Top 10 incredible tactical innovations that revolutionised football

#4 Gegenpressing (Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool)

Jurgen Klopp is famous for popularising the Gegenpressing technique

'Gegen' in German roughly translates to 'counter press'. Gegenpressing is a type of pressing technique popularised by current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp since his days at clubs Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund.

As Klopp himself explains, “The best moment to win the ball is immediately after your team just lost it. The opponent is still looking for orientation where to pass the ball. He will have taken his eyes off the game to make his tackle or interception and he will have expended energy. Both make him vulnerable.”

Gegenpressing is precisely based on this idea of pressurizing the opponent by pressing heavily against him and compelling him into making a mistake after he has just won the ball. Though 'pressing' as a tactic has been in practice since Total Football was born in the 70s, different managers have different ways of using it for different purposes.

Legendary Italian coach Arrigo Sacchi used the pressing style of play at AC Milan back in the late 80s. Pep Guardiola is also known to use this technique to win back and keep control possession. Klopp, however, uses the idea of pressing as an attacking tactic, by pressing the opposition incessantly so as to create easy chances for scoring goals.

The technique involves players moving into close packs by using short passes so that if they lose the ball, they can retrieve it back immediately by surrounding the opposition player who possesses the ball.

The technique, however, has its own set of pros and cons. Firstly, each and every one of the players needs to carry out his duties while the team is not in possession. Also, the players need a positional sense and intelligence of the highest pedigree so as to understand when to stop the press and regroup in a defensive shape.

If even one player shies away from his pressing duties, the opposition may be afforded the space to move the ball out of tight areas and start counter-attacks which may lead to a collapse of the structure. Since it requires the players to be continuously on their toes and barely gives them time to catch a breath, stamina also becomes one of the crucial aspects required to implement the technique.

Liverpool's drubbing of Manchester City in the Champions League can be cited as the best example of Gegenpressing in recent times. Only time will tell if Jurgen Klopp is able to bag significant achievements using this technique.