Totaalvoetbal (Total Football)

Jonathan Maghen, Totaalvoetbal (Total Football)
Océ print/poster, 1/0 on green paper, 24 x 36 inches
Edition of 11 + 2 proofs, numbered
Published by Textfield

out of print

Totaalvoetbal is a tactical system in football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player on a team. It was developed by Rinus Michels, a Dutch football coach (of both Ajax and the Netherlands national team), in the late 60s and early 70s.

The tactical success of Totaalvoetbal depends largely on the adaptability of each footballer within the team, in particular the ability to quickly change positions depending on the on-field situation. The strategy requires players to be comfortable playing multiple positions; hence, placing high technical and physical demands on them. Totaalvoetbal was widely and successfully adopted by both club and national teams in winning tournaments (including the World Cup), though it ultimately (and ironically) failed to deliver a World Cup title to the Dutch national football team. Also see Catenaccio.

4-3-2-1, Christmas, Distribution, Football, Jack Reynolds, Johan Cruyff, Jonathan Maghen, Rinus Michels, Sport, Textfield, Totaalvoetbal

Catenaccio (Lock)

Jonathan Maghen, Catenaccio (Lock)
Océ print/poster, 1/0 on pink paper, 24 x 36 inches
Edition of 11 + 2 proofs, numbered
Published by Textfield

out of print

Catenaccio is a tactical system in football with an emphasis on defense. In Italian, catenaccio means “lock”, emphasizing a highly organized and effective defense which is intended to prevent goals. The key innovation of Catenaccio was the introduction of the role of a libero, or sweeper, a player positioned behind the line of defenders. The sweeper’s role is to recover loose balls, nullify the opponent’s striker and double-mark when necessary.

Catenaccio has been criticised for reducing the quality of football games as a spectacle; it became synonymous with “negative football” as it is focused primarily on defending. In the last thirty years Catenaccio has been largely abandoned for other, more balanced tactical approaches; Totaalvoetbal (Total Football), a tactical system created by Rinus Michels in the 1970s, eventually rendered Helenio Herrera’s version of Catenaccio obsolete.

1-4-2-3, Catenaccio, Christmas, Claudio Gentile, Distribution, Football, Franco Baresi, Gaetano Scirea, Giuseppe Bergomi, Helenio Herrera, Jonathan Maghen, Karl Rappan, Nereo Rocco, Rinus Michels, Sport, Textfield