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This article was first published in Champions Journal. Read the original article here.
WORDS Sheridan Bird, Chris Burke, Vieri Capretta, Simon Hart and Graham Hunter
It’s a stark truth that, depending on when you were born, you may not have a cherished, warm little nook, or even a cranny, in your football bosom for the fabled No10. Worse, to some modern fans that term might only evoke the number of your favourite dish on a local takeaway menu, a cricket ‘nightwatchman’ or perhaps the recently retired bus route from Hammersmith to King’s Cross.
But, on behalf of those a little longer in the tooth, a little bit more romantic or those who watched – wait, make that gazed lovingly – at continental football in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, these next ten minutes of your reading will be an unashamed love letter to an endangered breed: football’s No10s.
“The genuine no10 is not just about position and shirt number; it’s a state of mind, a philosophy”
The single most iconic No10s, conceptually, are the players who roamed their own personal territory, between midfield and attack, a Bermuda Triangle where rugged defenders and limpet man-to-man markers entered but mysteriously vanished. With the number ten emblazoned on the back of their shirt, they seemed to hear Miles Davis jazz in their heads while opponents around them performed to an internal soundtrack of dull, repetitive, hotel-lobby muzak.
Juan Román Riquelme, Roberto Baggio, Dejan Savićević, Michel Platini, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Roberto Mancini...
Those around them saw narrow paths and brick walls. The true No10s envisioned wide, verdant meadows, blue skies... liberty. Because being a genuine No10 isn’t just about position and shirt number – it’s a state of mind, a philosophy which informs every decision you make on the ball. It’s your very essence distilled into elegant actions.
Choosing the best No10s to have graced the European Cup was never going to be an easy task, but at Champions Journal we’re always up for a challenge. The No10 is more of a mindset than a number, and several of these players are just as well known for shining elsewhere on the pitch. Some, of course, will have had a huge impact on the competition; others, due to their club and circumstance, hardly featured at all. Our only criterion was that they required at least one European Cup appearance on their CVs. Cue plenty of debate, discussion and deliberation, and eventually a list of players. Here they are...
As a shy teen, Messi broke into Barcelona’s starting XI on the right wing, but injury curtailed his precocious participation in their 2005/06 Champions League triumph before the quarter-finals. Amid doubts he could handle 60 games a season and withstand brutal marking, La Pulga (the Flea) quit junk food and strengthened his body. Next, critics claimed the mesmeric dribbler didn’t score enough, but his goal in the victorious 2009 final opened the floodgates. And although some still felt his contribution wasn’t commensurate with his gifts, he moved into the centre to end all debate. Now everyone agreed: Messi was the complete No10. The perfectly balanced, impish genius was a European champion again in 2010/11 and 2014/15, and ultimately it wasn’t an opponent who stopped him winning more but Barça’s decline.
A little ungainly compared to many on this list, the Bayern stalwart has excelled thanks to his sense of anticipation and instinctive positional movement. Germany’s most decorated player labels himself a “raumdeuter” (space interpreter), and his canny off-the-ball runs between the lines have been stretching defences apart for 15 years.
It’s the things Raúl wasn’t that render his achievements so notable. The Spaniard wasn’t a speed merchant, muscle man nor a trickster extraordinaire. Yet for many years he was the competition’s top scorer. How? Because he was unrivalled in intelligence and courage. Few have known where to find space or slip past their marker like Raúl. Comfortable on either foot, the deceptively tough ace relished duels with the world’s most rugged defenders. Having conquered Europe three times with Madrid (and scored in two finals), Raúl spent two seasons with Schalke, leading them to the 2010/11 semi-finals. No gym routine or YouTube skills tutorial could ever teach you what this humble assassin brought to the pitch.
The Manchester United great morphed from deep striker into “probably the best English midfielder since Bobby Charlton”, according to Sir Alex Ferguson, citing his “brain for the passing game”. As well as laser-guided passes, Scholes had a ferocious shot – witness the strike that beat Barcelona in the 2007/08 Champions League semi-finals.
Dismissed as too frail in his youth, the Real Madrid and Croatia linchpin is still having the last laugh at the age of 38. Not just a master of ball retention, Modrić is a diligent dispossessor himself, combining defensive and attacking qualities to control matches, though his trademark long-range, curling passes invariably draw the loudest applause.
“Don’t shout,” Pirlo once told AC Milan team-mate Kevin-Prince Boateng. “Opponents will know you’re free. I’ll see you.” That summarises the Italian: supreme vision and perfect passes from deep. Add set pieces, free-kick goals and underrated defensive ability and you get one of the most complete midfielders of his generation. A Champions League winner in 2002/03 and 2006/07.
Juventus’s all-time top scorer had his own speciality goal in Europe: a curler with the inside of the right boot that drops into the far corner, first glimpsed at Dortmund on his Champions League debut in 1995/96. After lifting the trophy that season, he buried a mind-blowing, back-heeled effort in Juve’s final loss a year later.
Football is a team sport but many believe Milan’s Kaká won the 2006/07 Champions League on his own. The graceful Brazilian ended the stalemate against Celtic in the round of 16 and dominated both semi-final legs against Manchester United. Elegant with a winner’s edge, ‘Ricky’ was comparable to peak Roger Federer.
Arrived at Old Trafford from Everton as “a remarkable raw talent”, to quote Sir Alex. A raging bullock who combined power, energy and intuition, the then 18-year-old duly hit a hat-trick on his Champions League debut against Fenerbahçe, before helping United reach three finals – winning in 2008 and scoring in the 2011 loss to Barcelona.
The closest thing to a contemporary Ronaldinho and the purest dribbler of his generation. The ball- juggling skills go without saying, but Neymar also boasts outstanding vision and eye-popping stats, averaging almost one goal contribution (goal or assist) in over 80 Champions League games, including a late effort in Barcelona’s 2015 final victory.
This is an excerpt of a story from Champions Journal. Check out issue 17 to dive into the full list of our 50 best No10s to grace the European Cup, an interview with Michael Laudrup, Lionel Messi’s meeting with Zinedine Zidane and more!
