In the football world, the left-footed player has long been considered aesthetically superior — more skilled, technically gifted and easier on the eye — as opposed to those relying on their right, despite the evidence being overwhelmingly anecdotal or unsupported by science.
In bygone days this often resulted in the idea that the left-sided centre-back in a back four tended to be the more cultured and comfortable on the ball in a defensive pair, whereas the right-footed partner was often seen as the pure defender, tasked merely with defensive duties like sniffing out looming danger and taking care of the first duels.
As the art of defending has moved on this theory has not stood the test of time, but the value of fielding centre-backs with differing natural feet still persists. There are some obvious reasons why it works: when entering a one-vs.-one situation, a defender is understandably more comfortable in dealing with the opponent whose strong foot is closest to the byline, so any attempted cross into the box can be blocked with the defender’s stronger foot and the positioning of their body movement feels more natural. Admittedly, today this is of less relevance with wide forwards, or inverted wingers, being two-footed or of the mind to cut inside and shoot rather than look for a cross like Arjen Robben used to.
Equally, as a general rule — though there are endless exceptions — defenders, who tend to be less agile than forwards, prefer to turn and position their bodies, often in a fraction of second, with the weight on their stronger foot. In a high-pace game broken down into an infinite number of fragmented moments, coming out of on top from such situations are likely to be crucial.
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In the age of the more-flexible defender — both tactically and physically — the preference for wanting a left-sided centre-back on the left is commonly found in the build-up phase or constructive side of the game. With central defenders being expected to start the attacks with the first pass and participating in the possessional aspect, the demand for precision is higher (and it’s logically easier to execute with one’s stronger foot), while one can also find better angles for a line-breaking ball into crowded, central areas.
Then there are technical details to consider such as a disguised pass, being at ease when successfully dribbling away from danger areas, or pin-pointing a crossfield switch ball — which are all better executed on the stronger foot.
Furthermore, with many clubs fielding three centre-backs, the preference for a left-footer on the left (or vice-versa) of the trio assumes even more importance. With the wider centre-backs expected to advance with the ball out of the defence — best done with clean, natural touches — and even take up positions high up the pitch akin to an “inside full-back,” the necessity for passing accuracy is even higher. When advancing into the attacking areas, the centre-back also occasionally ends up in crossing positions in the last third, rendering a spot-on delivery paramount.
Obviously, nowadays there are plenty of examples of centre-backs who are practically two-footed, meaning it matters less where they line up, as well as some world-class right-footed centre-backs who are used to playing to the left — Chelsea‘s Kalidou Koulibaly and Liverpool‘s Virgil van Dijk being prime examples. Yet just an estimated 20% of players at the top end of the game are naturally left-footed (with an equal number being classed as two-footed), so the underrepresentation of top-quality left-footed centre-backs is also a matter of mathematics, simple economics, and supply and demand too. Logically this scarcity obviously makes an impact on the transfer fees.
Here are five of the best to be found playing in European football at the moment.
