs following every feint, tackle, dribble and shot at goal. At present FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) has 205 members covering every part of the world more than the number of members of the United Nations.

The destination of each football team during play is to put the ball inside the net. It is meant "football is a passing and running game of an unpredictable and constantly changing pattern, demanding an acute awareness of other players and an ability to make quick decisions and act upon them without delay". Nevertheless, football is the team game until and unless the goalkeeper makes a mistake, then it becomes individual game.

Critics, analysts, fans, and followers of football frequently criticize the game as lacking creativity and flair may go so far as to blame the use of scientific methods by football teams for lack of entertainment. Underlying these points is the fact that football at top level has an obligation to entertain the viewing public but financial rewards and titles to the players depend on their securing victory. Consequently fear of failure to win may motivate players to err the side of caution and emphasize defense rather than attack.

On this basis, to beg the successful result, the coaches and trainers use scientific methods of preparation, psychologically pep-up the players to avoid and eliminate the errors as well as maximize the chances of overwhelming the game over one. The game strategy, system and style of play with tactical adjustment made by the coaches on the basis of team's craft, guile and available information of the opposition.

It is in fact professional football player is comparable with the actor in that hour of practice or rehearsal and staging on the pitch in front of the billion eyes of the world. A critical huge audience or attendance of the public event judges this expertise of the player largely on a subjective basis. The craft of great players like Johann Cruyff or Romario, the guile of Diego Maradona's "Hand of God", Pele the "King of Football", etc. exemplify the game football is highly artful. Zidane's dazzling dribbling and accurate passing; David Beckham's precise long pass, deadly freekick and modeling style; Ronaldo's 99% goal scoring shot and others pin-up in the market of modern football scenario.

Behind of them, who controls the remote of play? For instance, in England's "Big Four" - Jose Mourinho, the super-manager of Chelsea; Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United's Boss; Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal's Boss and Rafael Benitez for Liverpool, they are crafting the potentialities of players to make the artful dominant team in the cold war of Premier League. Same is happening on Spanish Primera Liga, Italy's Catenacio Series A, Germany's Bundesliga, etc. Coaches plan highly creative offensive and defensive tactical strategy efficiently. They architect the scientific art of playing with authentic proof.

Notwithstanding, there would be no means of wonderful football without the ornament of referees. "Every single year, 720,000 referees, including some 40,000 women, officiate in millions of matches, from the World Cup right down to amateur and youth clashes" ( said Joseph Blatter). Referees are the only authority on the pitch. They also perform their talent of highest quality and make sure that their morals cannot be questioned in any way. To entertain the match in front of the billion eyeballs that is in the clench of skillful administration of referees. Only four referees are playing the highly risky role opposing to 22 players, coaches and a huge number of spectators all over the world within the stipulated duration of 90 minutes or more. It's grateful and delightful architect in football. Thus, the artistic football match is decorated and composed by seven games as two games of two opposing teams; behind the teams, two opposing coaches; two opposing fans of both teams, and above these the overall role of the referees. It makes the peak of football ecstasy.

Now, the whole world is eagerly waiting for June 9, 2006, the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in Germany. The qualified countries, sharpening their talents under FIFA's license to dramatize the skillful bloody art of football. Let it be, which team ecstasize and enchant the world with the highest adrenaline tempo of football. For India, it has to look-back five decades ago.