What is a Mezzala?
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- čas přidán 5. 05. 2020
- What is a Mezzala?
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While students of Football Manager might see a mezzala as purely a central player who drifts wide, and purists might point to the flanking midfielders of a midfield three, the term is complicated by a confusion of its origins, its specific use to describe a position, and its broader use to describe a role. Alex Stewart explains, as part of our Tifo Encyclopedia series.
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#mezzala #piotrzieliński #milinkovićsavić - Sport
Me: Oh, I know what that is.
Them: “While students of Football Manager might see a Mezzala as purely a central player who drifts wide.”
Me: Dammit!
Aggressively relatable
Very relatable
Would Paulinho also be a Mezzala?
💀💀💀😂😂😂FOR REAL THO YO
I really like videos like these because it helps me with my Football Manager saves lol
Henry Shepherd I feel the same but then two hours have gone by and I’m halfway through a tifo playlist and I’m just staring at my inbox having made no progression 🤦🏼♂️😂
Lol same. Tweaked my 'park the bus' after watching that video
Bustthenet is your guy. He's on CZcams.
Lmao my current FM formation is inspired by one of tifos videos
Henry Shepherd where can I play football manager on? I’m confused
"Students of Football Manager"
my highest achievement yet
_Then Manager Diego Simeone is made for Italian Serie A_
He always uses central midfielders as Wingers in Atletico Madrid
Like Koke, Saul Niguez as Mezzala
Nikk He spent 8 years in Italy so maybe he was influenced somewhat
Nikk it’s only because they have both defensive and attacking capabilities, so that make the team more versatile. For an example if he want he can play diamond, 433, 442 and every 3 at the back. But most of the times he sticks with the 442
Simeone is highly influenced by Italian football... he played in Italy for Lazio and Inter and also managed Catania in Serie A. He is a "Italian style"manager which has more financial backing (something that middle table teams in Italy didn't have since some years ago)
Nikk true. They can help get more in midfield to crowd the centre.
@@cristiandumitrescu1744 That's only recently with the money. Simeone until 2015/2016 almost didn't have financial backing.
Still kind of confused, it appears as though a Mezzala can be anything you want it to be as long as it as midfielder who links with the forward line in some way. If it’s a role that can be held by Gattuso, Milinkovic-Savic and Angel Di Maria, it doesn’t really pinpoint what the role is or who should fill it.
different variations
I think Gattuso was mentioned as a mediano (holding midfielder/6) as an example of players mezz‘ali need behind them to do their work.
Mezzala is a broad concept, is basically every midfielder without regista or screening duty. Then you have the interno a mezzala with both defensive and offensive duty (savic), the mediano a mezzala with more defensive duty (gattuso) and the incursore a mezzala with more offensive duty (di maria)
@@edocola4902 Perfect explanation
What would Pogba be under those 3 sub-mezzala descriptions
Iniesta probably perfected this role. He flawlessly took advantage of the half spaces and overlapped into the wider areas to find space, and to create it for others. Great video👍🏽
Who else uses tifo to set formation in football Manager game
me
Inspired me to make a total football inspired tactic using a libero & 1 inverted wingback... definitely out of my comfort zone but I love it!
If you don't use at least one Mezzala on FM, you aren't playing it right.
It was because of fm that i discover this amzing youtube channel
In Top Eleven his tactics can be useful too
The true definition of Mezalla originally appeared on The Athletic
When I think of Mezzala, I think of Clarence Seedorf in Milan
I agree. If I would've seen this comment earlier, I wouldn't have written mine 😅
JMT I think that is the perfect example
Lampard?
@@abohariomolla8171 More of a 10/ shadow striker. Like what Dele Alli was doing a couple of years ago.
@@jmt3116 ya but he was a lot lot lot better at finishing, in the air and also space interpreting and decent defensively too
The easiest way to identify a "mezzala" is to identify him as the midfilder who covers the halfspaces. Therefore, it is a role which is mainly (eventhough not exclusevely) related to a 3 midfielders lineup (4-3-3, 4-3-1-2, 4-3-2-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 and so on). While the term "Mezzala" defines a role, the terms "incursore" (litteraly the military raider or the commando) and "incontrista" (litteraly "the one who stands in front of you") define a mezzala according to his main duties. You might use the term "interno" in order to identify a mezzala who is more concerned about the central space. Mediano is a totally different role. The mediano is the midflieder who plays in the low-centre of the pitch and covers the central spaces between the defense line and the midfield line. The mediano is usually related to a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 lineup. His primary role is to tackle the opponents and gain the ball back. He commonly plays next to a "regista" or a "centrale". The centrale (litteraly the one in the middle) is the midfielder who plays in the centre and who is able to perform all the main functions of a midfielder; he knows how to tackle, to pass and to attack throughout the spaces (For instance, both Cambiasso and Thiago Motta played as "centrali" in the treble season Inter Milan 4-2-3-1 lineup).
