India, Feb. 16 -- When was the last time you saw a football player charge at defenders, doing double, triple or quadruple step-overs.
This was a defining element of the game, in the eras of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho (with added samba hip movements, in his case).
The charge was guaranteed to bring a stadium alive and send a thrill through those watching on TV. It is pretty much extinct in the new age of "structured" football.
The fade of the step-over is just one sign of a bigger change, as Spanish footballer-turned-manager Cesc Fabregas has said.
In a recent interview with BBC, he added: "The training methodology has changed... Coaches tell you exactly how they want you to play... The kind of freedom I had, no pl...