Italian football has won the World Cup 4 times, and most recently won EURO 2020. But on the back of the glory, they will be absent from the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time. That is a paradox large enough to make people question whether they are ultimately moving forward, or just thinking they are moving forward.
The illusion of progress often starts from small positive signals. A style of play that looks more modern. A generation of young people with great potential. A few victories create a feeling of "the right direction". With Italy, all of that exists. They reform youth training, achieve achievements in U tournaments (European U17 Championship 2024, U19 in 2023), clubs are more financially stable...
But when measured by the performance and achievements of the team, feeling is what becomes dangerous. Dangerous in that it is convincing enough to delay real changes. When you believe you are going in the right direction, you will easily accept failures like "accidents", with reasonable reasons to explain, instead of looking straight at the core of the problem.
That is a lesson Vietnamese football should pay attention to. Past successes, from youth tournaments to national team level, once created confidence and narrowed the gap with the continent and the world. But the reality is very different. The Vietnamese national team is having an impressive streak of results under coach Kim Sang-sik, but be careful.
In life as well. Progress illusions appear when you are busier but not more effective. When you learn more but cannot apply it. When you feel like you are changing, but in fact are only repeating familiar loops in a new form.
The lesson here is, not denying the signals, but it is necessary to clearly distinguish between real progress and a sense of progress. That requires frankness, sometimes harshness, in the way you see yourself.
