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Anti-football

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From left to right: Massimiliano Allegri, Antonio Conte, José Bordalás, Sean Dyche, Mikel Arteta, José Mourinho and Diego Simeone. All of these managers have been accused of playing anti-football.[1]

Anti-football, also known colloquially as haramball, is a playing style in association football that emphasises a highly defensive approach, relying mainly on passing, set-pieces and involving the deployment of all team members except the striker behind the ball. The goal of the tactic is to prevent the opposing team from scoring, rather than pursuing an offensive strategy to win the game. Managers known for such tactics include Massimiliano Allegri,[2] José Bordalás, Sean Dyche, Antonio Conte, José Mourinho, Diego Simeone and Mikel Arteta.[1] Managers accused of playing anti-football usually deny using such tactics,[3][4][5] though Walter Smith openly admitted to using anti-football tactics at Rangers following criticism from Lionel Messi after Messi's Barcelona drew 0–0 away in the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage with Rangers.[6]

The term is also used to describe teams that intentionally prevent the game from progressing by kicking the ball forward without attempting to reach any players, engaging in acts of diving or time-wasting, and kicking the ball away during free kicks. By doing so, the teams aim to stifle progression by the opponent and reduce the amount of time the ball is in action. Many of these actions often result in a yellow card by the referee.

UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe, offers a fair play prize to teams that prioritise fair play, including avoiding anti-football tactics. Teams that seek to "unlock" the game by playing offensively, taking risks, retaining possession and avoiding fouls, receive higher fair play scores. The three highest-rated teams in Europe automatically qualified for the Europa League from 1995 to the 2014–15 season. They continue to receive a monetary reward for their fair play. Although many have criticized such pragmatic tactics over the years, some managers like Mourinho, Allegri and Simeone have achieved success with their tactics while also gaining a cult following.

History and usage

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The term "anti-football" has been used in English since at least 2001, when Gary Armstrong and Richard Giulianotti used it in their book Fear and Loathing in World Football to describe the tactics of Argentine club Estudiantes during the 1968 Copa Intercontinental. They cited a 1968 editorial in the Argentine sports magazine El Gráfico that had used the phrase.[7] The equivalent term "anti-calcio" in Italian is attested at least as far back as 1970.[8]

Arsenal's Cesc Fàbregas used the phrase to describe the style of play in the English Premier League after a frustrating 1–0 defeat to West Ham United.[9] In 2007, Fàbregas had a heated exchange with fellow ex-Barcelona player, Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes, who defended his team's style of play.[10]

During their run to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, Rangers manager Walter Smith deployed an ultra-defensive strategy dubbed "Watenaccio" (a reference to the defensive system Catenaccio, which was popularised in the 1960s in Italian football).[11][12] The tactics drew criticism from opposition players, including Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who described them as "anti-football" after failing to score against Rangers in a 0–0 draw.[13][14]

In 2010, Johan Cruyff applied the term "anti-football" to the style of play used by the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup final against Spain. He criticised the Dutch team for renouncing their commitment to attacking and entertaining football and for playing "dirty". Other commentators had already described the Dutch style of play during the tournament as "anti-football".[15]

Vietnam manager Henrique Calisto used the phrase "anti-football" after his team's defeat to the Philippines in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup group stage in Vietnam.[16]

After Belgium's defeat to France in the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois accused the French team of playing "anti-football" for their defensive tactics despite having significantly more shots on goal and less possession than Belgium.[17][18] He later apologised for the comments.[19]

The term "haramball" (haram meaning 'sinful' or 'prohibited' in Arabic) originated on social media in the early 2020s. The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League semi-finals between Arsenal and Atlético Madrid was mockingly referred to as the "Haramball Derby" on social media due to the managers of both clubs, Mikel Arteta and Diego Simeone, being accused of implementing anti-football tactics.[20]

After their 2026 World Cup match against France, Paraguay were widely criticized for using anti-football tactics. Under the direction of manager Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay played a 5-4-1 formation and committed themselves to defending the entire match, completing just 99 passes in the 1-0 loss. Many viewed their time wasting, diving, and excessive physical play as disgraceful and expressed disdain for Paraguay’s tactics. The refereeing was also heavily criticized in this match, as Paraguay did not receive a single yellow card despite their physical style of play.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Mith (31 October 2025). "The 8 Levels of Haram Ball". Tackle from Behind.
  2. ↑ "Allegri's 'corto muso' makes it into the dictionary". Allegri is a man of football, but also passionate about horses and for a while owned a racehorse. So when he had to explain Juve's approach to games, he cast aside the calls for beautiful football and plenty of goals, focusing on the 'corto muso' idea of winning by a nose. It was the same one he used in 2019 to note Juventus would still win the Scudetto, even if just by one point. Now Allegri's phrase has made it into the Treccani, the Italian version of the Oxford English Dictionary. It is credited to Allegri and defined as the technical term for why 'a large advantage is irrelevant, because it takes only a slender one to win.'
  3. ↑ Blitz, Sam (24 September 2025). "Mikel Arteta: Arsenal manager responds to critics calling him overcautious after draw with Man City". Sky Sports.
  4. ↑ Evans, Simon (5 March 2018). "Conte fires back at 'anti-football' criticism of tactics". Reuters.
  5. ↑ "Burnley boss Sean Dyche rejects 'anti-football' claims by David Luiz". Sky Sports. 26 April 2019.
  6. ↑ Gray, Lisa (11 December 2007). "Smith stands by Gers defensive Euro tactics". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Gary Armstrong & Richard Giulianotti (2001). Fear and Loathing in World Football. Berg Publishers. p. 242. ISBN 978-1859734636.
  8. ↑ "Anticalcio - Significato ed etimologia - Vocabolario". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  9. ↑ Sheppard, David (10 November 2006). "Fabregas slates the 'anti-football' of Premiership rivals". ESPN. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  10. ↑ Michael Wade (19 April 2011). "Six of the best: Cesc Fabregas run-ins". Talksport.
  11. ↑ "Forget Watenaccio – Walter Smith's Rangers can go for Celtic's jugular". The Guardian. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Uefa Cup final tactics". BBC. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Rangers played anti-football, bemoans Messi". The Guardian. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Barcelona's Lionel Messi hits out at Rangers". The Telegraph. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "World Cup final: Johan Cruyff hits out at 'anti-football' Holland". The Guardian. 12 July 2010.
  16. ↑ "Historic victory leaves McMenemy bewildered". AFF Suzuki Cup 2010. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010.
  17. ↑ Kalinic, Dejan (10 July 2018). "Belgium loss to France: Les Bleus are 'an anti-football team', says Thibaut Courtois". Goal.com. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  18. ↑ Taylor, Daniel (10 July 2018). "Samuel Umtiti header put France in World Cup final with win over Belgium". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois Apologises to France & Backtracks on His Criticism of Les Bleus' Tactics". Sports Illustrated. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  20. ↑ "Danurdoro: The haramball derby is football without shame". Iowa State Daily. Archived from the original on 7 May 2026. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Debating Paraguay's tactics against France: Disgraceful or their best way to win?". The Athletic. 5 July 2026. Retrieved 5 July 2026.
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