Countries that lost their Mojo

[Havre]

You could argue nations like Scotland and Northern Ireland loss their "mojo", but I think that is more down to it being impossible for small countries to consistently be "successful". The same goes for Norway and there is no way Belgium will stay as strong as they have been.

Did Turkey ever have any mojo?

Among the bigger nations I would argue Italy. For almost 30 years from the 70s they were almost always a team to look out for. The 2006 win was actually after what I would consider their strongest period. Going in to a tournament Italy was always among the top 2-3 teams. Now they are more in that group of teams that might do well with some luck. Obviously not even qualifying for Russia.

Individually as well you always had Italian "superstars". Who is the last proper Italian superstar? Buffon of course. Other than him? Pirlo? Obviously a lot of very good players that are Italian, but few I would say have been among the very best year after year for quite some time.

 

[Corto]

Among the bigger nations I would argue Italy. For almost 30 years from the 70s they were almost always a team to look out for. The 2006 win was actually after what I would consider their strongest period. Going in to a tournament Italy was always among the top 2-3 teams. Now they are more in that group of teams that might do well with some luck. Obviously not even qualifying for Russia.

Individually as well you always had Italian "superstars". Who is the last proper Italian superstar? Buffon of course. Other than him? Pirlo? Obviously a lot of very good players that are Italian, but few I would say have been among the very best year after year for quite some time.

I'd say Chiellini was probably their best player over the last 10 years, just not a player who gets fans excited.

Both Holland, Italy and England had a drop off, but all are now on their way back.
(Germany went through it after 1998, despite making the WC 2002, their talent only started coming back in 2006)

Thing is, these drops in results and talent last a lot shorter for big nations. 1 or 2, sometimes 3 qualifying cycles.
For smaller nations, it can last a lot longer, and sometimes you lose that tradition and culture in the meantime and you never really recover.

 

[cgf]

FWIW Romania (like Hungary) have some interesting young talent coming through that's been pushing them back up of late...despite their disappointing qualifying campaign this cycle. With the younger kids finally starting to come along around the Marin & Andone generation, it shouldn't be surprising to see Romania make another tourney in the coming years.

Obviously not the same level as the one they hit with Hagi Sr, but there's some interesting talent coming from the carpathians again.

 

[Havre]

I'd say Chiellini was probably their best player over the last 10 years, just not a player who gets fans excited.

Both Holland, Italy and England had a drop off, but all are now on their way back.
(Germany went through it after 1998, despite making the WC 2002, their talent only started coming back in 2006)

Thing is, these drops in results and talent last a lot shorter for big nations. 1 or 2, sometimes 3 qualifying cycles.
For smaller nations, it can last a lot longer, and sometimes you lose that tradition and culture in the meantime and you never really recover.

Did England ever have any mojo? Holland is a fairly small country that historically have just done sensationally well in football. I guess one can say they have lost a bit of mojo.

Chiellini is a good shout, but even if you add a player or two I think we agree the list won´t be nearly as long as it would have been in for example the 90s?

 

[Corto]

Chiellini is a good shout, but even if you add a player or two I think we agree the list won´t be nearly as long as it would have been in for example the 90s?

Oh I agree with you 100%. Even now, when they just blasted through their group, I'd want them as from pot 1 in our group (we also beat them regularly, historically, same way as we lose to France ).

For a nation that could field Baggio, Del Piero and Vieri at the same time (albeit in difference phases of their career), I don't exactly fear Insigne and Immobile.
Nor does a back line of Florenzi, Acerbi, Emerson etc. strike the same respect as Maldini/Cannavaro/Nesta, before that Baresi, Costacurta, etc.

 

[S E P H]

You could argue nations like Scotland and Northern Ireland loss their "mojo", but I think that is more down to it being impossible for small countries to consistently be "successful". The same goes for Norway and there is no way Belgium will stay as strong as they have been.

The problem though is that football is the most played sports on the planet, 170 million registered players and those are just registered. I would kill for hockey to even have 5% of those players.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

There's more to Scotland than just that. You don't go from participating in 8 team Euros to struggling/failing to make 24 team Euros without some bigger issues. They just missed the boat on the way football evolved. Content with their low quality domestic league and its famous 2 teams, happy to fill the national team with the scraps of the English league pyramid.