What were the main positions of these players?

I'm involved in the development of a project and I need to clarify the position of certain historical players. Right now I need to put in one of these 3 modern positions to these players whom I haven't been defined because played in various positions or integrated systems currently disused.

Please, who now where to place these players as main position or what his position on a current system would appreciate me clarify.

Positions:

- Central Defender
- Lateral or Side Defender
- Defensive Midfielder

Players:

- Alfredo Foni (Italy)
- Aleksandr Chivadze (Soviet Union)
- Alexandru Apolzan (Romania)
- Armando Picchi (Italy)
- Billy Wright (England)
- Claudio Gentile (Italy)
- Cor van der Hart (Netherlands)
- Danny Blind (Netherlands)
- Davie Meiklejohn (Scotland)
- Emlyn Hughes (England)
- Eraldo Monzeglio (Italy)
- Ernest Needham (England)
- Ernst Happel (Austria)
- Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy)
- Gyula Lóránt (Hungary)
- José Nasazzi (Uruguay)
- Klaus Augenthaler (Germany)
- Luigi Allemandi (Italy)
- Mario Rigamonti (Italy)
- Morten Olsen (Denmark)
- Osvaldo Piazza (Argentina)
- Patrick Battiston (France)
- Piazza (Brazil)
- Pirri (Spain)
- Rinus Israël (Netherlands)
- Rune Bratseth (Norway)
- Ruud Krol (Netherlands)
- Schubert Gambetta (Uruguay)
- Severino Minelli (Switzerland)
- Tarcisio Burgnich (Italy)
- Terry Butcher (England)
- Virginio Rosetta (Italy)
- Willi Schulz (Germany)

I've highlighted the ones I know, or feel pretty sure about. I think Pirri may have been a defensive midfielder, at least sometimes. Emlyn Hughes played as a lateral/side defender but not completely sure what his best position was - I think he played central defence too and probably midfield. I think Lorant and Schulz were probably central defenders but I'd wait for other opinions to make sure. I guess most of these will be on comme's lists but haven't checked just now. Some of the central defenders highlighted will have played as libero's and some as right or left halves in WM, but I think they all belong to the central defence category.

Actually I believe Gentile might've played more often as a lateral/side defender. Dor02 might have more info about his time at Juventus. During the 1982 World Cup he was used centrally as a marker - Wikipedia says as a defensive midfielder but I think central defender might be more accurate (he marked Maradona/Zico/Littbarski). I wish I'd left him unhighlighted now!

Positions:

- Central Defender [CD]
- Lateral or Side Defender [LSD]
- Defensive Midfielder [DM]

Players:


- Aleksandr Chivadze (Soviet Union)

CD

- Armando Picchi (Italy)

CD

- Claudio Gentile (Italy)

CD/LSD

- Danny Blind (Netherlands)

CD

- Emlyn Hughes (England)

CD/LSD/DM

- Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy)

CD/LSD

- Klaus Augenthaler (Germany)

CD

- Morten Olsen (Denmark)

CD/DM

- Osvaldo Piazza (Argentina)

CD

- Patrick Battiston (France)

LSD/CD

- Rinus Israël (Netherlands)

CD

- Rune Bratseth (Norway)

CD

- Ruud Krol (Netherlands)

LSD/CD

- Tarcisio Burgnich (Italy)

LSD/CD

- Terry Butcher (England)

CD/LSD

- Willi Schulz (Germany)

CD

Severino Minelli - CD/LSD
Gyula Lóránt - CD

Positions:

- Central Defender = CD
- Lateral or Side Defender = SD
- Defensive Midfielder = DM

Players:

- Alfredo Foni (Italy) / CD / Mettodo system
- Aleksandr Chivadze (Soviet Union) / CD / 4-3-3
- Armando Picchi (Italy) / CD / Catenaccio
- Billy Wright (England) / CD & SH / WM system
- Claudio Gentile (Italy) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Danny Blind (Netherlands) / CD & SD / 4-4-2
- Emlyn Hughes (England) / SD & DM / 4-3-3
- Eraldo Monzeglio (Italy) / CD / Mettodo system
- Ernest Needham (England) / Half / 2-3-5
- Ernst Happel (Austria) / CD / Danubian school
- Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy) / SD & CD / 4-4-2
- Gyula Lóránt (Hungary) / CD / WM
- José Nasazzi (Uruguay) / CD / 2-3-5
- Klaus Augenthaler (Germany) / CD / 4-4-2
- Luigi Allemandi (Italy) / CD / Mettodo system
- Mario Rigamonti (Italy) / CD / WM
- Morten Olsen (Denmark) / CD / 4-4-2
- Osvaldo Piazza (Argentina) / CD / 4-3-3
- Patrick Battiston (France) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Piazza (Brazil) / DM / 4-3-3 (only CD at WC)
- Pirri (Spain) / DM & CD / 4-3-3
- Rinus Israël (Netherlands) / CD / 4-3-3
- Rune Bratseth (Norway) / CD / 4-4-2
- Ruud Krol (Netherlands) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Schubert Gambetta (Uruguay) / SH / 2-3-5
- Severino Minelli (Switzerland) / CD / Verrou
- Tarcisio Burgnich (Italy) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Terry Butcher (England) / CD / 4-3-3
- Virginio Rosetta (Italy) / CD / 2-3-5
- Willi Schulz (Germany) / CD / 4-3-3

Good job Greg and Msioux75

Thank you mates .

