“48 teams” weakened the technical value of the World Cup…and Italy’s absence is a loss

The former coach of the Fujairah Club, the Italian Michel Boone, considered that the absence of the Italian team from the 2026 World Cup finals represents a loss for world football, while he believed that raising the number of participating teams to 48 teams affected the technical value of the tournament, due to the large differences in level between many of the teams.

Michel Bonn previously worked as a coach for Al-Nasr, Al-Emirates, Masfoot and Al-Fujairah clubs in previous seasons.

Michel told Emirates Al-Youm: “I think that the increase in the number of teams came for reasons related to expanding the participation base more than the technical aspect. I prefer to hold a tournament with a smaller number of teams and a higher technical level, and the pressure of the matches will exhaust the players, affect the start of local leagues, and may increase injuries.”

He continued: “The increase in the number of teams led us to watch matches that end with big results, such as winning (7-1), which is what resulted in the current World Cup, while the smaller number of participating teams gives a better artistic impression of the World Cup.”

Michel Bonn stressed that he did not rule out the occurrence of new surprises that could lead to the exit of other major teams from the tournament, after the farewell of Germany and the Netherlands from the early knockout rounds, stressing that this was due to technical and non-technical reasons. He said: “The German team was exposed to a number of injuries, and some of its players were not in the best preparation, while the Netherlands played with extreme caution and fear of conceding goals, and did not impose their usual attacking style, which led them to exit the tournament, and the same applies to Brazil, which had greater individual skills and more opportunities. For the record, the Norwegian national team played better collectively, and Haaland was the most prominent player, and now the Norwegian national team has a very strong motivation, but it will not win the cup.

Regarding the Italian national team, he said: “For me, its exit represents a great disappointment, because the clubs no longer give local talent enough confidence, and rely on a large number of foreign players who do not add the required quality, and in the end the national team pays the price.”

He added: “Unfortunately, those who manage football in Italy do not always have sufficient understanding of the development of the game. Rather, administrative and political considerations prevail, which makes me very sad.” He praised the Portuguese star, Cristiano Ronaldo, saying: “Ronaldo is one of the best players in the history of football, and his leadership personality represented great value to the Portuguese national team, and he remains a player capable of making a difference even when he is not at his best levels.”

Regarding the Arab teams, he said: “The Moroccan and Egyptian teams performed well, and benefited greatly from exposure to European schools. They also possess distinguished talents and a high competitive spirit.”

Michel confirmed that he has special memories of his training experience in the Emirates, after working as a coach for the Fujairah, Al-Nasr, Emirates and Masfoot clubs. He said: “I felt very comfortable during my work in the Emirates, and I look forward to returning again, because I have a lot that I can offer to contribute to the qualitative shift that Emirati football is witnessing.”

Michel believed that the UAE First Division League is witnessing remarkable development year after year, and is attracting the interest of many coaches and players, but it needs more support by expanding television coverage, attracting sponsors, and enhancing professionalism, especially for national players.