Greetings to all of you from an italian Tifo Football follower.
Day 8 of asking Tifo to make a video on the 1991/92 Leeds side that won the league only 2 season after being promoted from a long stay in the 2nd tier
Would rather see a video on a real north east football team like Middlesbrough or newcastle
Muzammel Gouhary keep asking. Leeds shall rise again
Awesome vid mate really appreciate you uploading during this crisis thank you thank you 🙏
Can't KDB and Silva be considered as Mezzala's too ? Because most of their work is primarily done in the left and right half-spaces
@Eshwar Prabhakar well KDB recently is more about attacking wide while Bernardo tries to cut inside and draw his FB out of position.
Yes
@@ayreonate I thought he talking about David Silva;-;
Kdb in italian is a “trequartista” he plays in the 3/4 of the field
Cheers for making Mezzala role more understandable, used it on occasions on FM20, just didn't know a lot about it, so thanks.
Chelsea on FM is the perfect team for Mezzalas. Kovacic, Kante (if you can get him to refrain from attempting a single effort), Mount, RLC and even Barkley if properly instructed.
mezzale*
Jimmy Carr with an unusual cameo there. But seriously, I like the simplicity of the explanation. Its really clear.
Thank you for helping inform non-Italians/non-Serie A viewers 👊
Thanks for the frequent uploads. Loving it!
In my FM save with Benfica I use Ziyech as a Mezzala. Until now he got 13 goals (Top scorer in the team) and 5 assists (minus 2 than Gedson Fernandes who has the most assists). Its great, and since I started to a use a mezzala my performance just improved. Mezzala is someone who has a Deadeye Pass and has a great shot aswell as a nice Attacking Awareness.
Can you make a video on the SaveTheCrew movement and how the entire MLS pitched in to prevent the Columbus Crew from being forced to move to Austin? A good story on how football and passion won against greed.
North American football fans need to see stories like this, Tifo Football. Make this video. it's the stories like this that help shape the narrative that MLS has an identity and a spirit, which they do in spades.
Although it wasn't mentioned, I see a lot of similarities to Pep Guardiola's midfielder roles and the "Creative Mezzala" role. As Pep never uses an actual Trequista, and a pure Regista, he often uses some what of two Creative Mezzale to keep his build up within the half spaces with the wingers and full backs. Duos such as Xavi and Iniesta, or Silva and De Broyne seem to fall in to the description.
Pains me that Ramsey and Wilshere never got to play in a midfield 3 in front of a decent CDM at Arsenal
maybe if Diaby and Wilshere weren't so injury prone
Add Ox to that list as well
lol wenger could never find the next viera
@@unstoppableExodia Alex Song was pretty good for a while but eventually Wenger just couldn't be arsed, changed tack and had Cazorla and Ramsay pair up the midfield
Zsht same
In Norway we call this role indreløper. It just means inside runner. The most notable players in this position last season was Hove, Saltnes and Zachariassen, all coming in the top 12 goalscorers itl. Saltnes also came second in assists, behind his then teammate Zinckernagel who is now at Watford
With all this kind of videos, my skill in FM20 will be good in no time. Thank you for this.
Really enjoyed this video! Please do more Italian content or more about serie a!
We will
I suoi video sono strabelli
@@Tifo So Steven Gerrard was a Mezzala
amazing videos by the way . a lot of good detail always
So it's actually an attacking minded box-to-box mildfielder?
Yes and no. The more offensive a Mezzala gets, the less they will defend - and the less they look like B2B. More supportive Mezzale could be seen the way you describe them if you include their tendency to play wider in attacking area's then a normal midfielder. Though since they are inclined to make the attack happen, they are often way more pushed up to the box when a ball is a lost. While B2B midfielders usually arrive later. This means a Mezzala will usually look to defend higher on the pitch by pressing immediately as he is potentially far away from the defensive midfield zone.
As somewhat pointed out by the video it's an overused term for an abundance of midfielders who do not play centrally which makes it hard to pinpoint what exactly it is.
Magetank4445 Da da dada dada Gini Wijnaldum!!!
Not really "box to box"
think as a winger, but 25m from sideline (half-winger) :
Facing forward, making runs, calling balls...
