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TEAM BIG DUNK (Nereo Rocco)
Inspiration/blueprint
Nereo Rocco's AC Milan: 1st spell (1961-63) & 2nd spell (1967-73).
Team specific: 1969 European Cup Final - AC Milan 4-1 Ajax
Playing style, tactics
Highly disciplined and defensively organised 4-3-3, while still being very potent and direct on the counter attack. Scirea performs the libero role (modern ball playing centreback) whose expert positioning and movement is still effective with the modern offside rules. Bergomi, Cannavaro and Maldini can be assigned specific man marking duties, while also incorporating the modern catenaccio variation of mixed zonal marking. Deschamps can hold while Maldini or Scirea move forward. Bergomi, Scirea, Cannavaro and Maldini are all competent on the ball and with the ball, able to initiate attacks.
Our industry is matched by our artistry and prolific threat in attack. Having three in midfield will help to contest against possession-focused opponents, and help to control the game with and without the ball. We can build play through Scirea from deep. Our defence and attack is linked by French pair Deschamps and Tigana. Our creative play will flow through Zidane, and through Stoichkov and Figo on the flanks. Luis Figo can swap wings or move centrally. Our attack is very dangerous on the counter attack, and on well-timed vertical passing transitions. Stoichkov will cut in from the left wing, whose runs will create space for Batistuta.
By allowing and encouraging our opponent to attack, I believe I have the ultimate defensive platform to nullify my opponent, then counter with a very potent and clutch attack. We possess defensive strength, all-round team balance, workrate, creativity and goals. We have the tools to adapt to each opponent and exploit their weaknesses.
Player roles
Gianluigi Buffon 03-06 (Goalkeeper) - the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Gianluigi Buffon. He will form an impenetrable unit alongside Maldini, Cannavaro, Bergomi and Scirea. I have not seen a more complete goalkeeper than Super Gigi.
Giuseppe Bergomi 88-91 (Right back) – you cannot get a superior upgrade for Angelo Anquilletti than Bergomi. Angelo Anquilletti was actually an inspiration for a young Claudio Gentile. Bergomi will be utilised as my defensive right back. Bergomi is one of the greatest man-markers of all time, if not Italy’s best ever stopper. His defending style combined the no-nonsense tough-tackling reminiscent of classic catenaccio, with defensive discipline that set him apart from other tough markers of his era and before. Giuseppe was a tenacious but very efficient tackler, whose awareness for danger and space helped him to break down attacking moves and anticipate counter attacks.
Fabio Cannavaro 03-06 (Stopper) - Fabio Cannavaro will be forever immortalised for his defensive performances at the 2006 World Cup, and being only the third defender to ever win the Ballon d’Or. A complete centreback, Cannavaro was a very durable and consistent defender. Standing at only 5 feet 9 but showing off a solid frame, Cannavaro possessed a fighting spirit that made him seem like an unpassable giant on the pitch, and a colossus in the air. Fabio was a born leader, and possessed that special ability of how to raise his teammates to a higher level, breeding confidence and calmness against any storm. Cannavaro is an elite defensive upgrade to Roberto Rosato: "a powerful, consistent, hard-tackling, and tenacious man-marking centre-back, regarded as one of the greatest and most complete Italian defenders of all time. In addition to his tough, determined, physical, and aggressive style of play, he was also extremely composed and elegant on the ball, due to his notable technical ability and balance; he was also known for his commanding influence on the pitch."
Gaetano Scirea 79-82 (Libero) - il Grande Capitano, Juve’s greatest ever defender. Scirea is technically and tactically a perfect ball-playing central defender. Scirea transformed the limited and defensive interpretation of the sweeper role, and perfected it into the integral creative fulcrum from deep. Scirea possessed an allround game, demonstrating an elegance on the ball and passing skills that set him apart from other libero’s of his era. In this free role, Scirea will roam along his back line, shutting down attacks, closing down any spaces, covering his man-markers and anticipating any threat, then using his vision and playmaking skills to dribble the ball forward or pass to his midfielders and forwards with accurate longballs. Scirea wasn’t an aggressive tackler, but instead made well-timed interceptions and slide tackles. One-on-one against a striker or winger, you could almost always guarantee Scirea coming out with the ball, gracefully gliding forward to initiate another attack.
