Demyanenko_square_jaw
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- Joined
- Jan 29, 2017
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Another factor is i think the fact they became introduced to and obsessed with the game at an early'ish, very fluid time in its development as a worldwide sport was extremely important. Add in the other stuff like huge population and economic circumstances bad enough that lead to mass participation as a way out of being poor, and you have a country where things clicked to become an elite football culture at the right time in the sports history.
Football was pretty fluid with improving and declining countries right up until the 70s with the emergence of Netherlands. The large countries that stabilised themselves as the elite by then, and had developed a strong football culture by then, had all the tools to keep on being so, as long as there weren't massive internal upheavals. the ones that did fade like Hungary, Austria were notably smaller countries and more vulnerable to political change, or simply a less talented/successful generation or two derailing things.
It seems to be much harder in recent decades for a country to emerge as a consistently very good/elite force at national team or club level. Football has become very centralised in western europe and rather stagnant. the sport somewhat reflects the concentration of wealth in current capitalist systems. The countries that had money/got established at the right time, continue to thrive, and if you're outside that be prepared for a very tough time in getting anywhere.
Football was pretty fluid with improving and declining countries right up until the 70s with the emergence of Netherlands. The large countries that stabilised themselves as the elite by then, and had developed a strong football culture by then, had all the tools to keep on being so, as long as there weren't massive internal upheavals. the ones that did fade like Hungary, Austria were notably smaller countries and more vulnerable to political change, or simply a less talented/successful generation or two derailing things.
It seems to be much harder in recent decades for a country to emerge as a consistently very good/elite force at national team or club level. Football has become very centralised in western europe and rather stagnant. the sport somewhat reflects the concentration of wealth in current capitalist systems. The countries that had money/got established at the right time, continue to thrive, and if you're outside that be prepared for a very tough time in getting anywhere.