Italian for "director." A deep-lying
playmaker who sits in front of the defence and runs the game from there. The regista controls tempo, sprays long passes, switches play, and starts attacks while also tracking back. Andrea Pirlo is the modern example everyone thinks of, though players like Carlos Valderrama did similar things. It's somewhere between a defensive midfielder and a classic number 10.
Andrea Pirlo's performance as regista for Italy in Euro 2012 was masterful - he completed 221 passes in three knockout matches, orchestrating wins over England, Germany, and nearly Spain in the final.
A transfer involving players going both ways rather than just cash. Sometimes straight swaps, sometimes player plus cash. Gets discussed more than it actually happens because valuations rarely match up and both players need to want to move. Sounds simple in theory but the negotiations are complicated because you need four parties to agree (two clubs, two players).
Arthur and Pjanić's swap between Barcelona and Juventus in 2020 confused everyone - neither side seemed to actually want the player they received, and it looked like an accounting trick to boost both clubs' financial reports.
A chance so easy that missing it is inexcusable. Open goals, simple one-on-ones, headers from two yards out. When you miss a sitter, you hold your head and your teammates look at the floor. Compilations of missed sitters are popular online because even the best players mess up the simple ones sometimes.
Fernando Torres's miss for Chelsea against Manchester United in 2011 became iconic -
clear through on goal with only De Gea to beat, he rounded the keeper but somehow managed to miss the open net, gifting United a reprieve in the title race.
A pass that puts your teammate in danger of getting clattered. Usually a slow ball that arrives right as a defender's closing in at full speed. Called a hospital ball because the recipient might end up there. Careless passing under pressure creates them. Good teammates don't play hospital balls; bad ones get their midfielders injured.
Playing a hospital ball in midfield can end careers - a slow pass across the pitch invites a full-speed challenge, and the receiving player has no time to protect themselves before they get wiped out.
A pass played between or behind defenders for a teammate to run onto. The weight has to be perfect - too soft and the keeper gets there, too hard and it runs away. The runner and passer need to read each other's minds. Xavi, Iniesta, and De Bruyne are famous for finding gaps that don't seem to exist.
Kevin De Bruyne's through ball to Sergio Agüero against Liverpool in 2019 exemplified perfection - weighted precisely between two defenders, timed perfectly for Agüero's run, resulting in a tap-in finish.