Paolo Maldini 92-95 (Left back) - Not only the greatest left back of all time, Maldini is unquestionably one of the best players in football history. Paolo Maldini is the ultimate defender; in the sense he has every quality and skill you need at fullback or centreback. In the 90s you could appreciate him as a true athlete, nearly impossible to run past and powerful charging forward with the ball. Maldini controlled, crossed and passed the ball with great composure and precision. Maldini’s positioning, reading of the game and discipline was world-class. He executed perfectly- timed slide tackles and strong interceptions. When he positioned himself between the ball and attacker, his opponent had no chance in outmuscling and winning back the ball from the strong, agile and towering figure of Maldini. Maldini has more attacking licence down his flank than Bergomi, while also forming a solid 3-man defence with Cannavaro and Bergomi, when Scirea joins the attack. There is no finer upgrade to Schnellinger or Sabadini than Paolo Maldini.
Didier Deschamps 96-99 (Defensive midfielder) - The highly disciplined Didier Deschamps will break down my opponent’s attacks, screen my back four and distribute the ball with accuracy. His tactical and positional intelligence in the enforcer role is very important. Deschamps has a massive match engine too, demonstrating his tenacity and pressing in areas across the midfield, both deep, central and high up the pitch. For the sheer balance he brings, vision and leadership he possesses, Deschamps is a key cog here. Giovanni Trapattoni was Nereo Rocco’s anchor, linking the Rossoneri’s defence and attack. Deschamps is the clinical master of this.
Jean Tigana 83-86 (Box to box midfielder) - One of the finest box-to-box midfielders of the 80s and all-time, Jean Tigana fulfils two roles in this position: 1) his tenacious tackling, pressing, intelligent covering and endless workrate across the pitch is invaluable defensively; 2) 'Jeannot' was also effective bringing the ball forward, knitting play together with incisive short passes/through-balls and driving into the last third. Tigana's all-round game and defensive influence when we don't have the ball is vital. The defensive assurance that Tigana and Deschamps provides allows the creative likes of Zidane, Figo and Stoichkov to express themselves freely. Tigana is the integral engine room of my team, as both Benetti and Lodetti so perfectly served under Rocco.
Zinedine Zidane 98-01 (Attacking midfielder) - The artist amongst all the industry, Zizou is my fantasista. Not only one of the best playmakers of all time, but one of the all-time greatest footballers. A creative midfielder possessing pure technique: whether it be his elegant ball control and dribbling, accurate passing or highly technical shooting, Zidane moved with the ball with balance and grace like no other. Excellent vision, football IQ and an ability to shine the brightest in the biggest games. Zidane has the perfect defensive cover and workrate in Deschamps and Tigana, and the ideal attacking partners in Stoichkov, Figo and Batistuta. As Gianni Rivera before him, Zidane is the dream artist to complement the ruthlessness of Catenaccio.
Luis Figo 99-02 (Right winger) - Arguably the greatest playmaking winger of all time. Figo's dribbling and crossing ability made him the most effective right winger in football history. His football intelligence and link-up play makes him dangerous cutting in too, combining with Zidane centrally. Figo adds creativity and goals from the right wing (a monstrous 55 goals and 62 assists in his allocated 3 seasons). To ease the creative responsibility on Zidane, I will make use of Luis Figo's high workrate on the right wing - Batistuta will no doubt benefit from Figo’s accurate crosses from the flanks, through-balls and drilled cut-backs. A tactical change and upgrade to Kurt Hamrin: Figo offers me more of a playmaking threat (creative winger-type > direct wingforward), adding superior workrate (both attacking and defensive) and covering behind. Figo gets the best out of Batistuta-Stoichkov-Zidane, like no other winger in history could.
Gabriel Batistuta 97-00 (Centre forward) - I needed a clinical finisher, lethal with both feet, in the air, in the box and from long range. A complete striker who was arguably the most consistent and finest striker in Serie A in the 90s, and regarded as one of the greatest centre forwards of all time. ‘Batigol’ is both a prolific goalscorer and a creative team player (excellent link-up play with his secondary strike partner/playmaker). His sheer power and shooting technique was world-class, adding to his predatory instinct and intelligent positioning. Batistuta represents all the qualities of José Altafini and Angelo Sormani wrapped in one offensive package.
