Easter Special • Ends April 14
Take 50% Off Your Coaching Development
Ready to level up? Through April 14, get 50% off any PDP Academy course or a PDP Membership. Just apply code EASTER26 at checkout.
Reader,
Listen to the touchline of almost any football pitch on a game day, and you will likely hear a barrage of instructions that sound more suited to a battlefield than a sports match. Words like attack, defend, destroy, humiliate, and enemy are deeply ingrained in the traditional coaching vocabulary.
But what is the true cost of using this “language of war” with our young players?
During a seminar in New Zealand, Joan Vila Bosch, the former Head of Methodology at FC Barcelona, discussed how the Catalan club actively dismantled this aggressive rhetoric. Drawing on the philosophy that “as people we are defined by our words“, Vila Bosch explained that the language of football transmits the ideas, beliefs, and values that ultimately shape player behaviour both on and off the pitch.
To combat the negative effects of this terminology, FC Barcelona deliberately shifted their vocabulary to embody the values on which their playing style is built. They replaced “Attack” with “Possession phase“. “Defend” became “Recovering the ball“. “Destroy” became “Create,” “Aggression” was swapped for “Assertiveness,” and the “Enemy” became the “Opponent“.
The hidden cost of the language of war is that it subtly enforces a “win at all costs” mentality. This language influences players’ psychological processes, ultimately shaping their motivation, creative behaviour, and decision-making. When we constantly use fearful or destructive language, we create a story of fear. If players are afraid of making mistakes or are overly focused on “destroying” the opponent, their creativity is stifled, and they are less likely to take the risks necessary to solve complex football problems.
Take for example Argentine national team’s disappointing 2018 World Cup campaign. Argentine legend Jorge Valdano noted how a “win at all costs” illness and an “imperious, almost delirious need to win” had swept away the nation’s traditional footballing values. Valdano lamented that the joy of the game was replaced by a hostile, tribal environment where aggression and huevos (balls) became valued more highly than actual talent.
Three Things to Consider
1. Audit your language: Are you unconsciously using the language of war? Pay attention to how often words like kill the game, destroy, or enemy slip into your team talks.
2. Language brings the game to life: Recognise that the words you use dictate the culture of your team. Changing your vocabulary to focus on words like empathy, optimise, and enjoy can completely shift the psychological safety of your environment.
3. Redefine the opposition: Instead of treating the other team as an “enemy” to be humiliated, frame them as an “opponent” to be outperformed. They are partners in your players’ development.
One thing to try this week
During your next training session or match, consciously challenge yourself to drop the “language of war“. Try using FC Barcelona’s terminology, refer to “recovering the ball” instead of “defending,” or “assertiveness” instead of “aggression“. Notice how this subtle shift in tone impacts your own coaching state of mind and the anxiety levels of your players.
One Critical Resource on the Topic
Read our article FC Barcelona: Dismantling the Language of War, which dives deeper into Joan Vila Bosch’s seminar and explores how traditional sporting discourse can constrain creativity and player development.
