trequartista

plural trequartistas

1. ball gamesA player who operates between the midfielders and the strikers, acting as a playmaker and creating chances for their team to score.

   A tall, skilful trequartista with impeccable technique, he has an eye for the goal, being especially dangerous in the air.

   2022 September 28, Marcus Christenson, Steven Bloor, Garry Blight, “Next Generation 2022: 60 of the best young talents in world football”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 23 Jan 2023

   2 more examples

   The trequartista is the pivotal role in attack, though it is neither a striker nor a creator, per se, but three-quarters of both those positions.

   2013 April 16, Rob Hughes, “After 2 Decades of Creativity: Why Stop Now?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 06 Nov 2022

   However, the classic Italian trequartista role, which generally refers to a number 10 playing behind two strikers, was under threat. Arrigo Sacchi's emphasis on a heavy pressing 4-4-2 left no place for a languid trequartista, and therefore players like Baggio were having to prove their worth.

   2019, Michael W. Cox, Zonal Marking: The Making of Modern European Football, PublicAffairs, →ISBN