--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rather than opera, football is more like…" description: "\"Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like Arsenal, especially when Dennis Bergkamp was play..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg" --- # Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess… ![“Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like Arsenal, especially when Dennis Bergkamp was playing. He seemed to be able to read the game like a chessboard and knew where a player would be several seconds later and put the ball there for him.” quote by Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg) > “Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like Arsenal, especially when Dennis Bergkamp was playing. He seemed to be able to read the game like a chessboard and knew where a player would be several seconds later and put the ball there for him.” [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He compares football to ballet and chess, emphasizing its strategic elegance and artistic flow. **In simple terms:** Football blends artful movement with strategic planning. Key Takeaway Appreciate sport as both art and strategy. Themes sport art strategy creativity analysis Mood inspired analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Coaching a team - studying game tactics - applying artistic concepts to sport Key Concepts Pattern recognition aesthetic appreciation tactical foresight Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing sport as art change your experience? - What strategic lessons can chess teach football? A Different Perspective Not all sports exhibit such clear artistic parallels. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Chess game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess-game/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) ## Related quotes > [I had problems with certain players at Arsenal, especially one, whose name I will not say because I don't want to feed the controversy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kolo-toure/i-had-problems-with-certain-players-at-arsenal-especially-one-whose/) [Kolo Toure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kolo-toure/) > [Here in Italy, football is more like a chess game. You have to think about every move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-evra/here-in-italy-football-is-more-like-a-chess-game-you-have-to-think/) [Patrice Evra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-evra/) > [I am a believer in passing the ball on the ground, I was lucky to be part of teams like that at Arsenal, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thierry-henry/i-am-a-believer-in-passing-the-ball-on-the-ground-i-was-lucky-to-be/) [Thierry Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thierry-henry/) > [Being at a massive club like Arsenal, we know there is so much competition. It is always going to be challenging, it is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-smith-rowe/being-at-a-massive-club-like-arsenal-we-know-there-is-so-much/) [Emile Smith Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-smith-rowe/) > [I think it's hard to see a club like Arsenal not playing in the Champions League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-lichtsteiner/i-think-it-s-hard-to-see-a-club-like-arsenal-not-playing-in-the/) [Stephan Lichtsteiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-lichtsteiner/) > [Competition is to be expected at a club like Arsenal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-ramsey/competition-is-to-be-expected-at-a-club-like-arsenal/) [Aaron Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-ramsey/) > [A club like Arsenal, it's normal that expectations are high. This club must compete for titles, and that's what we want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granit-xhaka/a-club-like-arsenal-it-s-normal-that-expectations-are-high-this-club/) [Granit Xhaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/granit-xhaka/) > [If you are not performing consistently at a club like Arsenal, then there are other players ready to take the opportunity - which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-iwobi/if-you-are-not-performing-consistently-at-a-club-like-arsenal-then/) [Alex Iwobi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-iwobi/) > [England's good for me: there's a thousand things to improve, but I fit. I'm happy and I'd really like Arsenal to use the purchase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-mari/england-s-good-for-me-there-s-a-thousand-things-to-improve-but-i-fit/) [Pablo Mari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-mari/) > [I really like Arsenal. But you, do you like Arsenal? Or just Arsenal with Trophies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/i-really-like-arsenal-but-you-do-you-like-arsenal-or-just-arsenal/) [Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/) > [Playing in a team like Arsenal helps massively having all of these players around you giving you advice. When they are playing well, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/playing-in-a-team-like-arsenal-helps-massively-having-all-of-these/) [Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-oxlade-chamberlain/) > [Criticism is part of being at a club like Arsenal. You always have to win and when you're not winning you have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikel-arteta/criticism-is-part-of-being-at-a-club-like-arsenal-you-always-have-to/) [Mikel Arteta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikel-arteta/) > [They (Leeds United) used to be a bit like Arsenal, winning by one goal to nil or even less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nasser-hussain/they-leeds-united-used-to-be-a-bit-like-arsenal-winning-by-one-goal/) [Nasser Hussain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nasser-hussain/) > [I'm so proud to play for a big club like Arsenal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mesut-ozil/i-m-so-proud-to-play-for-a-big-club-like-arsenal/) [Mesut Ozil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mesut-ozil/) > [A club like Arsenal is a fabulous club, it is a well-run club.