‘Mezzala’ is an Italian term, originating as two words, ‘mezza’ and ‘ala’, meaning
half winger. When W-M was the primary formation in European footballer, the mezzale – the
plural has an e – were the 8 and the 10, the players who sat just behind the forward
line.
According to The Athletic’s Serie A correspondent, James Horncastle, the easiest way to think
of a mezzala now is to evoke that positional sense – “A mezzala is in essence a No.8
– someone who joins in in attack.” As Horncastle points out, “It doesn't help
that the term is interchangeable with interno - someone who plays 'inside' - and incursore
- someone who makes an incursion in the final third or opposition penalty area.”
This is one of the things that complicates understanding the term – while students
of Football Manager might see a mezzala as purely a central player who drifts wide, and
purists might point to the flanking midfielders of a midfield three, the term is complicated
by a confusion of its origins, its specific use to describe a position, and its broader
use to describe a role.
It’s most straightforward, then, to think of a mezzala as the kind of player who gets
up to support attacks, but does so largely by drifting into the half spaces, from where
they can prompt passing moves, typically linking with inside forwards or forwards who drop
off, before pushing up at times to get into the box.
Generally they will do this from the flanks of a midfield three, but that is as much about
the cover and stability afforded by such a system to players who push on, as it is an
inherent quality of the position. Such flanking players could also be more destructive players.
These are known as medianos – think Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Ambrosini flanking Andrea
Pirlo.
In a 4-3-3 that doesn’t use destroyers to protect a deep-lying playmaker, these flanking
players will often drift wide to link with the full backs and wide forwards to create
passing triangles as they seek to create an overload to progress the ball. A second flanking
midfielder and a more defensively minded deeper midfielder can act as cover for when the mezzala
pushes forwards.
They may also create the overlap themselves, or create an overload in the half space, especially
if playing with inverted wingers – a good example of this was Angel Di Maria playing
as the left midfielder in a midfield three behind Cristiano Ronaldo under Carlo Ancelotti
at Real Madrid. Ronaldo would cut inside to offer a goal threat, while Di Maria would
either move into the wide spaces to overlap or attack from a deeper position in the half
space behind Ronaldo.
Balance is the key – that’s why some of the really effective midfield threes have
a player who acts as a mezzala, a player who is more of a shuttling box-to-box midfielder,
and then a deeper player, who either screens, or creates play from a quarter-back position
in the centre of the pitch.
Chelsea’s three-man midfield of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Matteo Kovacic is an example
of the latter, while France’s slightly lop-sided 4-2-3-1 in the 2018 World Cup final saw Blaise
Matuidi as a shuttling player nominally positioned as a left-inside forward, Paul Pogba as a
mezzala, and Kante screening.
Serie A has a variety of mezzale playing for different teams. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic at
Lazio could be considered a mezzala because of his late runs into the box, his ability
to play in the half spaces and create, and because he is often the furthest forward of
the midfield. He’s something of an outlier, though, as he often drifts into the middle
to win aerial duels too, and acts almost as an additional forward at times. Luis Alberto
is arguably a mezzala too, playing between the lines to create, but he doesn’t get
forwards quite as much. And both take on defensive duties, too, helping screening midfielder
Lucas Leiva.
Piotr Zielinski of Napoli also plays as a mezzala, on the left or sometimes right-hand
side of the midfield three. He gets forwards in support of attacks, keeps the ball circulating
in wide areas, and possesses a great turn of pace to get forwards after he’s worked
the overload out wide.
Other good examples are Juventus’ Aaron Ramsey, Inter Milan’s Matias Vecino, Atalanta’s
Mario Pasalic, on loan from Chelsea, and Fiorentina’s Gaetano Castrovilli. These are midfielders
who could be described as 8s, getting forwards to help build and finish attacks, creating
from positions in the half-space, and combining with wide forwards or wing backs to work openings.
The mezzala is both a position and a role. Creative, industrious, and multi-faceted,
mezzale can be the hub of their team’s midfield.