Not really focusing on defensive duties, staying available to run forward and "cross" the ball without ever entering any "box" ^^
I dont like that video that much because it tends to describe it as a position. (8)
Is is a ROLE for a central midfield (that needs to be covered by other more defensive midfileders)
The mezzala needs extreme technique skills to be able to drible his way , curv "half crosses" behind defense from different angles/feet , and in general make the difference in duels, strikes ...
Di Maria in Real (and sometimes with PSG in UCL) played good as mezzala
but Pogba is the best in this role (juve & france mostly because mourniho wanted him as regista) with his technique, extreme passing skills from both feet and powerful strikes
Rodrigo de Paul is a good example too
Ronaldinho could have played the role like a boss too imo
I think, David Beckham was the first true English Mezzala
Tifo is the best. You guys deserve more subscribers.
The tactics and roles you can give other players when you have Kante is incredible. He is a manager’s dream
This makes much more sense now. Obviously a very useful role/position with different variants.
I think its based on starting position, kind of movement, and certain traits.
A Mezzala starts from 8 and as the ball progress, he makes late runs and overload in the halfspaces. Mezzala usually has an all round attacking ability and more physical than a trequartisa.
While Trequartisa or Enganche starts higher at 10 but more static as he control and playmaking the attack with vision. They're especially good passer and dribbler, sometimes not pacey (dazzling).
While some exception here and there, I think its quite the norm.
Gattuso and Seedorf were the perfect mezzalas in Ancelotti's AC Milan from roughly 2002 to 2007, with Pirlo behind them and Rui Costa, later Kaka, in front of them. Ancelotti at this time mostly used a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond (aka 4-1-2-1-2)
Gattuso wasn't a mezzeala, Seedorf was. Their roles were the complete opposites
Mezzala
- Stay Half Space ~ Pass
- Stay Half Space ~ Get In The Box Lately
- Go Wild ~ After IF/IM Leaves
- Cover ~ After Next Mezzala Leaves
I was literally JUST wondering this.
Seems like Iniesta’s role in Barça, a hybrid box to box player who interchanges with wingers like he did with Neymar and with Busquets screening and Xavi as the Regista...
I would argue Busquets is more of a deep-lying playmaker than Xavi. Although one could argue he only took over that role after Xavi left perhaps.
This video make me wanna play FM20 :) Great channel!!!
I would love it, love it, if you guys made a video overviewing the Bundesliga teams so we can decide who to support once it gets up and running again
Nice video! Personally i really like Serie A, nice videos Tifo
Maybe Pasalic and Ramsey are more attacking midfielder, but great video as always, greetings from Italy!
I've developed a player numbering system based on playing positions for my career mode teams. I'd call this a 13. Can play as an 8, 15, 10, 20. Perfect for a formation with 3 at the back.
1= Goalkeeper
2= Right back who can play centre back. Right footed
3= Left wing back. Left footed. E.g. Marcos Alonso
4= Central defender who can play Defensive midfield. E.g Eric Dier
5= Left sided centre back. Left footed.
6= Right sided centre back. Right footed.
7= Outside right winger. Right footed
8= Right sided central midfielder with attacking prowess. Right footed.
9= Target man striker. E.g. Olivier Giroud
10= Inside winger/attacking midfielder. Right footed. E.g. Hazard
11= Outside left winger. Left footed.
12= Right sided defensive midfielder. Right footed.
13= Attacking central midfielder e.g. Mason Mount
14= Left sided central midfielder who can play left midfielder. Left footed. E.g. Blaise Matuidi
15= Left sided central midfielder with attacking prowess. Left footed.
16= Left sided defensive midfielder. Left footed.
17= Right sided central midfielder who can play right midfielder. Right footed.
18= Central defender. Either foot.
19= Advanced striker with pace to play on the wings. E.g. Marcus Rashford
20= Inside winger/attacking midfielder. Left footed. E.g. Ziyech
21= Left back who can play centre back. Left footed. E.g. Ben Davies
22= Right wing back. Right footed.
23= Left back who can play defensive midfielder. Left footed. E.g. Alaba
24= Right back who can play defensive midfielder. Right footed. E.g. Trent Alexander Arnold/Reece James
Am a Chelsea fan so my examples are Chelsea focused.
Awesome vid. Now do one for the Carrilero role.
Quality content!
Any plans for an Atalanta Tactics video? They really stood out to me during the season so far... Especially after destroying Valencia at the Mestalla.
Top content as usual
Always wondered what this was in Football Manager! Great Video!
4-1-2-3 (wingers), cdm on DLP (def), lcm on mezzala (support), rcm on mezzala (att), 2 champions league's in 3 seasons. Overlap full back, exploit flanks, high pressure, short quick passing. Ensure both mezzala have long shots of 15+ ideally, lucas paqueta and bruno fernandes are great examples. Bellingham and Moriba and other great young talents at this role.
