"number ten" and "number 9" player

Discussion in 'The Beautiful Game' started by American Red, May 21, 2006.

  1. American Red

    American Red Member

    Apr 28, 2005
    Bavaria
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Is it a tradition for the best player on a team to wear the number 10? If so who, what, where, when started this tradition? Do all clubs do this?

    What does it mean to be a "number 10" or a number "nine player"?
     
  2. Unico10

    Unico10 Member

    Nov 7, 2005
    San Diego
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    To begin with, the number 10 is not necessarily the best player on the team.

    Before the players got to keep their number during the entire season and they started to assign higher numbers (20 and up), soccer players were assigned a number before every game. Surely the usual starters kept their number more often than others.

    The numbering was by position, somewhat like in the baseball scorecard the 3rd baseman is #5 so the keeper was #1.

    Anyway.
    #1 = Keeper
    #2 = Right back (used to man mark the opponent supporting forward)
    #3 = Left back (used to mark the opponent right winger)
    #4 or #6 = Sweeper (manning the defense and supporting all the markers)
    #5 = Stopper or Center D. (used to mark the opponent main forward, the centravanti)

    #4 or #6 = Defensive mid or Mediano (Holding mid, used to mark the opponent fantasista)
    #7 = Right winger (used to be a forward, evolved in a midfielder)
    #8 = Midfielder or mezzala (used to be the main distributor, the "regista" of the team... think Falcao)
    #9 = Main forward or centravanti (Batistuta, Luca Toni, Gerd Muller, Van Basten, etc...)
    #10 = Attacking midfielder (evolved more in a fantasista or pure creative touch role)
    #11 = Second forward or left winger (think Gigi Riva or Bettega)

    #12 = Reserve keeper
    #13 = Reserve defender
    #14 = Reserve mid (or reserve forward)

    That is up to about 25 years ago... than the bench changed and the numbers started to get crazy!
     
  3. Bertje

    Bertje New Member

    Nov 10, 2004
    Leiden
    A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away teams played with five strikers. Like this:

    11--10--9--8--7​

    Behind that three midfielders:

    6--5--4​

    And two defenders:

    3--2​

    In a 4-3-3 the '8' and '10' become midfielders, and the '4' and '5' become defenders.

    Since in Holland the most used line-up is a 4-3-3 the '5' became the left fullback and the '3' became the sweeper. Like this:

    11--9--7
    10--8
    6
    5--4--3--2​
     
  4. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    In Argentina the number 10 and 9 refer to specific positions, whether the player wears that number or not.

    The main offensive creator (which Italians might call 'fantasista') has been called the number 10, Kempes, Maradona, Ortega, Riquelme are examples of a number 10.

    The penalty area centerforward and finishing specialist is called the number 9, whether he wears the number or not. Examples of a number 9 would be Luque, Batistuta, Crespo.

    For example, we might say, 'If Riquelme gets hurt, Aimar can replace him at the 10.' (Meaning he would take on the role, even though he wouldn't be wearing that number.)
     
  5. Unico10

    Unico10 Member

    Nov 7, 2005
    San Diego
    Club:
    ACF Fiorentina
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    In Italy, the system played in the late 60s to the 70s which I was referring above looked like this for numbers with th #6 being a drop back sweeper. Similar to the Dutch system you posted.

    11--9--7
    10--8
    4
    3--5--2
    6​

    You can see how the #7 progressively dropped to the midfield line to create the formation that won the WC in 1982 (Bruno Conti was the 7)

    11 (Graziani)--9 (Rossi)
    10 (Antognoni)--8 (Tardelli)--7 (Conti)
    4 (Oriali)
    3 (Cabrini)--5 (Collovati)--3 (Gentile)
    6 (Scirea)​
     
  6. argentine soccer fan

    Staff Member

    Jan 18, 2001
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    In Argentina it was a bit different. In the days of the 4-2-4 or 4-3-3:

    ...........1
    ..3....2......6....4
    .......5.....8
    .........10
    ..7.....9.....11

    1 is goalie
    2 and 6 are central defenders
    3 and 4 are laterals
    5 is more defensive mid
    8 is more two way area to area player
    10 is offensive creator
    9 is centerforward
    7 and 11 are wings.

    Nowadays the 7 is another mid, and the 11 is either wide or a withdrawn striker. The 3 and 4 can be wingbacks. But they don't really use the fixed numbers anymore.
     
  7. PanchoM

    PanchoM Member

    Nov 3, 2001
    PalmsPlace

    In addition to that ,
    In some countries like Brazil when the numbers are assigned, it's a big deal because it gives an indication of who the prefered starting 11 are.

    For example if we where to hear that Aimar was to wear the number 10 it would be a big deal ,not only because of history ,but also because he would be perceived differently. If Adriano (7) where to wear the Number 9 , Ronaldo would be seen as if he got demoted .
     
  8. ranny fash

    ranny fash Member

    May 18, 2005
    notts
    Club:
    Nottingham Forest FC
    in england over the past 30 years it's usually been:


    .........................1
    ................2.....5....4.....3.........defence
    ...............7......6....8.....11.......midfield
    ......................10...9...............forwards

    obviously it varies, but that was the most common place for players wearing a certain number.

    i've noticed that on the continent and in argentina, number 10 is often the playmaker/forward, like maradona. this is also quite common in england (eg bergkamp). the other difference is that in england number 11 is nearly always a midfielder or winger, not a forward.

    but at the end of the day - who really cares:D
     
  9. kakaboypuf redded

    Feb 1, 2006
    Rotterdam
    10 ussually goes to the attacking playmaker.

    However, two of the best attacking playmakers of their generation play with number 5 for their club. Zidane & Rivaldo.

    (I think the thought behind that is they are supposed to be the symbolic "centre" of the team. Either that, or it was the only number available at the time for both those players and its one big coincidence :D)
     
  10. benjags

    benjags New Member

    May 29, 2004
    A funny thing about this happened when Ronaldo arrived to Inter. He, of course, wanted the 9, and because he was the new star, the 9 went to him.
    The thing is that Zamorano used to have that shirt, and as they make him give it away to Ronaldo, he choosed the 18, but he added a little "plus symbol" between the numbers in his shirt, so he really used the "1+8" and, as you know, 1+8=9 (and as you can see, even if he couldn't use the shirt he wanted, they let him be the captain sometimes)

    [​IMG]
     
  11. dmar

    dmar Member

    Jan 21, 2002
    Madrid, Spain
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    In Spain the 4-4-2 used to be a bit different:

    ....9
    .............7
    .......10
    11...........8
    ........6
    3...4....5...2

    The 5 is usually a defender, unlike in Argentina where it's always the deep lying midfielder, and the 7 is usually reserved for the support striker.
     

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