I would like to know the position of Florian Albert, was he more a forward like Puskas, a striker like Kocsis or a Attacking Midfielder like what would 've been Hidegkuti

He could be compared to Hidegkuti as a 'deep-lying centre-forward' though I'm not completely sure how for example the Hungarian system might've changed in the 60's. He'd be more comparable to Puskas than Kocsis in terms of role probably. In the modern game I guess he'd either play as a support striker like Baggio did or in the hole like Kaka when Milan played one striker or Gerrard in recent years.

Please, now I need to know the proper position in a current system of these players:

- Reinhold Münzenberg (GER): Centre Back or Side Back?
- Luis Eyzaguirre (CHI): Side Back or Side Midfielder?
- Víctor Rodríguez Andrade (URU): Side Back or Side Midfielder?
- Paul Breitner (GER): Better as Side Back or Defensive Midfielder?
- Anatoliy Demyanenko (URSS): Side Back or Winger?
- Felice Gasperi (ITA): A clue?
- Karel Pesek (CZE): Centre Back, Side Back or Defensive Midfielder?
- Karl Sesta (AUT): Side Back?
- Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo (BRA): Better as Side Back, Defensive Midfielder or Side Midfielder?
- Danny Blind (NED): Sweeper or Side Back?
- Emlyn Hughes (ENG): What was his best position finally?
- John Greig (SCO): Centre Back or Side Back?
- Ernest Needham (ENG): A clue?
- Maxime Bossis (FRA): Sweeper, Centre Back or Side Back?
- Umberto Caligaris (ITA): Better as Centre Back or Side Back?
- José Leandro Andrade (URU): Side Back, Defensive Midfielder, Winger... a clue?
- Danny Blanchflower (NIR): Defensive Midfielder, Offensive Midfielder, Winger... a clue?

That's my best go at those, Peru. The others I'm less sure of.

- Reinhold Münzenberg (GER): Centre Back or Side Back?

I would prefer him as a center back. His full back role in the 1930s was not comparable to that of later times (playing on the side and getting forward).

- Luis Eyzaguirre (CHI): Side Back or Side Midfielder?

Side back, although a pretty offensive one.

- Paul Breitner (GER): Better as Side Back or Defensive Midfielder?

World class in both roles, however he was not exactly a defensive midfielder, more a #8 playmaker.

- Anatoliy Demyanenko (URSS): Side Back or Winger?

Side back

- Danny Blind (NED): Sweeper or Side Back?

Always had him down as a top-class sweeper.

- Emlyn Hughes (ENG): What was his best position finally?

Really hard to tell. I think he was not particular pleased with playing full back and preferred a center back role.

- John Greig (SCO): Centre Back or Side Back?

Center back.

- Maxime Bossis (FRA): Sweeper, Centre Back or Side Back?

Side back in the earlier days (when Trésor/Lopez or Janvion were the centrald defense pairing for France), later on often used as a sweeper. Not really a center back (stopper) type of player.

Positions:

- Central Defender = CD
- Lateral or Side Defender = SD
- Defensive Midfielder = DM

Players:

- Alfredo Foni (Italy) / CD / Mettodo system
- Aleksandr Chivadze (Soviet Union) / CD / 4-3-3
- Armando Picchi (Italy) / CD / Catenaccio
- Billy Wright (England) / CD & SH / WM system
- Claudio Gentile (Italy) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Danny Blind (Netherlands) / CD & SD / 4-4-2
- Emlyn Hughes (England) / SD & DM / 4-3-3
- Eraldo Monzeglio (Italy) / CD / Mettodo system
- Ernest Needham (England) / Half / 2-3-5
- Ernst Happel (Austria) / CD / Danubian school
- Giuseppe Bergomi (Italy) / SD & CD / 4-4-2
- Gyula Lóránt (Hungary) / CD / WM
- José Nasazzi (Uruguay) / CD / 2-3-5
- Klaus Augenthaler (Germany) / CD / 4-4-2
- Luigi Allemandi (Italy) / CD / Mettodo system
- Mario Rigamonti (Italy) / CD / WM
- Morten Olsen (Denmark) / CD / 4-4-2
- Osvaldo Piazza (Argentina) / CD / 4-3-3
- Patrick Battiston (France) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Piazza (Brazil) / DM / 4-3-3 (only CD at WC)
- Pirri (Spain) / DM & CD / 4-3-3
- Rinus Israël (Netherlands) / CD / 4-3-3
- Rune Bratseth (Norway) / CD / 4-4-2
- Ruud Krol (Netherlands) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Schubert Gambetta (Uruguay) / SH / 2-3-5
- Severino Minelli (Switzerland) / CD / Verrou
- Tarcisio Burgnich (Italy) / SD & CD / 4-3-3
- Terry Butcher (England) / CD / 4-3-3
- Virginio Rosetta (Italy) / CD / 2-3-5
- Willi Schulz (Germany) / CD / 4-3-3

