In the beautiful game of Football, Defense is just as crucial as Offense.

“Football training is much more than that, it’s not so much the exercise itself, but your intention with it, meaning your Methodology, Strategy and Principles, yours Specific Objectives for the exercise and, most importantly, your Communication during the exercise!”

By the way, I can’t perceive it as different, as if you want to train the Attacking Strategies, there must be Defenders, right?
However, Football Training is much more than that, it’s not so much the exercise itself, but your intention with it, meaning your Methodology, Strategy and Principles, yours Specific Objectives for the exercise and, most importantly, your Communication during the exercise!
Defensive training it’s not merely about preventing goals; it’s about orchestrating a coordinated effort to thwart the opponent’s advances and regain possession.
Therefore, can we say that Defending starts with Offensive, and vice-versa?
Remember there are no perfect Strategies, and all come with the benefits and the risks associated.

Let’s delve into the intricacies of two key defensive strategies – Effective Pressing and Zonal Marking – and their evolution in modern football.

Effective Pressing, also known as high-pressing or gegenpressing, is a Defensive Strategy characterized by intense pressure on the opponent when they are in possession of the ball. This Strategy aims to disrupt the opposition’s build-up play, force turnovers in dangerous areas, and quickly transition to Attack. As naturally perceived, it requires exceptional teamwork, communication, and physical fitness, as players must work tirelessly to close down passing lanes and apply pressure on the ball carrier. If done in perfect coordination between sectors and players at the same sector, it can really be effective and promote a lot of quick transitions, as normally these recoveries can happen closer to the opponents goal.

What are the risks associated with this Defensive Strategy?
There are a few, of course.
First, when pressing higher on the pitch we must understand what space is being left empty and, therefore, where danger can come from.
On one hand, if adopting a man-to-man perspective when pressing higher on the field we add the risk of being dribbled, and start to have players chasing the opposition dribbler, leaving other players free. Secondly, a man-to-man approach always translates into a non-controlled pressing, as we are guided but other team’s will, positioning and movements. In this case, most likely there will be space behind the Defensive Line, but it may vary according to the opposition team ability to open more spaces in between Sectors or corridors.
On the other hand, a more controlled approached can be a Zonal Marking, defined as a defensive system where players are assigned specific zones of the pitch to defend rather than marking individual opponents, emphasizing on positional discipline, spatial awareness, and collective responsibility in defending both space and goal-scoring opportunities. At this Strategy, we can impact on areas of preference to press. Regardless, we will definitely leave some spaces empty, regularly behind the Defensive Line, but can also be between Sectors, etc.

“(…) can we say that Defending starts with Offensive, and vice-versa?”

The influence of Zonal Marking in modern football can be traced back to the late 20th century, with coaches like Arrigo Sacchi and Rinus Michels pioneering its implementation. However, it was the innovative tactics of coaches like Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, and Marcelo Bielsa in the 21st century that propelled Zonal Marking to the forefront of defensive strategies. More recently, we have seen different examples, even from Coaches here stated, where we can find more similarities to a man-to-man approach, which I believe is natural when you have the best side. In these cases, when the best team is yours, it may be natural to dive into this Strategy as, most naturally, you will win the greater amount of duels and challenges!

Alternatively, you can always mix both Strategies and use them accordingly. Say you want to press higher on the pitch, and use a man-to-man perspective for the Midfielders alone. Who stops you?
Just make sure you train it and that the players understand it!
As Pep Guardiola once said “If the players don’t understand it, it doesn’t make sense!”

“If the players don’t understand it, it doesn’t make sense!”

Pep Guardiola

Ultimately, whether employing Effective Pressing or Zonal Marking, the key to defensive success lies in cohesion, adaptability, and relentless pursuit of excellence. After all, it’s not just about stopping goals – it’s about orchestrating a symphony of teamwork, strategy, and passion to emerge victorious on the pitch.

See you soon!