Not Haikyu or Blue Lock, but Catenaccio is revolutionizing what it means to be a sports manga

Sports manga has captivated the minds of otakus for years and has been responsible for the proliferation of anime culture over the last thirty years. While action and adventure manga have been prominent since the beginning of the medium, sports manga gained popularity with the release of Takehiko Inoue’s Slam Dunk.

Slam Dunk started it all; as the anime aired, it went global. Since then, various other sports manga have gained popularity. Titles like Kuroko No Basket, Ping Pong, and Baby Steps have carried the torch from Slam Dunk. In recent years, trailblazers like Blue Lock and Haikyuu have emerged.

Blue Lock and Haikyuu have pushed the boundaries of storytelling and broken conventional tropes. However, none of these sports manga are doing what Catenaccio is doing. Catenaccio is a sports manga about football, but it focuses on the most overlooked aspect of the game—the center backs.

While some football fans refer to center backs as unsung heroes, the reality is quite different. Center backs are usually the least involved in play and the least flashy on the pitch. This position typically requires minimal technique and relies more on bravery. Catenaccio shines a spotlight on the center back position and explores the professional football world in ways never before seen.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

---

How Catenaccio is revolutionizing sports manga

Araki joining the Under 19 team (Image via Shueisha)

The typical sports manga is usually set in high school and follows students from various sports clubs attempting to qualify for the nationals. The protagonist is often a freshman, playing alongside their Senpai, and the manga depicts their arduous journey to the top. However, Catenaccio takes a different route.

The story begins with the main character nearing the end of his high school career. From what little is shown, the main character loves football and would do anything for it. This bears similarities to the main character of Be Blues and Ashito from Ao Ashi. While this is a common trope in sports stories, Catenaccio takes it a step further.

The main character is at the end of his high school life, dead set on his dream of playing football. He plays as the ten, the coveted role in the world of football, but there’s a twist. Despite his high ambitions, he lacks footballing talent. For his final game, he is pushed into the role of Center Back, even though he has never played that position. His performance at Center Back catches the attention of Italian scouts, and he joins a football team.

Barnabas is one of the highlights of Catennacio (Image via Shueisha)

This is where Catenaccio further branches off from the typical sports manga. Most sports manga try their best to focus on the Japanese sports scene; even Ao Ashi, which features chapters where the main character plays in another country, always has him return to Japan. Araki, the protagonist of Catenaccio, does the opposite, and as the story progresses, it becomes clear that he might never return.

While many aspects of Catenaccio feel like Shonen, much like Red Blue and several other sports manga, there has been a shift in the tone of many Shonen to feel more like Seinen.

Catenaccio feels very mature because the characters are young adults, so these characters are not making decisions because of pride, but because of their dreams. The story shows the harsh reality of what it means to be a professional sports player, a truth that is often ignored in most sports manga.

---

Final thoughts

Catenaccio showcases a shift that has been apparent in Shonen. Many Shonen mangas are beginning to feature more mature storylines with grounded themes. While Blue Lock exaggerates game mechanics, many sports stories that are running at the moment chase realism. Be Blues, Ao Ashi, and Catenaccio are all highly realistic and are proof that mangakas are well-versed in what they are writing about.

The birthplace of Catenaccio is Italy, as it was what the Serie A was known for. Players like Maldini, Baresi, and Nesta were prominent symbols of the Catenaccio style of play.

---