Understanding a Regista's role in football

The word Italian word 'regista' translates to 'director' in English. Staying true to the essence of the word, a 'regista' is the director and the regulator of play. He acts as an orchestrator, but also as a defensive unit when required. He is generally the cog around which the entirety of the midfield revolves.

However, the work of a 'regista' goes relatively unnoticed and his contributions are largely overlooked. This is because of the innate nature of the position, which makes it extremely difficult for an analyst to quantify the contribution of a regista to the overall game.

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Prerequisites

A regista is required to have an acute sense of positioning on the pitch and an intricate understanding of the role of each outfield player and the strengths and the weaknesses of the same.

There is an innate requirement for a prospective regista to be adept in the art of passing. This is so as every team that plays a regista consider the position as the focal point around which their base tactics rely on. History has seen time and time again that the quality of a regista directly translates to the quality of the team in itself.

Fernandinho's heat map in a recent Chelsea V Manchester City game

The regista is a very flexible position. After a closer look at Fernandinho's heatmap against Chelsea, who was used by Pep Guardiola as a regista, you can see that he was deployed as an auxiliary centre back, thereby creating a 3 man centre back partnership. This helps introduce a new perspective in attack, as the fullbacks are given more freedom to venture forward and assist the wingers.

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Modern day registas and their roles

Sergio Busquets

“You watch the game, you don’t see Busquets. You watch Busquets, you see the whole game.” Vicente del Bosque

Sergio Busquets has redefined the role of a Regista since his incorporation into FC Barcelona's first team in 2008. His ability to effortlessly string defence breaking passes with Xavi and Iniesta has been the X factor of Tiki-Taka football that has grown to be synonymous with the Catalan club.

He played a crucial role in their sextuple winning campaign of 2008-2009 and their treble-winning season of 2014-15 has largely been attributed to his brilliance. His presence in the Spanish National team is unrivalled, due to the sheer proficiency with which he plays the position.

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Andrea Pirlo

I spent the afternoon of Sunday 9 July 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup. - Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo was the architect behind an exceptional AC Milan team that featured the likes of Cafu, Maldini, Nesta and Stam to name a few. He was an exceptional playmaker who formed an all conquering midfield with Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso. His proficiency in the art of passing along with the attacking prowess of Kaka, Inzaghi and Shevchenko made the Rossoneri a force to be reckoned with. He was instrumental in Italy's world cup campaign of 2006, which saw them win the tournament.

A master at free kicks, Pirlo possessed impeccable technique which saw him evolve as a competent longshot threat that prowled at the edge of the box. Ever vigilant and ever graceful, he word "Class" is synonymous with Andrea Pirlo both on and off the pitch, as he made the ball dance to his whims and fancies, leaving behind an array of disarrayed defences and bamboozled players.

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Xabi Alonso

“It was clear Alonso was royalty after our first training session together in August 2004. He was, by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside.” - Steven Gerrard

A true midfield genius, Xabi Alonso was one of the masterminds behind the footballing anomaly known as "The Istanbul Miracle". A specialist in the double pivot midfield, he plyed his trade as effectively at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as he did at Liverpool, despite the change in personnel and managers.

A prominent goalscoring threat despite his reputation as a defensive midfielder, Alonso was simply someone who cannot be left unmarked outside the box. Coupled with an uncanny ability to convert set pieces into spectacular goals, he truly was a force to be reckoned with on the pitch.

The legends of yesteryear have left a huge void to fill. However, the future of the role looks relatively bright as youngsters like Julian Weigl, Jorginho and Sandro Tonali look to carry on the torch.

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