Hristo Stoichkov 91-94 (Supporting striker) – Ballon d'Or-winning complete forward who enjoyed one of the greatest peaks in the 90s... adding more pace and power to our attack. Stoichkov swaps out Laudrup-Romario for Zidane-Batistuta. An explosive goalscoring/creative dynamo that will 1) help stretch our opponent's back four with his pace and dribbling ability 2) create space for Batigol & Zizou 3) provide fluid movement with Zidane-Batigol-Figo 4) can cross/pass/get on the end of Figo's crosses & Zidane's through-balls 5) run the channel/get in behind/work between the lines 6) a powerful counter attacking lethal weapon 7) offer tenacious pressing 8) execute powerful/accurate shots from long-range and delicate finishes in the box. Just like the legendary Pierino Prati, Stoichkov is a talented and opportunistic player, possessing the versatility to adapt to the game – both at the start and in-game when the situation arises them to do so. Prati and Stoichkov both have a keen sense of finding an open space in the final third and can either make diagonal runs inside from the wide position or hug the touchline and make the pitch big, which allowed his teammates more space to penetrate.
Giuseppe Bergomi 88-91 (Right back) – you cannot get a superior upgrade for Angelo Anquilletti than Bergomi. Angelo Anquilletti was actually an inspiration for a young Claudio Gentile. Bergomi will be utilised as my defensive right back. Bergomi is one of the greatest man-markers of all time, if not Italy’s best ever stopper. His defending style combined the no-nonsense tough-tackling reminiscent of classic catenaccio, with defensive discipline that set him apart from other tough markers of his era and before. Giuseppe was a tenacious but very efficient tackler, whose awareness for danger and space helped him to break down attacking moves and anticipate counter attacks.
Fabio Cannavaro 03-06 (Stopper) - Fabio Cannavaro will be forever immortalised for his defensive performances at the 2006 World Cup, and being only the third defender to ever win the Ballon d’Or. A complete centreback, Cannavaro was a very durable and consistent defender. Standing at only 5 feet 9 but showing off a solid frame, Cannavaro possessed a fighting spirit that made him seem like an unpassable giant on the pitch, and a colossus in the air. Fabio was a born leader, and possessed that special ability of how to raise his teammates to a higher level, breeding confidence and calmness against any storm. Cannavaro is an elite defensive upgrade to Roberto Rosato: "a powerful, consistent, hard-tackling, and tenacious man-marking centre-back, regarded as one of the greatest and most complete Italian defenders of all time. In addition to his tough, determined, physical, and aggressive style of play, he was also extremely composed and elegant on the ball, due to his notable technical ability and balance; he was also known for his commanding influence on the pitch."
Gaetano Scirea 79-82 (Libero) - il Grande Capitano, Juve’s greatest ever defender. Scirea is technically and tactically a perfect ball-playing central defender. Scirea transformed the limited and defensive interpretation of the sweeper role, and perfected it into the integral creative fulcrum from deep. Scirea possessed an allround game, demonstrating an elegance on the ball and passing skills that set him apart from other libero’s of his era. In this free role, Scirea will roam along his back line, shutting down attacks, closing down any spaces, covering his man-markers and anticipating any threat, then using his vision and playmaking skills to dribble the ball forward or pass to his midfielders and forwards with accurate longballs. Scirea wasn’t an aggressive tackler, but instead made well-timed interceptions and slide tackles. One-on-one against a striker or winger, you could almost always guarantee Scirea coming out with the ball, gracefully gliding forward to initiate another attack.
Paolo Maldini 92-95 (Left back) - Not only the greatest left back of all time, Maldini is unquestionably one of the best players in football history. Paolo Maldini is the ultimate defender; in the sense he has every quality and skill you need at fullback or centreback. In the 90s you could appreciate him as a true athlete, nearly impossible to run past and powerful charging forward with the ball. Maldini controlled, crossed and passed the ball with great composure and precision. Maldini’s positioning, reading of the game and discipline was world-class. He executed perfectly- timed slide tackles and strong interceptions. When he positioned himself between the ball and attacker, his opponent had no chance in outmuscling and winning back the ball from the strong, agile and towering figure of Maldini. Maldini has more attacking licence down his flank than Bergomi, while also forming a solid 3-man defence with Cannavaro and Bergomi, when Scirea joins the attack. There is no finer upgrade to Schnellinger or Sabadini than Paolo Maldini.
