The problems of our football are countless. Yet, paradoxically, the low effective playing time does not seem to top the list: the latest data from the CIES Football Observatorytells us so, within a special ranking of the main European leagues. Based on this metric, the league with the least time wasted is Ligue 1: they play for 55.9% of the ninety minutes of a match. Close behind is the Bundesliga, with 55.5% effective time. Then comes our Serie A, tied with the Spanish Liga: 54.1%. And the Premier League? Incredibly low: 53.1%.
Of course, in none of these cases are the results flattering. Today’s players are also professionals in delays, theatrics, and other tricks to run down the clock. At any latitude. However, it is surprising that in Italy the situation is not as terrible compared to others. And that in the much-praised England, on the contrary, it is time to impose some reflection: the British press and public opinion are already doing so, acknowledging a figure that worsens every year (the latest reported by the Times in recent weeks was concerning but not as negative).
Is this parameter enough to evaluate the health of a league? Clearly not. Besides effective playing time, the quality of play within that timeframe also matters. In the Premier League, the ball and players move at a pace unmatched by any other league. The difference between moments of play and phases of pause is total, which is why there can be increased incentives to catch a breath from time to time. Then there is the aspect of set pieces: an increasingly structural and effective offensive weapon, especially in English football, which all teams from Arsenal down are trying to exploit much more than just a few years ago – and in a more methodical way compared to what happens in Serie A. This too, among preparations of schemes and positioning, is a factor that reduces the window of time with the ball in play.
Conversely, in Italy, players run less, the ball travels less, and the football is less vertical. More yawns, many low-level matches, and slower rhythms. It matters little then if the effective playing time exceeds that of the Premier: it is certainly a figure to comment on, but it should not deceive us about the health of our movement. Clearly in pieces, without needing the Italian teams to be prematurely out of European cups or the umpteenth worldwide embarrassment. At least let it serve as a wake-up call, since in terms of the clock – whether stopped or running – we really offer very little in the 90 minutes.