5 players who excelled as a false 9

The fluidity of modern football is inarguably one of its brightest features. Experimenting with traditional formations and allowing for an interchange of positions between players in attack, midfield and defense have all changed the way the game is viewed now.

Several managers have made use of the "false 9," a position that removes the rigid structure of play placed on the traditional forward. Though the false 9 rose to unmatched levels of prominence with Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, several teams have made use of it in the past and continue to do so.

A false 9 typically operates in a front three, but plays marginally behind the two other forwards. By doing so, they drop into pockets of space in midfield to orchestrate attacking moves. These players are typically supported by a reasonably prolific goalscorer upfront, though they can also be tremendous goalscorers of their own.

In this article, we look at five players who excelled as a false 9 during their careers:

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#5 Kevin de Bruyne | Manchester City

Kevin de Bruyne has been deployed as a false 9 in crucial matches for Manchester City

The most recent example of a false 9, Kevin de Bruyne needs no real introduction. Manchester City's star midfielder has excelled in the position in the last two seasons under Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola's lack of belief in Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero's consistent injury problems have meant City have often resorted to a false 9. De Bruyne has been their go-to choice for this role when fit. A prime example of this was in the 2019-20 Champions League clash against Real Madrid. Guardiola deployed Raheem Sterling and Jesus as wide forwards with no striker in the away leg. Instead, De Bruyne played behind them. He orchestrated the play to perfection from the center.

KDB scored a penalty and assisted Jesus' winner as City secured a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu. In the 2020-21 season, Guardiola continued to follow a similar system with minor tweaks. Although de Bruyne missed plenty of games owing to injury, the midfield maestro thrived whenever he played.

He managed 10 goals and 18 assists in 40 matches as City secured the Premier League and EFL Cup. KDB was also crucial to the Citizens' run to the Champions League final. He was substituted in the second half due to an unfortunate injury and City never recovered, eventually losing 1-0 to Chelsea.

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#4 Carlos Tevez | Manchester United

Carlos Tevez (right) in action for Manchester United

Carlos Tevez is one of the more underrated false 9's in the 21st century. Playing for Manchester United, the Argentine often dropped deeper to help strike partners Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo flourish upfront.

Tevez was often viewed as one of Sir Alex Ferguson's subtle side projects before his infamous move to rivals Manchester City. The diminutive forward excelled while at Manchester United. Tevez managed 34 goals and 14 assists in 99 matches for the Red Devils before moving on. While his off-the-ball movement was particularly excellent, he was also defensively hardworking.

Tevez's adaptability was on show as well when he moved to City and evolved into a goalscoring center forward for his new side.

Tevez's trophy haul from his time at Manchester United is also quite impressive. The Argentine managed two Premier Leagues, a Champions League, a League Cup and a Club World Cup.

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#3 Roberto Firmino | Liverpool

Roberto Firmino has been an excellent false 9 for Liverpool

While the Brazilian struggled in the 2020-21 season, few can argue against the effectiveness of Roberto Firmino as a false 9 for Liverpool. The Brazilian was the focal point as the Reds won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.

Firmino's game has never been about numbers under Jurgen Klopp's management. The 29-year-old has been crucial to the success in front of goal enjoyed by Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in recent years. Firmino's defensive awareness as a false 9 in addition to his stamina and ability to track back has driven Liverpool's forays forward from the back.

Additionally, he has also shown a knack for nicking a goal every now and then, particularly in away fixtures, and has brought the typical Brazilian flair from his homeland to the Premier League.

Under Klopp, Firmino has managed 87 goals and 69 assists in 285 matches. This is a very respectable record as he averages over 0.5 goal contributions every 90 minutes without playing as a rigid forward.

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#2 Johan Cruyff | AFC Ajax

Johan Cruyff (right) was an excellent false 9 during his time at Ajax

One of the pioneers of the modern iteration of football, Johan Cruyff was a constant supporter of fluidity within football. The Dutch legend was particularly prolific as a false 9 under Rinus Michels at Ajax during the 1970s.

Michels often played a complex 1-3-3-3 formation that focused on eliminating positional rigidity. His teams attacked and defended as a unit, while building up play from central defense and progressively moving forward with both width and depth. Under his tutelage, Cruyff managed outstanding numbers. He scored 171 goals in 290 matches in addition to recording 80 assists.

The two also won several trophies together. Ajax secured a European Cup, four Eredivisie titles and three KNVB Cups under Michels with Cruyff putting in one brilliant performance after the other.

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#1 Lionel Messi | Barcelona

Lionel Messi redefined the false 9 position under Pep Guardiola

Easily the greatest example of the sheer brilliance of the false 9 position, Lionel Messi absolutely thrived while playing in this position for Barcelona. The diminutive Argentine recorded incredible numbers during Pep Guardiola's reign in the dugout before turning the clock back under Luis Enrique as well.

Under Guardiola, Messi managed a barely believable 221 goals in just 219 matches. He also recorded 91 assists for his teammates to round off a tremendous, trophy-laden four years. Messi's numbers are particularly impressive as he reinvented the false 9 into a goalscoring position for arguably the first time since Johan Cruyff managed the same under Rinus Michels.

Post Guardiola's exit, Messi transformed into a full-blown goalscorer during the 2012-13 season under Tito Vilanova. Barcelona suffered a dip in the 2013-14 campaign under Tata Martino, who used Messi in a variety of positions without much success due to injury problems. However, Luis Enrique's arrival in 2014 signaled a return to the older system with some minor tweaks.

Messi initially struggled to work with Luis Suarez and Neymar upfront. But Enrique decided to deploy the Argentine on the right-wing with Suarez as the striker. The change paid rich dividends as the trio found their footing alongside each other and led Barcelona to the coveted treble. Under Enrique, Messi managed a fantastic 153 goals in 158 matches while also registering 76 assists.