If you don't understand "Sun Tzu's Art of War", you may be able to play football well, but you will definitely not be able to win the game. Victory or defeat on the green field depends not only on footwork, but also on tactics.
Football relies on players' personal skills and physical fitness, but without deep strategic thinking, it will be difficult to continue to win in high-level competition. Personal skills determine the basic level of playing football, and strategic planning is the key to winning the game.
Knowing yourself and your enemy is a core principle of Sun Tzu's Art of War. In the penalty shootout between Germany and Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, German goalkeeper Lehmann accurately saved two penalty kicks with a small note recording the penalty kick habits of Argentinian players, becoming a classic example of "knowing your enemy".
Be invincible first and wait for the enemy to be victorious. This emphasizes the importance of solid defense and seizing opportunities. In the 2012 Champions League final, Chelsea faced the powerful Bayern, retreated across the board and adopted a "bus" tactic, and seized the opponent's defensive loopholes at the last moment to win with one blow. This is the perfect interpretation of this idea.
The interplay of good and bad on the field requires coaches to be flexible and adaptable. In the European Cup showdown between England and Wales, Hodgson suddenly changed his formation in the second half and sent out a surprise force to reverse the situation, which reflected the wisdom of "any warrior, use the right combination to win with surprise". Before the 2002 World Cup, Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari posted an excerpt from "The Art of War" in the players' room, and eventually led the team to win the championship, which further illustrates the role of art of war thinking in shaping the team's mentality.
