I was watching some all-time XI’s by former footballers and analysists and was asking to myself: “Did football start in the 90’s for these people?”
I understand that people will always be biased towards the players that they got to experience and have an attachment to, but do you think that players from the old era like Eusebio, Rivera, Meazza, Di Stefano, Etc… are underrated compared to modern legends?
Well, i dont know if you remember Boosman’s case, where europeans leagues became what they are today, by having the advantage that every player for the EU counts as “local” and with most teams having a maximum of foregin players, that made an open doors to create teams that in the past would be dream teams. Also tactics evolved, sinse Sacchi’s milan in 88, tatics plays a bigger role in the game, that is the main reason messi could not single handedly win the world cup like maradona did (of course he had a great team, but you understood wht i wanted to say). Also add the advancements in preparation and modern players are almost superhuman compared to the ones before the 90s.
Of course i think if you take a young pele, maradona, cruyff, etc. to the modern times, prepare them with modern methods ant tactics, they would shure stand out the same way they did on thier glory years, but you get the point