Counting the top centre-backs in football at the moment, it is not difficult to find their common characteristics: height and strength.
The absolute defensive core of the Reds Liverpool, Van Dijk, is 1.93 meters tall and imprisons countless top Centre-backs in the Premier League; Juventus' sky-high Dutch rising star De Ligt, who is 1.88 meters tall, can almost protect the defense for ten years without worry; the Red Devils Manchester United's defensive center Varane, who is 1.91 meters tall, directly raised the team's defense to a notch when he first arrived...
So, does the centre-back necessarily need height?
Let's start with the answer: no.
At that time, Barresi, Cordoba, Puyol, Cannavaro, etc., which was not the existence of the hegemonic defense? They are all under 180 in height, and none of them have ever shown timidity because of their height, and they have won countless praises and have a brilliant career achievement.
Take Cannavaro, the most accomplished and the most familiar to Chinese fans, as an example, his height is 1 meter 76, which is definitely not up to the level of "center-back height passing line" today. However, he has achieved achievements that no other centre-back can achieve - lifting the Ballon d'Or, although the "emperor of football" Beckenbauer, who won the golden ball, also has the attribute of a center-back, but the free man's play he has covered has always been difficult for people to position him as a real center-back.
In addition, Cannavaro was the first player to win the double Footballer of the Year in the defender position, and he became the holder of the national team appearance record during his tenure as captain of the Italian national team from 2002 to 2010. In the face of Cannavaro at his peak, Da Luo, who has always been dashing and calm, will also wear a "pain mask".
Perhaps many people feel that these honors and praises are clichéd topics, and cannot intuitively show Cannavaro's courage in the past, and the past game videos are only for reference, there is no sense of substitution, and it is always difficult to say that the heart understands. Well, we may wish to change our perspective and use football games such as "Pro Evolution Soccer" to get a glimpse of Cannavaro's style in the player era, coinciding with the official launch of the iconic moment version of Cannavaro, based on the key game that laid the title of the Real Madrid League on June 17, 2007, and restored his technique in more detail.
From the data point of view, the moments in "Pro Evolution Soccer" Cannavaro are basically in the top center-back ranks: steal 98, defensive ability 99, physical contact 93, first pushIng Cannavaro's defensive hardness to the absolute ceiling level, and the speed of 89, the outbreak of 94 and the enthusiasm of 99, supplemented by the player style of the destroyer, are the embodiment of Cannavaro's sharp ability to grab. Other player skills such as staring, acrobatic breakouts, interception ability, header, fighting spirit and other player skills are the "official buff" belonging to Cannavaro, which further improves his comprehensive ability.
Don't look at Cannavaro is only 1 meter 76, but his jump has reached a full score of 99, which is his "magic weapon" against other high school forwards, just like the famous scene he left behind in the 2010 World Cup: when he jumps high, even if the opposing player is tall, he may only accept the fate of "living under the crotch". In addition, the body control of Cannavaro 86, combined with his not bulky body, just allowed him to avoid a lot of the common problem of large head guards - turning around is like an aircraft carrier U-turn, here is not named, lest some famous center-backs hang on the face, right Maguire?
(Cannavaro: You're taller than me? It's okay, I'm jumping higher than you! ）
As the data shows, cannavaro's defensive toughness, sharpness, amazing bounce, and speed in the player era are no longer an important consideration, and with the blessing of these attributes, height is no longer an important consideration, and the game is like this, and so is reality. Because of this, when we usually measure whether a center-back is excellent, it is actually a bit narrow to rely on height as a starting point, height is only a tool, and technology is art, and many small center-backs may be far more powerful than the big ones.