Andrea Pirlo’s imminent move to New York City signals the end of a generation of legendary midfielders in Europe. For the best part of 20 years the football world has marveled at their unique skills, but all good things must come to an end. Creative architects such as Juventus great Andrea Pirlo and the Middle East-bound Xavi are fareweling their respective European super clubs while robust box to box drivers like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are off to the Major League in the USA. All of a sudden, a generation of midfield greats are gone.
Andrea Pirlo
Last season’s Champions League campaign was Pirlo’s swan song in Europe. Despite the usual transfer speculation linking him with any number of clubs, it is highly likely he will join the newly founded New York City for the final few years of his career. Pirlo occupies the same rare caliber of player as Barcelona’s Xavi fellow Spaniard Xabi Alonso, who is also in his final years with German giant Bayern Munich. Their technique, vision and composure in the midfield over the years has made them the commanders and brains of their respective teams.
Xavi
Coincidentally, Pirlo will join the same club as Lampard. They are two very different midfielders, with the Englishman more likely to surge into box with an eye for the back of the net and the prospect of seeing them play together is a mouth-watering one, even if they aren’t in their prime anymore.
From Juan Román Riquelme to Pirlo and Xavi, modern day playmakers are getting deeper on the pitch because of the emergence of the Makélélé Role – so named after former Real Madrid and Chelsea man Claude Makélélé whose brilliance as a defensive midfielder allowed more of his teammates to pour forward.
Steven Gerrard
Jose Mourinho, Makélélé’s manager at Chelsea when they won the EPL title together in 2005, currently favors a deep-lying midfielder to work with a holding one with Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas his choices. But no matter whether they are advanced, roaming or deep-lying, a playmaker is always the side’s brains trust and watching them ply their craft is great entertainment. That’s why football so sorely misses the great ones when they’re gone.
