Business Game Time

How too much expertise and pressure can lead to playing it safe: The case of referee Alain Rolland, who showed a controversial red card to welsh Sam Warburton at the Rugby World Cup semi finals.

Filed under: rugby by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: alain rolland • all blacks • auckland • bias • creativity freedom • dip tackle • expert • france • influence • international rugby board • irb • mediator • mistrust • moderator • new zealand • paddy o'brien • red card • rugby • rugby union • rugby world cup • sam warburton • sandwich position • sensitivity • soccer • south africa • suspicion • tonga • vincent clerc • wales

While teams in the big European soccer leagues play to qualify for the European Cup, teams in lower divisions don’t have that kind of motivation. While top management sits in fancy global meetings, work from those in lower management is less recognized and less incentivized. But why not create a “European Cup” for lower divisions?

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: big kahuna • coordination • creativity • decision power • dritte liga • england • environment • european cup • experience • france • germany • global executive meeting • global team • idea • incentive • innovation • international competition • italy • league one • lega pro prima divisione • motivation • national d3 • segunda división b • soccer (football) • spain • style of play • technology • third division • transfer • travelling • uefa champions league • uefa europa league • young talent

A lot of bad calls by the referees at the World Cup resulted in players and coaches complaining. This article talks about the “referees” in your job: Bosses, colleagues, the HR department, etc. and why complaining about them is as useless as in soccer. Here’s how to get over your stubbornness and come up with the right reactions.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: adjust • alberto undiano mallence • algeria • australia • ban • bastian schweinsteiger • blame • blind • block • bob bradley • boss • brain • brazil • carlos alberto parreira • colleagues • complain • complaint • cote d'ivoire • criticism • criticize career • disadvantage • emotional distance • emotions • england • feelings • fifa world cup • france • germany • get over it • harry kewell • hr • human factor • human resources • ivory coast • koman coulibaly • mali • massimo busacca • miroslav klose • move on • personal targets • power • ravshan irmatov • recognition • recognize • red care • referee • refereeing • second yellow card • semi finals • serbia • silent complain • slovenia • soccer (football) • south africa • spain • stephane lannoy • stubbornness • style • thwart • tournament • us • usa • yellow card

Soccer tactics are like fashion: They only last for a certain time until new ones come up. Looking at the history of tactics at the World Cups, this article compares fashions in management strategies to soccer tactics fashion and also finds a way to explain why many matches at the 2010 World Cup were quite boring.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
5 Comments » Tagged with: 1930 • 1970 • 1974 • 1978 • 1982 • 1986 • 1990 • 1994 • 1998 • 2002 • 2006 • 2010 • 4-2-3-1 • 4-4-2 • ajax Amsterdam • americo gellego • australia • basic commodities • boring • boston consulting group • brazil • chile • competitive advantage • competitive strategy • control • defense • diego armando maradona • diego maradona • dot-com bubble • economic crisis • economists • england • euro 2008 • fifa world cup • flexibility • france • franz beckenbauer • germany • greece • growth-share matrix • honduras • italy • lothar matthaeus • lothar matthäus • michael e. porter • mutual neutralization • netherlands • organized • Paraguay • politicians • pyramid formation • raw materials • rinus michels • risk-taking • roberto baggio • ronaldo • security • serbia • shareholder value • slovenia • south africa • south korea • spain • speculation • strategic management consulting • switzerland • tactical • tactical formations • totaalvoetbal • usa • value based management • youri djorkaeff • zone defense

There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. Eric Cantona has erased this line. One of the greatest yet most controversial players ever. Here’s why he never played a World Cup and what we can learn from his case, especially on how to deal with “insane geniuses”.

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
2 Comments » Tagged with: ability • aimé jacquet • biography • building a bridge • cantona - the rebel who would be king • controversial • crazy • creativity • crystal palace • czech republic • different • english premier league • eric cantona • euro 1996 • european championships • f.a.a cup • facebook • fifa world cup • flair • france • freaks • freedom • french national team • frustration • genious • gérard houiller • germany • guy roux • howard wilkinson • ideas • individualist • insanity • insecurity • inspiration • kick • kung fu • leeds united • madness • manchester united • mark hughes • matthew simmons • offensive midfielder • oscar levant • philippe auclair • physical strengths • play maker • player of the century • playmaker • possibilities • preception • red devils • respect • selhurst park • sir alex ferguson • soccer (football) • south africa • striker • talent • talented • the guardian • thin line • thrilling • tom peters • trust • twitter • world cup 1998

Today I will talk about a very sad story. And the link from sports to business is quite controversial this time, so please do not understand this as a one-on-one comparison, but as an abstract link instead. This time we go to France: The issue of hooliganism is not a new one in soccer, however [...]

Filed under: soccer (football) by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: auteuil • bayern munich • boulogne • coma • france • hooliganism • hooligans • internal conflicts • internal fights • kicking • liverpool fc • mission • nationalist • pacifist • parc des princes • paris • paris st. germain • power • punching • right-wing • st. germain • supporters • violence • yann lorence

Quite a remarkable decision from the soccer world organization FIFA: They will not introduce any additional referees or technology to help referees at the upcoming World Cup 2010 in South Africa. That decision came only a few days after French striker Thierry Henry clearly played a ball with his hand, leading to the decisive goal [...]

Filed under: (american) football, soccer (football) by Johannes
2 Comments » Tagged with: (american) football • cricket • emotion • fifa • france • franz beckenbauer • goalline technology • identification • instant replay • ireland • motivation • process • referee • referees • rugby • soccer (football) • south africa • tennis • thierry henry • world cup