France-Morocco, Regragui da Arteta in class

Hunched over on your laptop screen. Watching eyes, beige shirt. Like an ordinary student forced to listen to the professor from a distance. It also happened to Walid Regragui, who tonight will try to take an African team to the final of a World Cup but who only registered his name and surname on Zoom a year ago to connect to a tactical seminar held by Mikel Arteta. Impossible to attend, Covid on the other hand had reappeared more threatening than ever, so much so as to force many countries into new lockdowns for Christmas and New Years. Including Morocco, which would have banned public or private parties and would have imposed a curfew. Regragui, who in his curriculum already boasted three championships won and who would soon triumph in the African Champions League with Wydad Casablanca, dreamed of one day coaching his country, without however being able to imagine that not even 12 months later the federation would call him haste and fury in place of the repudiated Halilhodzic, in total break with the veterans of the locker room. That face concentrated in front of the PC, seeing it again today, makes you smile. Yes, because the topic of the lesson seems to have understood him perfectly. A model student.

THE DEFENCE

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Arteta, a teacher for a day, speaks with his usual charisma, the same one with which he enchanted millions of fans in All or Nothing, the Prime Video TV series that made the Gunners’ hidden daily life public. To give further weight to his theses, the Spanish coach shows his pupils a match in particular, namely Arsenal’s victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final in July 2020. Predictions are all on Guardiola’s side, it is difficult to bet on the Londoners, who will finish eighth in the Premier League with ten defeats on their backs. But they will be the ones to rejoice: 2-0, one goal in each half. First Aubameyang on a serious mistake by Walker, then again the Gabonese who comes out of nowhere during the total siege of the City. A real defensive lesson, with Guardiola’s team – 102 goals in the league – limited to a miserable shot on goal. The defensive duo Mustafi-David Luiz is impeccable, all the others are effective in the movement with and without the ball. A game that Regragui has internalized and who, who knows, may have also shown Morocco before the big matches with Spain and Portugal.

CHOLISMO

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That attentive and concentrated face during Arteta’s lesson is the perfect photograph of a coach who, despite the successes achieved, wants to continue to improve and update himself. He may also have attended a lesson from Arteta, Guardiola’s historic deputy who now commands the Premier League, but Regragui’s creed is decidedly more similar to that of Simeone: “We played like Atletico del Cholo”, his words after the historic success with Portugal, with which he brought an African team into the top four of a World Cup for the first time in history. Only one goal conceded since he made his debut as coach in September, a defense that has also resisted the absences of various Mazraoui, Aguerd and Romain Saiss, his references. A goalkeeper, Yassine Bono, who trained together with Courtois and Oblak, getting to know Simeone closely, twice one step away from the Champions League thanks to his defensive tactics. Now an even bigger obstacle, reigning champions France, that of the nine goals signed by Mbappé and Giroud: “We will play as we know how”, Regragui warns all those who puff in front of a ball possession that does not exceed 25%: “What he’s doing is fantastic, what he’s broadcasting is fantastic”, complimented Arteta after Arsenal’s friendly win against Milan. To date there is no professor more satisfied than him.