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-phelan/a-club-like-arsenal-is-a-fabulous-club-it-is-a-well-run-club/) [Mike Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-phelan/) ## More by Marcus du Sautoy > [You know, I'm not terribly fast at my times tables, because that's not what I think mathematics is about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/you-know-i-m-not-terribly-fast-at-my-times-tables-because-that-s-not/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [We need scientists and mathematicians explaining why they are excited about their subjects but also why they are important for solving social problems, informing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/we-need-scientists-and-mathematicians-explaining-why-they-are-excited/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [The wonderful thing about maths is it's a totally logical subject, and a pathway has been marked out. I think a lot of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/the-wonderful-thing-about-maths-is-it-s-a-totally-logical-subject-and/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [If I'm flying to China, I can sit and think about a problem. Other scientists have to go to the lab. I'm always thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/if-i-m-flying-to-china-i-can-sit-and-think-about-a-problem-other/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [I think science is a foreign land for many people, so I think of my role as an ambassador's job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/i-think-science-is-a-foreign-land-for-many-people-so-i-think-of-my/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [“For any scientist the real challenge is not to stay within the secure garden of the known but to venture out into the wilds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/for-any-scientist-the-real-challenge-is-not-to-stay-within-the-secure/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [The reason why we do maths is because it's like poetry. It's about patterns, and that really turned me on. It made me feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/the-reason-why-we-do-maths-is-because-it-s-like-poetry-it-s-about/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [“It does appear that some parts of our evolutionary process seem inevitable. It is striking that throughout evolutionary history, the eye evolved independently fifty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/it-does-appear-that-some-parts-of-our-evolutionary-process-seem/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [When people ask me what my religion is, I say it's the Arsenal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/when-people-ask-me-what-my-religion-is-i-say-it-s-the-arsenal/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [If you can make yourself symmetrical, you're sending out a sign that you've got good genes, you've got a good upbringing and therefore you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/if-you-can-make-yourself-symmetrical-you-re-sending-out-a-sign-that/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [I think my primary audience is in some sense an adult audience, because I think that will then have a knock-on effect for children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/i-think-my-primary-audience-is-in-some-sense-an-adult-audience/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [It's my belief that you can take everyone down a logical path if you take them slowly enough, and the trouble is that mathematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/it-s-my-belief-that-you-can-take-everyone-down-a-logical-path-if-you/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [The best mobile phone had the best mathematician. They know how to fit a huge amount of data into a small amount of space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/the-best-mobile-phone-had-the-best-mathematician-they-know-how-to-fit/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [The stage is like a laboratory where you can run theatrical experiments, imposing interesting conditions on the cast or story and seeing how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/the-stage-is-like-a-laboratory-where-you-can-run-theatrical/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) > [“Some might question whether it makes sense to talk about setting up the experiment and running it again with exactly the same conditions--that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/some-might-question-whether-it-makes-sense-to-talk-about-setting-up/) [Marcus du Sautoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) [Explore all 35 Marcus du Sautoy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like Arsenal, especially when Dennis Bergkamp was playing. He seemed to be able to read the game like a chessboard and knew where a player would be several seconds later and put the ball there for him.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus du Sautoy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like-ballet-or-a-chess-game-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like-ballet-or-a-chess-game-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/marcus-du-sautoy-18436_able_rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like_808345.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Rather than opera, football is more like ballet or a chess game. You can really see it in a team like…” — Marcus du Sautoy", "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": "Marcus du Sautoy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-du-sautoy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Rather than opera, football is more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like-ballet-or-a-chess-game-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-du-sautoy/rather-than-opera-football-is-more-like-ballet-or-a-chess-game-you/#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 } } ] } ```