The Sweeper Position In Football And It’s History

Football, like every other thing, goes through massive changes. As a sport that has been the most famous for the last 100 years, football has undergone many changes. Tactics, training methods, diets, and positions have dramatically changed. So, a tactic, system or position that was the most trendsetter in football during a period is now extinct. Unfortunately, these fell to the law of ‘Nothing is permanent but change’, and the sweeper role is one of those that couldn’t survive modern football. 

The role rose to prominence in the 1930s and was extensively used for the next 50 years. These positions have produced some of the most known players in the game. And though the sweeper might have vanished from the game now, its imprint is still present in the game. It can be argued that the modern defensive tactics owe their rise due to the sweepers. 

So, what is a ‘Sweeper’ position and how integral was it during its peak?

What is a Sweeper? 

The Sweeper position is closely related to the Libero, a similar position with one significant difference. While the sweeper is only involved with defensive duties, a libero has the added responsibility of bringing out the ball and offering creativity in the attack. The sweeper is the original no-nonsense defender whose main job is to keep the ball away from his goal. 

The origin of the role can be traced to Austrian manager Karl Rappa, who first deployed the sweeper Servette. Since his team did not have the players to compete with the top professional teams, Rappan developed a plan to beat them tactically. He deployed wingers who would drift to the inside called Mezzala and support them with attacking wingbacks. And only a single defender that would be at the back was the sweeper, whose job was to sweep the backline, ensuring the ball did not get past him. 

Milan played their 1-3-3-3 formation with Cesare Maldini as the sweeper while Benifica played their 2-3-2-3 with the famous Eusebio who was regarded as the second best player in the world after Pele. pic.twitter.com/hlKdXBEs7g

— Rohit Rajeev (@keralista) August 29, 2020

This would slowly become more famous, especially in Italian football, where it would be deployed in the favourite Catenaccio system. The sweeper would be integral to Italian football for nearly five decades. 

The first Italian to successfully implement the Sweeper and the Catenaccio was Gippo Viani, then coach of Salernitana. He would then manage Lucchese, Palermo, Roma, and…