My first thoughts are that like everything else, the game has evolved. Comparisons with the past will never cease. Players of the past will always talk about how the modern game is so different to when they played. In this case however, I think Baggio has a point. In South America, a lot of emphasis is put into developing a players individual skill from a young age. In Europe, more emphasis is put into developing ones technical ability. From personal experience, I once met with the directors of the "Brazilian Football Academy" here in Kuala Lumpur and they had explained to me that there is no difference in terms of training techniques. The only distinction between the two is the amount of focus that is given to each area. South American footballers often play 5-a-side football, or Futsal as it is now known. In Futsal, players are forced to develop their close control skills by using the instep or soles of their feet more often to keep possession of the ball. Compare this with most European footballers who use the outstep of their feet more often. Which gives you better control? Why do English players in particular have poor first touches?

It is now a case of skill vs. pace & power isn't it? Who has come up trumps so far? Put it this way, in recent World Club Championships, Brazilian teams have beaten Manchester United and Liverpool. Only recently has Europe regained some ounce of pride when AC Milan triumphed. I don't know what this tells you but I think Baggio has a point. Sure you have the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres that have both pace and power but players like these, who have a combination of both don't come around often.