Didier Deschamps 96-99 (Defensive midfielder) - The highly disciplined Didier Deschamps will break down my opponent’s attacks, screen my back four and distribute the ball with accuracy. His tactical and positional intelligence in the enforcer role is very important. Deschamps has a massive match engine too, demonstrating his tenacity and pressing in areas across the midfield, both deep, central and high up the pitch. For the sheer balance he brings, vision and leadership he possesses, Deschamps is a key cog here. Giovanni Trapattoni was Nereo Rocco’s anchor, linking the Rossoneri’s defence and attack. Deschamps is the clinical master of this.
Jean Tigana 83-86 (Box to box midfielder) - One of the finest box-to-box midfielders of the 80s and all-time, Jean Tigana fulfils two roles in this position: 1) his tenacious tackling, pressing, intelligent covering and endless workrate across the pitch is invaluable defensively; 2) 'Jeannot' was also effective bringing the ball forward, knitting play together with incisive short passes/through-balls and driving into the last third. Tigana's all-round game and defensive influence when we don't have the ball is vital. The defensive assurance that Tigana and Deschamps provides allows the creative likes of Zidane, Figo and Stoichkov to express themselves freely. Tigana is the integral engine room of my team, as both Benetti and Lodetti so perfectly served under Rocco.
Zinedine Zidane 98-01 (Attacking midfielder) - The artist amongst all the industry, Zizou is my fantasista. Not only one of the best playmakers of all time, but one of the all-time greatest footballers. A creative midfielder possessing pure technique: whether it be his elegant ball control and dribbling, accurate passing or highly technical shooting, Zidane moved with the ball with balance and grace like no other. Excellent vision, football IQ and an ability to shine the brightest in the biggest games. Zidane has the perfect defensive cover and workrate in Deschamps and Tigana, and the ideal attacking partners in Stoichkov, Figo and Batistuta. As Gianni Rivera before him, Zidane is the dream artist to complement the ruthlessness of Catenaccio.
Luis Figo 99-02 (Right winger) - Arguably the greatest playmaking winger of all time. Figo's dribbling and crossing ability made him the most effective right winger in football history. His football intelligence and link-up play makes him dangerous cutting in too, combining with Zidane centrally. Figo adds creativity and goals from the right wing (a monstrous 55 goals and 62 assists in his allocated 3 seasons). To ease the creative responsibility on Zidane, I will make use of Luis Figo's high workrate on the right wing - Batistuta will no doubt benefit from Figo’s accurate crosses from the flanks, through-balls and drilled cut-backs. A tactical change and upgrade to Kurt Hamrin: Figo offers me more of a playmaking threat (creative winger-type > direct wingforward), adding superior workrate (both attacking and defensive) and covering behind. Figo gets the best out of Batistuta-Stoichkov-Zidane, like no other winger in history could.
Gabriel Batistuta 97-00 (Centre forward) - I needed a clinical finisher, lethal with both feet, in the air, in the box and from long range. A complete striker who was arguably the most consistent and finest striker in Serie A in the 90s, and regarded as one of the greatest centre forwards of all time. ‘Batigol’ is both a prolific goalscorer and a creative team player (excellent link-up play with his secondary strike partner/playmaker). His sheer power and shooting technique was world-class, adding to his predatory instinct and intelligent positioning. Batistuta represents all the qualities of José Altafini and Angelo Sormani wrapped in one offensive package.