Can you guys do a video on Barcelona 2010/11 the playing style squad special matches that be great
I’d love to hear you gentlemen share your thoughts on Irving Lozano’s situation and history at Napoli
Great video
Love me some mezzala
It still seems to be a relatively loose term tbh. I guess it happens when you don't have an exact definition for a role that constantly evolves and changes from team to team.
Exactly.
3 5 2 with Thorsby and Zielinski in the mezzala roles is unstoppable... FIFAAAA
Hey Tifo? I got a humble request.
Recently there has been a coach linked to complete Chelsea move. His name is Marcello Gardiol from Argentina and his coaches River Plate. Kindly do some in game depth tactical analysis and let's how he fits Chelsea as Lampard's successor
This man is a genius 🔥🔥🔥❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yoo Tifo football uploading just got my neat stiff ngl.
Sumiran thapa not everyone wants to hear about you lifting shirts
😍
Guinness lmfaoooo your funny
Mezzale are as old as the game. It's italian word for "inside forward". In the original forward line of five, they were between the wings and the center-forward and were pure forwards (though responsible of the build-up), especially in the 3-men offside rule, which forced the center forward to draw back and pass to them or the wings, which were arguably the most advanced players. When the rule changed, the role changed...in some countries. Also thanks to some peculiar players. In England Alex James of Arsenal, and in Italy Adolfo Baloncieri of Torino, were the first actual playmakers, and the local tactics transformed the mezzale or insides in midfielders. Also because England employed the WM with three defenders, while Pozzo's Italy relied on a deep-lying center half. While Austria or Hungary stuck on the playmaking number 9, and the playmaking number 5. So their mezzale remained forwards. Italy in the 30's built its success on its best couple of mezzale in history (and one of the best at all), which were the core of the team: Ferrari and Meazza, both playmakers. Ferrari was one of the first box to box players, technically complete, not fast but with stamina, vision, good shot and timing in adding to the attack. Meazza is the greatest italian player ever and football's first true fantasista, but devoted to playmaking as well as scoring, being born as artistic center-forward. Double footed, technically provided with everything plus speed and air game, those who saw him play compared him to Baggio, Rivera, Platini, Pelè, Ronaldo da Lima...which says something. Similar style was France's 1958 couple: Kopa and Piantoni. So playing with two classic Mezzale means playing with both a typical number 8 and typical number 10 as central/offensive midfielders. But both must be able to do each other's duties, so they must be great and dedicated players or the team can't afford them, as couldn't Italy in the 60's with Rivera and Mazzola or Germany in the 70's with Overath and Netzer. Sorry for the length
So a box to box no 8, that can also drift wide to create overloads! Bruno definitely is one as well
Can you do a video on how Pogba and Bruno can coexist in the same midfield
So the position part is pretty much what in Latin America is known as an “interior”? The interiors are usually the wide midfielders in a 3-man mid and are something as a box-to-box but with influence on the playmaking efforts of the team and are usually roaming around too, going to the flanks to support wingers or overlapping full backs or getting into the box/lurking around the penalty area.
I have started watching matches of Manchester City since Pep took over and I'm look forward to finish matches till last season till the lockdown is over so can you help me with what things I should notice and try to observe to find how the play what's there style
Hope you will help me by replying
Quality content
Ancelotti did it with Di Maria against Bayern Munich 2014 the 4-0 win in Munich against Pep. Any other manager would put Bale or Di Maria on the RW, but not Ancelotti, he put all three Ronaldo, Bale and Di Maria. Seeing the three running together in a counterattack was scary
It obviously varies but from what I could understand, Mezzalas are semi wingers/half wingers. Which means the traditional wingers I.e the wide midfielders were pushed a little bit on the inside. In simpler words a LM/RM who play LCM/RCM in a 4-3-3. For instance David Silva, Iniesta, KDB used to be traditional wingers in a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-31.
So it can like,
Pogba constantly creating triangles with Shaw and Martial last season
Or likes of Bruno and Mata drifting wider from their central roles when Rashford or Martial moved inside from the wings this season.
Also to a lesser extend Jordan Henderson operating in that right half space to support TAA when salah move inward.
In Brazil is very common to use a midfielder that does the same role a mezzala does, we call it a "segundo volante".
I believe Lampard , Seedorf and Goretzka now fit the description.
I was expecting a mention about Marek Hamsik
Numerical superiority and overloads...words that make us believe that you know what you are on about
Donny van de Beek? He doesn't drift wide as often but is a number 8 who comes into half space and especially when Ajax employs Tadic as a false 9 he'll come into the box to score. Seems to be the role the 8 would have in the WM way back when. Curious what people think.
