The Regista: football tactics explained

Every coach worth their salt these days knows just how important defensive midfielders are. Whether coaching an amateur side or simply putting together a flawless tactical system on Football Manager, imposing a deeper midfielder can provide the heartbeat of a team. It’s a position that deserves respect.

Just look at how important Rodri has been for Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning Manchester City side in the last few years. But defensive midfielders are (can represent) very much a broad spectrum.

And a growing handful can fall into the category of the ‘Regista’. But what exactly is a Regista? Let’s take a look.

What is the Regista?

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The Regista is a creative midfield player who sits centrally in front of the defensive line. They will want to get on the ball at every opportunity and, at least in practice, should have more touches of the ball than anyone else on their team.

The distribution and passing range of the Regista is fundamental to the way their team build-up play.  A deep-lying playmaker in essence, the Regista is often just as focused on playing smart short passes, as the 60-yard ‘Hollywood’ long passes. 

They will often take passes at short notice from goalkeepers and the defenders, so must be extremely comfortable in possession and be able to read where there teammates are. Scanning movement and excellent decision making are essential skills.

Like the Trequartista, the term Regista is born from Italian football. The dominant Italy side that won two World Cups under legendary coach Vittorio Pozzo during the 1930s, an early adopter of the role.

It is taken from the Italian word for ‘director’, fitting as Registas are looking to direct the tempo of a match.

Who are the great Registas?

Where else to start but with Andrea Pirlo. Many would argue he is the purest Regista in the modern game. The Italian maestro is certainly one of the best.

Pirlo’s coolness under pressure and almost ridiculous passing range made him the ideal midfielder to build a possession based team around. Originally a more advanced playmaker earlier in his career, Pirlo’s talents were perfectly redeployed by Carlo Ancelotti in his early-2000s AC Milan side.

At the base of a diamond midfield, surrounded by ball-winners such as Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini, he could control a game almost at will. Even when he became less mobile later in his career, Pirlo could still dominate a game from Regista. His performances for Italy at Euro 2012 in knockout stage victories over England and Germany are as a good a few hours of midfield dominance you’re likely to see.

In the current game, the likes of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and Ryan Gravenberch are all strong examples of how important Registas are the top sides. For teams who often come up against a low-block - and the top teams in the Premier League often do - having a Regista who can make the right decision in possession, and is also comfortable pushing up at short notice, is hugely important.

Another example would be Paul Scholes’ late-career resurgence at Manchester United from 2008-13. Although, like Pirlo, an advanced midfielder in his younger days, even at times playing as a shadow striker, Scholes reinvented himself as a Regista to great effect.

His pinpoint passing and incredible vision from this ‘quarterback’ role was hugely important to United’s title wins of 2011 and 2013.

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What are the pros and cons to using a Regista?

If a team posses proper high quality ball-playing defenders there is an argument the Regista may be slightly redundant. A well connected team looking to dominate possession may not require a midfielder so deep, particularly when coming up against an opposition employing a defensive low-block.

Putting aside the greats of Pirlo and Scholes, Registas are also only as good as the attacking movement in front of them. Like everyone on the pitch, they will need passing options.

And as they often take the ball vulnerable areas, you don’t want your Regista to be forced into playing too many backwards or sideways passes. Against an excellent high pressing side, this could be fatal.

But at their best Registas will utilise space and pull the opposition out of their defensive structure. When you find a good one, they are hard to leave out.

MORE TACTICAL EXPLAINERS

We have several tactical explainers to help you understand more about football.

When it comes to midfields, we have pieces on what a box midfield is, how double-pivot midfields function and explainers on the No.10 and the No.6, as well as attacking and defensive transitions.

We also have explainers on what gegenpressing is, what target men are how inverted full-backs work and what ‘between the lines’ means, along with explainers on overlaps and overloads.