The Trequartista: football tactics explained

Italy is synonymous with style, glamour and a little bit of luxury.

So, as you can probably guess, a position on the football field born from a literal Italian translation encompasses a little bit of all of that.

This is the Trequartista. But what exact role do they take up on the pitch and how do they influence football matches? Let’s take a look.

What is the Trequartista?

In Italian, Trequartista means ‘three quarters’ and that gives a clue in terms of where they will generally pop up on the pitch.

Imagine splitting a pitch into four sections, a Trequartista aims to pick up the pockets of space in the third quarter. But what distinguishes them from other roles in a similar position, such as an Enganche or plain old No.10 is the freedom to roam.

Generally the Trequartista will also play closer to the centre-forward, more than the traditional No.10 would.

MORE TACTICS: The GENIUS Way Man United Beat Liverpool At Their Own Game

They are remain primarily a playmaker, still found between the forward line and deep midfielders, but they will roam wide with free will, aiming to pick up the ball wherever the opposition are most defensively vulnerable.

This overlap with the Enganche role is clear, more of difference of language than anything else. The player needs to have excellent close control to be able to work the ball in tight spaces.

The individual have to also be able to thread a pass and be generally confident in possession. Linking up fluidly is the key.

But they are something of a luxury player. Defensive responsibilities are minimal. Essentially the player has something of a free role and  isn’t required to press aggressively, if at all.

The faith can only be given by a coach or manager if they know the Trequartista will produce the goods in an attacking sense. It is something of a deal between both, freeing up the player to show his or her attacking potential, even if it means the team may lose something defensively.

It is a hard act to balance and perhaps why you see fewer in the position these days than previously.

Who are the great Trequartistas?

Where to start. So many of the great creators in football history played this position. It almost feels unfair to only name a handful. 

In the modern era, Kaka is maybe the last example of a Trequartista who was, even if only briefly, the best player in the world. The Brazilian not only had the pre-required exceptional vision and passing ability, but combined it with powerful runs forward that immediately put defenders on the back foot.

In general, Milan have always been known for producing greats in the position with Ruud Gullit and Rui Costa two of the best to have graced Europe in the past 30 years. Gullit had the engine and intelligence to pick the ball up in dangerous areas, while Rui’s vision in the final third during his peak years was magical.

Perhaps one of the most famous to have played the position, also provides one an interesting Trequartista case study. For much of his glittering career at Roma, Francesco Totti lit up the eternal city from the position.

Totti was so influential that when Fabio Capello, who pretty much played 4-4-2 for the entire rest of his career, arrived in Rome, he switched to 3-4-1-2 system. With Totti in the hole, behind two mobile strikers he was devastating.

And years before Spain were using a ‘false 9’ at major tournaments, Totti was combining that same role with that of a Trequartista in a highly exciting and tactically intriguing Roma side of 2006-07.

The 4-6-0 formation may still have something of a bad reputation in the UK, mainly thanks to Craig Levein’s strikerless Scotland and an infamous 1-0 loss to Czech Republic in 2010. But Luciano Spalletti employed a variation of that same formation for that Roma team. It was unusual yet brought the best out of Totti.

The Roma talisman was still utilised in his favoured Trequartista position. But the team played with no real strikers, Totti the furthest man forward.

He would still score goals but also be focused on linking play from deep, playing clever passes behind the opposition defence for Rodrigo Taddei, Simone Perotta and Mancini to run onto. It was a hugely successful season, Roma finishing 2nd in Serie A and winning Coppa Italia.

In truth, there a few greats currently playing who can be defined solely as a Trequartista. The majority of coaches working towards the top of the game can’t, or even don’t want to, find room for such a luxury player. But there are plenty of great No.10s who incorporate skills and positions used by the great Trequartistas into their own game.

All tactical trends fall in and out of fashion in football, and no doubt one day the Trequartista will rise again.

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.