--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Football is a simple game made…" description: "\"Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.\" — Bill Shankly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg" --- # Football is a simple game made complicated by people who… ![“Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.” quote by Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg) > “Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.” [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Simple sport becomes complex due to over‑analysis by experts. **In simple terms:** Complexity arises from overthinking. Key Takeaway Simplify and enjoy. Themes sports simplicity expertise Mood reflective critical Type sports philosophical When to use this quote - coaching - team meetings - fan discussions Key Concepts over‑analysis human error Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of football are over‑complicated? - How can simplicity improve performance? A Different Perspective Experts can hinder enjoyment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Complicated People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated-people-420875/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Football Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-simple-858334/) [Game Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-complicated-1907921/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Simple Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-game-1228040/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) ## Related quotes > [Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/football-is-a-simple-game-based-on-the-giving-and-taking-of-passes-of/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [Football is a simple game. It is not difficult to play football: just pass the ball around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitar-berbatov/football-is-a-simple-game-it-is-not-difficult-to-play-football-just/) [Dimitar Berbatov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitar-berbatov/) > [Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-lineker/football-is-a-simple-game-twenty-two-men-chase-a-ball-for-90-minutes/) [Gary Lineker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-lineker/) > [Football - a simple game really, yet generally, in the game, we make the simple things seem harder. But it's those simple things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-bellamy/football-a-simple-game-really-yet-generally-in-the-game-we-make-the/) [Craig Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-bellamy/) > [“Football is a simple game; twenty-two men chase a ball for ninety minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-vecsey/football-is-a-simple-game-twenty-two-men-chase-a-ball-for-ninety/) [George Vecsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-vecsey/) > [Football is a simple game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitar-berbatov/football-is-a-simple-game/) [Dimitar Berbatov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitar-berbatov/) > [Football is a simple game. It's just very hard to play it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/football-is-a-simple-game-it-s-just-very-hard-to-play-it-simple/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [All of those guys who told me that I was too short and how complicated the game was, it is not that complicated. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-flutie/all-of-those-guys-who-told-me-that-i-was-too-short-and-how/) [Doug Flutie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-flutie/) > [“Dante and this Palero were definitely playing some sort of game, and I didn’t know the rules, which was fine with me. Whenever a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-wright/dante-and-this-palero-were-definitely-playing-some-sort-of-game-and-i/) [Kenya Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-wright/) > [“This game has become so complicated, even I’m beginning to lose track of the sides.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-g-harlen/this-game-has-become-so-complicated-even-i-m-beginning-to-lose-track/) [B.G. Harlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-g-harlen/) > [Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-cruijff/playing-football-is-very-simple-but-playing-simple-football-is-the/) [Johan Cruijff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-cruijff/) > [People are complicated. People have secrets. It doesnt make them good people or bad people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zayas/people-are-complicated-people-have-secrets-it-doesnt-make-them-good/) [David Zayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zayas/) > [I hope people who read my books feel empathy for us and really see us as complicated people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-hope-people-who-read-my-books-feel-empathy-for-us-and-really-see-us/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [Law and politics are often overly complicated because there are people that don't want the rest of us to know what's going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/law-and-politics-are-often-overly-complicated-because-there-are/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [“In spite of being complicated people choose superstitions over common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/in-spite-of-being-complicated-people-choose-superstitions-over-common/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) ## More by Bill Shankly > [If he isn't named footballer of the year, football should be stopped and the men who picked any other player should be sent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/if-he-isn-t-named-footballer-of-the-year-football-should-be-stopped/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [We absolutely annihilated England. It was a massacre. We beat them 5-4.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/we-absolutely-annihilated-england-it-was-a-massacre-we-beat-them-5-4/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [The problem with you, son, is that all your brains are in your head. (to a Liverpool trainee)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/the-problem-with-you-son-is-that-all-your-brains-are-in-your-head-to/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [If you get to the edge of the penalty area with the ball and don't know what to do next, just stick the ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/if-you-get-to-the-edge-of-the-penalty-area-with-the-ball-and-don-t/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [I was in the game for the love of football - and I wanted to bring back happiness to the people of Liverpool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/i-was-in-the-game-for-the-love-of-football-and-i-wanted-to-bring-back/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [What a great day for football, all we need is some green grass and a ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/what-a-great-day-for-football-all-we-need-is-some-green-grass-and-a/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [It's a 90 minute game for sure. In fact I used to train for a 190 minute game so that when the whistle blew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/it-s-a-90-minute-game-for-sure-in-fact-i-used-to-train-for-a-190/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age, even if he had been wearing an overcoat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/tom-finney-would-have-been-great-in-any-team-in-any-match-and-in-any/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [Above all, I would like to be remembered as a man who was selfless, who strove and worried so that others could share the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/above-all-i-would-like-to-be-remembered-as-a-man-who-was-selfless-who/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [“The socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share of the rewards. It's the way I see football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/the-socialism-i-believe-in-is-everyone-working-for-each-other/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [I never drop a player I only make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/i-never-drop-a-player-i-only-make-changes/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [“Some people believe football (soccer) is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/some-people-believe-football-soccer-is-a-matter-of-life-and-death-i-m/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [In my time at Anfield we always said we had the best two teams on Merseyside - Liverpool and Liverpool reserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/in-my-time-at-anfield-we-always-said-we-had-the-best-two-teams-on/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/if-you-are-first-you-are-first-if-you-are-second-you-are-nothing/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) > [If a player is not interfering with play or seeking to gain an advantage, then he should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/if-a-player-is-not-interfering-with-play-or-seeking-to-gain-an/) [Bill Shankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) [Explore all 82 Bill Shankly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/) ## More Complicated quotes > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [“Why the hell did he have to be so complicated? One minute he was charming, the next he withdrew behind his internal walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-davis/why-the-hell-did-he-have-to-be-so-complicated-one-minute-he-was/) [Lia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-davis/) > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I have learned so much from my dad. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Two people could build an outhouse in four hours. They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) [Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Shankly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicated-by-people-who-should-know/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complicated" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicated-by-people-who-should-know/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/195/bill-shankly-8304_complicated_football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicat_466146.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.” — Bill Shankly", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Shankly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shankly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Football is a simple game made...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicated-by-people-who-should-know/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shankly/football-is-a-simple-game-made-complicated-by-people-who-should-know/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```