So, if you had to put him in one of two groups necessarily, defensive or offensive midfielders, where do you put him?

Thank you very much for the info mates .

Gregoriak will know more about Breitner than me, but I would say if you categorise him in the same group as Matthaus and Neeskens (if choosing midfield, not side-backs) that would be accurate. A box-to-box type player who could also score a lot of goals I think.

It would be interesting reviewing different systems through history,
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1269077&highlight=tactics
Specially, Mettodo system (italian) and Danubian School (Austria, Czech, Hungary) were very similar to 2-3-5.
And Swiss Verrou was precursor to 4-3-3

About last list of players:

Reinhold Münzenberg (GER): If i'm not mistaken, Germany was the only non-british NT that used WM at 30s. I'm not sure about club level.

Víctor Rodríguez Andrade (URU): At 50s Uruguay played most 2-3-5, so would be SH.

Paul Breitner (GER): I also think that was World Class at SB and Box-to-box Mid.

Felice Gasperi (ITA): Was Back at mettodo system, partnership with Monzeglio. Similar to centerback.

Karel Pesek (CZE): Most known as Kada, was CH.

Karl Sesta (AUT): Back at Danubian school.

Ernest Needham (ENG): Half back, see Wiki or Intl matches at RSSSF.

Maxime Bossis (FRA): At 70s was LB (best position, IMO) in a defense of: Battiston, Lopez, Tresor, Bossis (Janvion was SB sub). At mid 80s played as Sweeper when Tresor has retired.

Umberto Caligaris (ITA): Back at 2-3-5 system. Similar to centerback

José Leandro Andrade (URU): He began as a forward, but was world class as a RH at 2-3-5

Damn!, but actually I'm going to put Matthäus in the group of defensive midfielders and Neeskens in the group of offensive.

The main idea if put all of them in a current system, by his skills find his best position if they play in modern football. Would be a SH a SB or SM nowadays?, a CH a CB?, a box-to-box midfielder a defensive or offensive midfielder if you only could choose one of them?

So, what system did you liked?
A 4-4-1-1 with a diamond in midfield like Comme?

Hmm yes these players are more central midfielders and are probably hard to class as more defensive or offensive. Do you have a selection of 5 or so others in each category we can look at (not obvious ones like Makalele or Platini but ones that are perhaps more questionable)? I have a feeling Breitner would be a reasonable choice in either category probably.

Exactly

Mmm... ok, for example, I have some of them in these categories:

Defensive Midfielders

- Roy Keane (Ireland)
- Patrick Vieira (France)
- Fernando Redondo (Argentina)
- Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
- Josep Guardiola (Spain)

Offensive Midfielders

- Andrea Pirlo (Italy)
- Steven Gerrard (England)
- Paul Scholes (England)
- Jim Baxter (Scotland)
- Juan Sebastián Verón (Argentina)

I don't think he would be particularly out of place in either category. He surely didn't play as a holding player like De Jong for example but neither did Matthaus or Redondo (who was a creative player more than a goalscorer). If you are splitting defensive and offensive midfielders then Matthaus and Redondo fit better as defensive I guess (comme had them in his defensive mid list - he listed the type of player in each profile of course - without checking I think Matthaus may have been box-to-box and Redondo deep-lying playmaker, but both had good defensive attributes as well as attacking talents).
I would wait for Gregoriak to comment, as Breitner did become a frequent goalscorer from midfield in the 80's and he mentioned he was sort of a number 8 playmaker, but IMO he would be OK in your defensive midfielders category. Maybe the fact he also played full-back makes me say this - of course putting him as a side defender would also be a respectable decision - I think he will have played more as a side defender (left-back) through his career but I get the impression he might have been best as a midfielder. Again without checking I think comme had him down as a left-back but like with John Charles he probably put him in the position he would get the highest ranking in. Likewise in all-time drafts he's probably more likely to be picked in defence but there are many top midfield players to choose from and as mentioned he wouldn't be likely picked as an absolute holding midfielder.
Hope this helps, I'd say defensive midfield but if Gregoriak thinks attacking midfield go with that instead.