Are there any books I can read to gelp get accustomed to seeing the game in this way? I really like this type of Tifo video, but I often feel overwhelmed with the information
Football tactics sound better in Italian. Basically in English.
Mezzala = box-to-box. They come in different flavors r. Attacking: Ramsey, early Gerrard. Neutral : seedorf, Henderson, busquets, Carrick (neutral carriers) dembele, viera, kovacic. Defensive: vidal, Kante (last 2 years), ndidi gattuso.
CDM: essien, makelele, Kante (lesciester and early Chelsea), gulit,
The confusing part to me is the out and out DM and defensive Mezalla. Sometimes it's about realising some teams don't play cdm but rather a regista and 2 types of mezzala.
Modern football has regista type mezzallas : Alonso(mourinho) , Scholes, fabiano.
Can you do a video weakness of the metzalla
you forget to mention rodrigo de paul, he is second best mezzala in seria A, behind sergej milinkovic savic
I understand the mezzalla as the modern 10... A player who is creative and operates between lines and explode spaces, link midfield with strikers and it's relatively free in attack. But in defense he needs to put his socks on and defend along the midfield line.
Aouar would be a pure CAM 15 years ago, now he needs to play as Mezzalla because the requirements of modern football.
I still see some confusion about this. to make this simpler, in a 3 men midfield (eg 4-3-3), the two mezzali are the two players beside the central midfielder (vertice basso). The cm can be a regista or a standard strong defensive midfielder and according to this, the mezzali will have different characteristics: with jorginho as a cm, you'll want kante as a mezzala with higher intensity, with casemiro as a cm, you'll want a fine regista like kroos as a mezzala. in a 2 men midfield (4-2-3-1) the mezzala simply doesn't exist.
Please do another Tifo Basketball video
Dove more of Italian football and Serie A. For example why AC Milan sucks now or why Atalanta is soo good this year, or a tactical profile of some of the best footballers in Italy like Dybala,Insigne,Luis Alberto,Ilicic or Gomez
Love from Italy
I think kdb is also a mezzala, and pogba is also one. But for United he doesn't play as one. He is relegated to play deep now. When ibra was there he used to play there (in his 1st season)
Anyone else applies this stuff when playing fifa!!! I know I do. I love the work this guy is putting out
For Juventus, I would say the perfect Mezzala is Matuidi. He is basically doing Exactly what DiMaria did for Ronaldo in Real Madrid. Aaron Ramsey hardly does to the wings since he is sort of slow in building attacks from the side. Matuidi on the other hand is a threat from the left
Tifo Football, please do a video about Bury FC.
Plz make a video on how to make Barcelona’s 10/11 season on Fifa 20
can you guys list the titles of the music you use in your descriptions please?
You should make a tactical profile on a trequstia
i think Julian Brandt is also a great example for this role
Surprised Liverpool and City haven't been mentioned, a few of their players fit the description
Well this is the concept Sarri uses Rabiot as LCM and Kehdirah as RCM lol... Zidane used this system too with Kroos on the left and Modric on the right Isco up front and Casemiro at the back...
Ineista comes to mind in Barcas famous mid 3; Ineista, Sergio and Xavi.
Do a video describing what the “number 8” “number 9” and “number 10” are. Americans don’t refer to the positions that way, it would be interesting to see all the roles of each number
Juve Pogba was a prodigy Mezzala. He still has it in his game.
He still his. His best form for us came playing in that role while during Ole's intern manager period. Averaged a goal contribution per game over a 15-game period or so.
We are on time
good video
Do analysis of Didier drogba
What of De Bruyne and David Silva in Guardiola'sMan City?
please make a video on How can no.10 be saved?
song name is why always me
Calm, informative challenge, best alongside Piotr Foot but now that piotr got demonitized ..
Frank Lampard and Yaya Toure. Who is a mezzala and who is a traditional Box-To-Box midfielder ? Or is Mezzala a term used in substitute for B2B Midfielder ?
You could think of mezzala as a attacking minded b2b with less defensive responsibility. Rivera and Mazzola are synonymous with that position and they were always among the top scorers of their teams but also main creators. More modern examples would be Seedorf in Milan, Hamšik, Stanković. Lampard could be considered one, Yaya was more of a b2b
the best one Benacer in Milan you forgot to mention
Guys from Tifo please answer this, what would you call Kovacic's role in Chelsea? He's been labeled a press breaking ball carrier but what's the actual word for the role?
what is the software U r using?
Mezzala originally appeared on The Athletic. The best place to read about football, online.