Hristo Stoichkov 91-94 (Supporting striker) – Ballon d'Or-winning complete forward who enjoyed one of the greatest peaks in the 90s... adding more pace and power to our attack. Stoichkov swaps out Laudrup-Romario for Zidane-Batistuta. An explosive goalscoring/creative dynamo that will 1) help stretch our opponent's back four with his pace and dribbling ability 2) create space for Batigol & Zizou 3) provide fluid movement with Zidane-Batigol-Figo 4) can cross/pass/get on the end of Figo's crosses & Zidane's through-balls 5) run the channel/get in behind/work between the lines 6) a powerful counter attacking lethal weapon 7) offer tenacious pressing 8) execute powerful/accurate shots from long-range and delicate finishes in the box. Just like the legendary Pierino Prati, Stoichkov is a talented and opportunistic player, possessing the versatility to adapt to the game – both at the start and in-game when the situation arises them to do so. Prati and Stoichkov both have a keen sense of finding an open space in the final third and can either make diagonal runs inside from the wide position or hug the touchline and make the pitch big, which allowed his teammates more space to penetrate.
Alterations from the original
Nereo Rocco’s system evolved through the eras, and he was open to make the necessary tactical adjustments. Here, we apply the modern adaption of the offside rule and positional discipline in the back four. Including an update to the mixed man/zonal-marking duties, in order to keep shape and not allowing any spaces for our opponent to work in. Rocco’s expectation of hard-work and adaptive organisation is thus maintained.
TEAM HARMS (Valeriy Lobanovskyi)
Inspiration/blueprint: USSR 1988 (from 1988 Euros semi-final against Italy)
Before the game, neither the press nor the public opinion gave USSR even the benefit of the doubt – Italy looked practically unbeatable. The defensive unit consisting of Zenga, Bergomi, Baresi, Maldini and Ferri would prove itself to be the greatest defensive unit ever assembled; in midfield they had experience of Ancelotti and flair of Giannini & Donadoni; and up front they had creative genius of Mancini and goalscoring prowess of Vialli. Vasily Rats, Soviet defender, was not being humble when he said:
In the dressing room Lobanovsky did something that was completely out of character. Instead of simply giving the players tactical instructions, he had gathered them all together and simply asked:
– If we are to win tonight, we're going to need to press them for the entire 90 minutes without any breaks. Would you be willing and able to do that?
The answer was unanimous. Heavy underdogs, Lobanovskyi’s side outplayed the Italians in a 2-0 victory. The Soviet Union were so impressive, former Italy coach Enzo Bearzot approached Lobanovskyi after the match. Fittingly, Berzot admired the Soviet players’ commitment:
Formation: Free-flowing 4-4-2/4-5-1
Playing style/tactics:
1. Managers duel. It's a bit unfair towards Rocco (as I have a more modern manager), but in Lobanovsky he faces arguably the least suitable opponent for his tactics (alongside the Dutch school – Michels/Cruyff/Pep). Rocco's catenaccio is a system built on the principle of man-marking – and Lobanovsky's football, with constant positional interchanges and fluid formation, is the worst possible fit for such a system. If we're staying true to the theme of the draft, it's quite likely that this game would end like the infamous Match of the Century in 1953 – where England had no idea how to cope with fluidity, intensity and quality of the Hungarian side.
2. More realistic picture. I think most of you should remember my previous write-ups, so I'll concentrate on the differences between USSR 1988 and Dynamo Kiyv 1975. Lobanovsky's key approach remained the same, but there were, obviously, some tweaks from his previous tactics. For example, much more attention was focused on short passing and one-twos – the playing style remained direct and vertical, but that side was better at keeping the ball (especially under pressure). It was even more compact and in a truly totaalvoetbal fashion, everyone participated in both phases of the game, creating pressing traps and numerical advantages all over the pitch.
Here's an example – this is one episode. In the first picture you see the end of the (unsuccessful) positioning attack – look at the amount of players participating in it (it was not a set-piece):
Player roles:
GK. Sepp Maier (Rinat Dasayev). A complete and aggressive keeper with incredible reflexes and assured control of the box.
LB. Javier Zanetti (Vasily Rats/Anatoliy Demyanenko). The ultimate Lobanovsky's fullback – tireless, versatile and great in both phases of the game.
CB. Paul McGrath (Vagiz Khidiyatullin). Fast, strong, agile, versatile and good with the ball.
CB. Lilian Thuram (Oleh Kuznetsov). Capable of playing in multiple positions across the back and nearly unbeatable one-on-one.
RB. Cafu (Volodimir Bessonov/Anatoliy Demyanenko). A dominating presence on the right wing, providing width and keeping things safe in the back.
