The role of cultural norms in shaping the game, one of the important themes in the history of football, came to the fore once again with the statements of Liverpool's new coach Andoni Iraola in the summer. Drawing attention to the collective understanding behind the success of Spanish teams, Iraola said, "Spain does not have the best athletes; they cannot win medals in individual sports such as swimming and athletics. But in collective sports, such as football and basketball, they are very good. Our team is always our priority."

The evolution of Spanish football in the 21st century can be clearly observed in Pep Guardiola's revolutionary approach to play at Barcelona, ​​Bayern Munich and Manchester City, and the success of the national team that won the European Championship and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012. Although it is true that star players came to the fore during this period, the collective structure emphasized by Iraola constitutes the fundamental strength of Spanish football.

Last summer showed once again how effective this collective understanding is, as Luis de la Fuente's team, Spain, won the World Cup. The Spanish women's national team also holds the title of world champion. The coordinated game approach behind Spain's success has become a system that other teams have not been able to solve.

At club level, Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the second year in a row in May with some fluent attacking football under Spanish coach Luis Enrique. This success came after Kylian Mbappe's transfer to Real Madrid, which revealed the importance of collective success as well as individual success.

Arsenal once again showed the influence of Spanish coaches by winning the Premier League championship under the management of Mikel Arteta. In Arteta's successful season, it was noteworthy that the team shared the offensive load, with goals coming from 18 different strikers.Iraola's views on the cultural importance of football also resonate with Liverpool fans. Throughout its history, Liverpool has used football as a shield to combat political, social or economic challenges. "Abandoning individualism and prioritizing the situation of those with less opportunities will generally improve our affairs. This is also true in football," says Iraola.

The fact that football has the power to shape the culture of a city or country, as well as the fact that society affects the game, comes to the fore once again with Iraola's comments. Sociological differences between individualism and collectivism help us understand what role football plays in the social context.

The impact of cultural norms on football is not limited to Spain; Similar situations occurred in England. Scott Murray's article, which bases English football on team play rather than individual heroism, clearly reveals this situation.