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Andrea Pirlo's Defensive Football Strategy

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UZUNEA DUMITRU
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
813 views31 pages

Andrea Pirlo's Defensive Football Strategy

Uploaded by

UZUNEA DUMITRU
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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muzunea@yahoo.

com 02 Jan 2025

ANDREA PIRLO
My Football
Defensive Phase

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

The objectives in the Defensive Phase are two:

1. Not to concede goals;

2. Recover the ball as quickly and as forward on the pitch as possible.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

Based on this important concept, I like to organize a Defensive Phase whose


objective is not only to protect our goal, but to recover the ball in areas of the
pitch that are dangerous for the opposing team.

Recovering the ball in the offensive half of the pitch also has a great mental and
emotional importance in the development of the game: it limits the courage and
self-esteem of our opponent and increases ours. This brings us closer to the
technical and mental mastery of the pitch and the game, our main goal.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING
Recovering the ball in the offensive half of the pitch

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

RE-AGRESSION

We want to re-aggress the lost ball, to quickly regain possession. We have


established preventive coverage and control of the box to continue occupying the
offensive half of the pitch, without running back. A team that defends by running
forward.

After the loss of the ball, the player closest to the ball starts the re-aggression.
But the main objective of the first player is not to recover the ball (it’s too risky
and can be surpassed), but to cover the ball and cause the mistake of the
opponent who has it.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING
A team that defends by running forward

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

RE-AGRESSION

The areas where most re-aggressions occur are the half-spaces and wings. It is
more difficult to re-aggress in the center back zone (opponents have more
chances to progress with the ball) and in the opponent box where, although it is
possible to recover the ball, it is often immediately cleared.

Obviously, it is the midfielders who participate most in the re-aggression phase


and the top players in these actions complete more than 12 re-aggressions per
match.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

The team will act in various ways to defend, depending on the game situation.
With the ball in the offensive midfield, we will press high; with the ball in our
midfield, we will mostly play with a waiting zone.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING
Press high with the ball in the offensive half

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING
Waiting Zone with the ball in the defensive half

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

We pressed the opponent’s game high in the first phase, studying and preparing
the counterposition, advancing and isolating one or two opponents on the
weaker side. The defensive line that goes up on the pitch is aggressive and the
goalkeeper is fundamental to cover center backs and depth. Once the ball has
been recovered in the offensive third of the pitch, we quickly attack the
opponent’s goal (5-10 seconds, if this is not feasible, we maintain possession and
reposition ourselves). We will try to isolate the opponent, forcing him to move to
the side line. The forward is the first to press, but this progression on the pitch is
triggered by the player positioned behind, who moves to allow the forward to
press higher on the pitch.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING
Press the opponent’s game high in the first phase

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING

During an opposing goal kick, we make an Inviting Press: we try to direct the
opponent’s move to a certain area of the pitch or to a specific player that we
want to attack.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

1. PRESSING
Inviting Press

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION

When we have the ball in our half of the pitch, we reposition ourselves in the
original places and keep an eye on the positional covers. From the marking-
marking (pressing) we change to marking-covering. We don’t want to allow the
opponent to make key passes that penetrate the spaces between the lines (we
prevent this as much as possible with a high line and the midfielders nearby).

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION
Don’t allow passes between the lines

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION

We move intensely into the ball zone: If a Winger, in the last 30 meters, moves to
the center of the pitch towards the ball zone, he will find a free opponent
between him and the center midfielder on that side, then he positions himself
internally towards the zone where the ball is.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION
Move intensely into the ball zone

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION

The team must remain close and tight. Forwards must work in connection, ready
to recover the ball that has now beaten our last third.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION
Team close and tight

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

2. DEFENSIVE DISPOSITION

Often, the zonal defense in the own half of the pitch is confused with a passive
defensive phase.

More and more, in modern football, there are teams that defend with a low
block, that adopt stances and a mentality similar to those they use in the half of
the opposing pitch when pressing.

Intensity is almost always associated with great physical performance,


something that obviously should not be underestimated. But the big difference in
the best teams is the mental intensity, the fierce to get the ball back, regardless of
whether you press or play with dropped lines.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
A 4-player defensive line, which works on a sector basis in relation to the
opponent. The line is high and aggressive when the opponent retreats, with special
attention to the goalkeeper.

Even during the defensive phase, as in the offensive phase, the goalkeeper’s role
has changed completely in the last 20 years.

Until a few years ago, this role was almost exclusively based on skill and attention
was placed on “goal defense”. In modern football, goalkeepers and coaches must
pay attention to “playing the ball with the feet” and the “defending the space”.

The Goalkeeper is connected to the defensive line. If our line goes up the pitch to
the midfield, following our offensive pressing, the Goalkeeper must also advance
to the edge of the box, always prepared to cover the defenders if an attack to our
depth occurs.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
A 4-player Defensive Line with the Goalkeeper connected

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
Other important concepts of our Defensive Line:

An anticipatory marking and exploration of 2x1 situations with one defender in


front and another defender ready to cover.

For example, an interesting solution, when the ball is in the last 30 meters of the
pitch, could be to have our Center Midfielder putting himself in the Defensive Line
to establish a 5-man line, something crucial to defend better in width and be
aggressive in the center back zone. The characteristics of our Center Midfielder
and context also influence this choice.

We avoid double marking situations, especially those very close to the opponent.
Against some players, we create a second line to make a close coverage (5
meters) in 1x1 situations.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
2v1 with a second line of coverage

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE

In a situation where the ball is played laterally, the defenders will mark the
opponent in their zone. Inside their zone, the defender will focus on the
opponent, without marking him too close, but establishing some distance (with
the aim of succeeding in counter-movements).

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
Mark the man in their zone

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
We divide the box into six zones.

1. When the ball is played laterally to the right side, the Center Back on that side is the first to
move and position himself slightly in front of the 1st post (the height of that positioning is
variable) in order to cover zone 1. The zone 1 defender should not make an anticipatory move
on the 1st post, but rather a 1st barrier to avoid crossings and balls played backwards.

2. The Center Back further away is positioned in zone 2.

3. The Full-Back on the opposite side, in a slightly diagonal backward movement, deals with zone
3 and/or 6. Anyone in his zone is considered an eventual opponent. This is why the opposite
Full-Back can move even to central zones (2 and 5) if there is a situation of numerical inferiority.

4. The midfielder runs to zone 5 and focuses on a forward that is positioned there, and also
watches zone 4.

5. The opposite Inside Midfielder watches zones 5 and 6.

6. The Inside Midfielder on the ball’s side deals with teammates and opponents in zones 4-5-6.

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

3. DEFENSIVE LINE
Defense of the Box

.Atacar a Linha Defensiva adversária com pelo menos 5 futebolistas

Edited by Pedro Mendonça


[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

https://www.patreon.com/PedMenCoach

https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingFootball

@PedMenCoach

[email protected]
[email protected] 02 Jan 2025

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