DM. Valeriy Voronin (Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko). The roles in the midfield 4 were even more variable in that Lobanovsky's team, but Voronin is very well capable of playing in any midfield capacity, which is well illustrated by his career – creative central midfielder in 1964 Euros final against Spain; dominating box-to-box in 1966 World Cup's game against Italy; ruthless man-marker in the same tournament against the likes of Eusebio and Florian Albert and, of course, more or less classical defensive midfielder over the course of his career.
LM. Paul Breitner (Sergei Aleinikov). One of the greatest midfielders of all-time with plenty of experience on the wing – be it in his stint as a left back or even in his peak as a midfielder (he had quite often peeled out wide – not only on the left, but on the right as well).
CM. Lothar Matthäus (Oleksandr Zavarov). As usual, Lobanovsky's "number 10" is crucial for his system – with forwards being in constant movement he both participates in the defensive phase and rushes forward into free space.
RM. Kevin De Bruyne (Hennadiy Lytovchenko). A more creative player who not only plays centrally but also goes out wide to cross or to combine with an overlapping fullback on a regular basis. It's hard to imagine anyone playing this role better than Kevin De Bruyne.
ST. Uwe Seeler (Oleh Protasov). The only real striker in this set up – the most complete, prolific and yet selfless that you can choose for this.
FW. Zbigniew Boniek (Sergey Gotsmanov/Igor Belanov). It's hard to justify replacing Johan Cruyff, but in this game I needed my forwards to run even more intensely – and asking Cruyff to press for the entirety of 90 minutes is a bit of a sacrilege. Boniek is another player who is almost tailor-made for Lobanovsky, especially in terms of his pace and workrate (again, Cruyff didn't have that blistering pace of Blokhin or Belanov, which Boniek did). Also, check out my new compilation while it's not blocked by FIFA yet:
LB. Javier Zanetti (Vasily Rats/Anatoliy Demyanenko). The ultimate Lobanovsky's fullback – tireless, versatile and great in both phases of the game.
CB. Paul McGrath (Vagiz Khidiyatullin). Fast, strong, agile, versatile and good with the ball.
CB. Lilian Thuram (Oleh Kuznetsov). Capable of playing in multiple positions across the back and nearly unbeatable one-on-one.
RB. Cafu (Volodimir Bessonov/Anatoliy Demyanenko). A dominating presence on the right wing, providing width and keeping things safe in the back.
DM. Valeriy Voronin (Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko). The roles in the midfield 4 were even more variable in that Lobanovsky's team, but Voronin is very well capable of playing in any midfield capacity, which is well illustrated by his career – creative central midfielder in 1964 Euros final against Spain; dominating box-to-box in 1966 World Cup's game against Italy; ruthless man-marker in the same tournament against the likes of Eusebio and Florian Albert and, of course, more or less classical defensive midfielder over the course of his career.
LM. Paul Breitner (Sergei Aleinikov). One of the greatest midfielders of all-time with plenty of experience on the wing – be it in his stint as a left back or even in his peak as a midfielder (he had quite often peeled out wide – not only on the left, but on the right as well).
CM. Lothar Matthäus (Oleksandr Zavarov). As usual, Lobanovsky's "number 10" is crucial for his system – with forwards being in constant movement he both participates in the defensive phase and rushes forward into free space.
RM. Kevin De Bruyne (Hennadiy Lytovchenko). A more creative player who not only plays centrally but also goes out wide to cross or to combine with an overlapping fullback on a regular basis. It's hard to imagine anyone playing this role better than Kevin De Bruyne.
ST. Uwe Seeler (Oleh Protasov). The only real striker in this set up – the most complete, prolific and yet selfless that you can choose for this.
FW. Zbigniew Boniek (Sergey Gotsmanov/Igor Belanov). It's hard to justify replacing Johan Cruyff, but in this game I needed my forwards to run even more intensely – and asking Cruyff to press for the entirety of 90 minutes is a bit of a sacrilege. Boniek is another player who is almost tailor-made for Lobanovsky, especially in terms of his pace and workrate (again, Cruyff didn't have that blistering pace of Blokhin or Belanov, which Boniek did). Also, check out my new compilation while it's not blocked by FIFA yet: