TITLE: The return of the ‘real’ nine SUMMARY: Center forwards have returned to scoring a lot throughout Europe: thanks to them, or the fault of the defenders who, regulation in hand, are increasingly exposed to the danger of being sanctioned for every intervention? TEXT:
Fifty-six, sixty-six, seventy-seven. Why are these exceptional numbers? Surely you have already understood: they are exceptional because they are under ninety. The first number (56) is the average minutes that pass between one goal and another for Erling Haaland, ten more than ‘Hurricane’ Harry Kane takes to clock in. A little later, Kylian Mbappe scores a goal every 77 minutes. They are inhuman, but they are not alone; for some time now, the goals scored by center forwards and number 9s have been increasing in all European leagues: also in Italy (with Hojlund and Simeone and, in the national team, with Retegui). It is starting to be much more than a statistical curiosity, so many are starting to wonder if there is a reason. In reality, as often happens, looking for a reason you find about ten. Some say, or rather argue, that the very role of the defender has changed; a defender today is no longer required only to clear balls from the area and adequately bludgeon the opposing attacker. A defender must know how to build from the bottom, he must insert himself between the shooter and the goalkeeper without actively intervening, as if he were a post, he must mark the opponent without using his arms, indeed he should if possible learn to jump without moving his arms completely – otherwise the penalty is just around the corner – and let’s not talk about the possibility of making fouls, not from behind, but not even from the side. A defender who played according to the standards of ten years ago would be sent off within four or five minutes.