Catenaccio 's origin came from the Italian term, which means "door bolt." This tactical method of defense in playing football is not of Italian roots, despite the term being Italian. The history can be traced back to the 1930s when this idea was developed by Austrian coach Karl Rappan during his coaching job in Switzerland. Though, it was Helenio Herera, an Argentine coach who brought international prominence of using this strategy. During the 1960s competition, Herrera utilized this strategy, winning the tournament by strengthening the football team's defensive structure.
Evolution of Catenaccio
A sweeper is one of Catenaccio's most valuable achievements and key innovations. His position is often behind the three-defender line where his task is to retrieve a loose ball and nullify the opposing team's striker player. Its role is a purely defensive strategy. The position is deemed very critical because the player sweeps around the central region of the field. The ball where a sweeper manages to collect from the opposing team must then be passed to the midfielder.Another significant innovation was the counter-attack technique, which helped improve the team's defensive mechanism. This breakthrough has been supporting players during long passes.
What Catenaccio has given to the sport, Football
Given the decline in the use of the Catenaccio defensive strategic framework, the traditional techniques in aggressive protective strategies still prevail. It has been getting its share of positive stories. A football analyst once claimed that Italian players are renowned for their ability to master various defensive strategies. It is claimed that such strategies were inspired by Machiavelli 's theory, in which they assume that by way of deception and calculated techniques, it can win the game.Nowadays, the emphasis on football is on matching strategies and formations. Gone were the days when the methods of subtlety and violence would work. Today ruthless attacks are considered unsporting behavior leading to the player being penalized.