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Libero

A five-man defence on a football pitch with the central defender marked in red, standing a few metres behind the other four as the free man.

Formations and roles · Analysis

Libero: The Free Man Behind the Defence, and Where He Went

A libero or sweeper is a free defender behind the back line with no opponent to mark. From catenaccio to Beckenbauer and Sammer, and why the role disappeared.

22 Sep 2026 · 6 min read

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