UEFA vice-president Zbigniew Boniek declared that Pep Guardiola killed football during an extensive interview with the Corriere dello Sport.
The former Juventus and Roma player criticized the Manchester City manager’s tactical reliance on endless horizontal passing. Boniek won the Scudetto and the European Cup during his playing career.
“His style of football is you to me, I to you, you to me, I to you. I don’t enjoy it,” Boniek said.
Boniek contrasted Guardiola’s possession-heavy approach with teams that prioritize direct attacking transitions. The Polish official expressed a preference for squads that accept defensive vulnerability in exchange for offensive output.
“I like a team that plays vertically, a team that tries to score. I like teams that attack; this year, for example, I like how Lazio plays, precisely because they play vertically and take risks,” Boniek stated.”
He added further examples from Italian football to underline his tactical stance. “Or even Frosinone: they risk conceding three, but they can score four or five,” Boniek explained.
| Figure / Metric | Boniek’s Preferred Style | Guardiola’s Possession Model |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Objective | Direct vertical penetration | Controlled territorial dominance |
| Passing Tempo | Rapid, low-possession count | High volume, sequence retention |
| Defensive Risk Profile | High tactical exposure | Counter-press containment |
The UEFA official also highlighted a distinct lack of patience for sluggish ball movement in the contemporary game.
“Roma plays the same way. Mancini, who is a central defender, or even Hermoso, you often find him in the opposition area,” Boniek noted.”
“I love football where you try to score in the simplest way, with few passes. Few passes, but fast. That’s why I think slowness is forbidden in modern football. Today, slow players do not move. Passing the ball backward is something that kills you,” Boniek said.
The discussion extended to a comparison between Lionel Messi and Diego Armando Maradona. Boniek played against Maradona during his time in Serie A.
“They are two absolute phenomena, but there is a substantial difference. Diego played in a world where there were many fouls, Lionel in a world where he couldn’t be touched on the pitch,” Boniek said.”
“The treatment that defenders gave to Maradona is incomparable with today’s. Diego is unique, despite having had a very complicated life. If I had to choose, I would always keep Maradona,” Boniek told the publication.
Boniek recalled an instance from a Juventus-Napoli fixture to illustrate Maradona’s impact on the pitch. “Once we were playing a Juventus-Napoli match, at the end of the first half we entered the dressing room and someone said: ‘We have to give Maradona a good hit because he’s doing what he wants’,” Boniek remembered.
“We came back and no one touched him because we admired him too much. He was simply too good. Diego was a good guy and very kind, I am in love with him,” Boniek concluded.”
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