Menottisme vs Bilardisme
César Luis Menotti and Carlos Salvador Bilardo coached Argentina national football team to world cup triumph in 1978 and 1986 world cup editions respectively. Argentinean football is divided into menotisme and Bilardisme. Bilardisme philosophy just cared about winning while Menotisme is about beautiful and romantic football. Both have also played significant part in the development of Diego Maradona.
"To those who say that all that matters is winning, I want to warn them that someone always wins. Therefore, in a thirty team championship, there are twenty nine who must ask themselves. What did I leave at this club, what did I bring to my players, what possibility of growth did I give to my footballers?. I don't give into tactical reasoning as the only way to win, rather I believe that efficacy is not divorced from beauty."
"I like being first. You have to think about being first. Because second is no good, being second is a failure... For me it's good that if you lose you should feel bad; if you want you can express it by crying, shutting yourself away, feeling bad... because you can't let people down, the fans, everyone, the person who signed you. I'd feel very bad if we lost a match and that night I'm seen out eating calmly in some place. I can't allow it. Football is played to win...Shows are for the cinema, for the theatre...Football is something else. Some people are confused."
Above quotes encapsulates Menotti's and Bilardo's philosophy towards football each contributing in their own way to the success and development of the country. Their contrasting styles and achievements have made them iconic figures in the Argentinean football history. Menotti took his last breath on 5 May, 2024 leaving a lasting impact in football across the world.