However, blanket stereotypes, generalisations and caricatures about various countries' football have gone hand in hand with British TV coverage for donkeys' years.
See, for example, the references to filthy, wildly over-physical African sides as "enthusiastic" or "naive - they're just happy to be here! They play with joy in their eyes!" while darkly condemning anything similar in any South American team.
See also the complete, absolute blindness regarding what Holland did throughout the 2010 World Cup until it happened against a fellow European team in the final.
See also the continual castigation of Italian football as "cynical" and "negative" when Italy has produced dozens and dozens and dozens more world class creative and attacking players over the last half a century than we have; when Italy have been involved in far, far more gloriously entertaining, world class matches over the years than we have; and when Prandelli's Italy (but not in Brazil) became pretty much the most entertaining side in international football.
Posted By: thebigfeller, Mar 12, 08:59:38
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