![Pirlo Italy]()
In modern times, the regista position has become synonymous with one player more than any other: Andrea Pirlo.
The term is also used to describe a film director, and there have been few better at choreographing the action on the pitch than Pirlo.
In his early days, Pirlo was a trequartista - operating in the space between midfield and attack - until he was moved to a deeper role by Carlo Ancelotti when he signed for Milan. It transformed Pirlo's career to such an extent that he quickly became a regular for club and country and, in recent years, the "regista" position has also been known as 'the Pirlo role'.
![Regista]()
Usually operating just in front of the defence, the regista has the job of dictating the tempo of a game. Teammates will always look for him, so his passing, vision and reading of the game must be exemplary.
If a regista is as good as Pirlo, other attributes are not as important. Pirlo never had pace and was rarely effective in the air or in the tackle, but his playmaking qualities were such that coaches were happy to accept his deficiencies.
In the Euro 2012 quarter-final against England, it is hard to remember Pirlo winning the ball on the ground or in the air, or outpacing an opponent. He was still the best player on the pitch by a street.
If you can be as accurate with set pieces as Pirlo has always been, so much the enter. The problem for a budding regista comes when he is not quite as talented as Pirlo.
Under such circumstances, coaches will often consider these players too much of a luxury, and may prefer not to risk them. Marco Verratti, Pirlo's likely successor in the national team, has not always been trusted, although he is improving rapidly and is better than Pirlo in defensive situations.
It would be a shame to see the regista role become obsolete, however. Regardless of the skill of the actors, no memorable film is complete without an expert director.
The post Italian positions guide: Regista appeared first on GazzettaWorld.
Usually operating just in front of the defence, the regista has the job of dictating the tempo of a game. Teammates will always look for him, so his passing, vision and reading of the game must be exemplary.
If a regista is as good as Pirlo, other attributes are not as important. Pirlo never had pace and was rarely effective in the air or in the tackle, but his playmaking qualities were such that coaches were happy to accept his deficiencies.
In the Euro 2012 quarter-final against England, it is hard to remember Pirlo winning the ball on the ground or in the air, or outpacing an opponent. He was still the best player on the pitch by a street.