The decline of the classic number 10 in football, the creative playmaker who dictates the game from the central attacking midfield, reflects broader tactical and athletic evolutions in the sport. The legal online betting platform 1xBet is definitely the best place when it comes to betting on creative footballers.
Traditionally, the number 10 was the heartbeat of a team’s offense, often granted freedom to roam and create without heavy defensive duties. There were many players who defined this role, with 3 examples being:
- Diego Maradona;
- Zinedine Zidane;
- and Ronaldinho.
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The search for more versatile footballers
Pressing became central to the modern game. It is very easy to get the 1xBet download Android and use it on teams that succeed in pressing football too.
This is especially true with the rise of systems like Jürgen Klopp’s gegenpressing or Guardiola’s positional play, managers began to favor midfielders who contribute both defensively and offensively. The most versatile footballers are also featured at the 1xBet Android application, which you can download for free.
This gave rise to the popularity of box-to-box midfielders, false 9s, and hybrid roles like the attacking 8. All of them are players who could press, track back, and contribute creatively, rather than a pure, luxury number 10.
Trying to find a place in the modern game
Additionally, the evolution of formations, from 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 or 3-4-3, often leaves no room for a free-floating central playmaker. Creativity has been redistributed to wide forwards or deeper-lying midfielders who can initiate attacks from farther back, like Kevin De Bruyne or Luka Modrić. There are profitable live football bets at the 1xBet platform that can be made on those 2 great football names too.
That said, the essence of the number 10 isn’t gone, it has evolved. Today’s playmakers must be more dynamic, disciplined, and versatile. Players like Bruno Fernandes and Martin Ødegaard exemplify the modern adaptation of the role: they press aggressively, cover ground, and still create chances.
Ultimately, football’s demand for total athletes has squeezed out the traditional number 10, but their creative legacy continues in new forms adapted to today’s game. Of course, live bets at the football section of 1xBet can still be made on players who perform this more traditional role.
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