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Italian for "door-bolt." A defensive system built around tight organization, zonal marking, and a sweeper (libero) sitting behind the back line. Inter Milan under Helenio Herrera developed it in the 1960s, using formations like 1-3-3-3 or 1-4-4-1. The plan: defend deep, stay compact, hit on the counter. Critics called it negative football, but it worked and shaped defensive thinking across Europe.
Inter Milan's catenaccio under Herrera won two consecutive European Cups (1964, 1965), with the rock-solid defense marshaled by sweeper Armando Picchi conceding minimal goals throughout their campaigns.
Robbie
Jan 31, 2026
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