Fernando Signorini: “Football today just dumbs down and trivialises” | OneFootball

Fernando Signorini, the legendary physical trainer of Diego Maradona and the Argentine National Team at the 2010 South Africa World Cup, shared a powerful reflection on the current state of football and its role in society. In an extensive one-on-one conversation with TyC Sports, the coach was critical of the current system and warned that the sport “is being used to dumb down and trivialize.”

Throughout the interview, Signorini recalled his childhood in Lincoln, his upbringing shaped by reading and humanistic education, and the deep relationship he maintained with Maradona for over a decade. Drawing from this personal journey, he argued that football has lost its educational and cultural function, and that today the priority is to win “by any means,” stripping the game of its values.

“The system needs obedient players, who neither think nor question,” he pointed out, while also criticizing the role of those in power, club management, and the lack of social commitment within professional football. In this regard, he emphasized that training is not just about preparing the body, but also about shaping people with critical thinking.

To sum up his perspective, he left a phrase that encapsulates his stance: “Without a doubt, there are too many football fields and not enough libraries,” a statement that once again brings to the table the debate about the role football plays in the cultural and social construction of Argentina.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.