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Pamplona is a city in Spain, famous for the annual bull running competitions. It is also a famous breeding ground for some of the country’s top footballers. Cesar Azpilicueta and Nacho Monreal are products of the brilliant footballing culture in this city. However there is one man, who is more accomplished and successful than they are. Bayern Munich’s Javi Martinez is as tenacious as the bulls that run wild in his hometown.
When Bayern broke the German transfer record for the Spaniard, several eyebrows were raised. £40m for a defensive midfielder was never heard of. But the move has since proved to be a masterstroke. As magnificent as Bayern had been last season, they had finished second in all the competitions they played in. Something seemed to be lacking.
When Martinez arrived in Bavaria, it took him time to get used to the pace and physicality of the Bundesliga. But once he got settled in, he blossomed into the driving force that led Bayern Munich to the treble. As Philip Lahm aptly put it, ‘He was the player we were missing.’
The partnership:
Martinez formed a brilliant combination with Bastian Schweinsteiger as soon as he arrived. And by the end of the season they displayed a telepathic understanding of each other’s game. Quick and tactically astute, Schweinsteiger and Martinez form the best holding midfield partnership in Europe at present. All through the season, they reacted to each other’s movements and cover each other’s mistakes.
Martinez did more off the ball work and closed down spaces while Schweinsteiger was more direct, breaking up play. The German often dropped back, just in front of his back four; Martinez on the other hand, powered through the centre and provided the thrust to Bayern’s attack. Both of them were physically very hard on their opponents and also made up ground on the opposition when they were out of position.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (L) and Martinez forged a telepathic understanding. (Getty Images)
The complete midfielder
Developed by Marcelo Bielsa, Martinez is as complete a midfielder as they come. A brilliant reader of the game, he is also a tough tackler and is adept at passing long or short. He can break up play with the same level of effectiveness with which he begins attacks.
Apart from his 3 goals and 3 assists last season, he averaged 3.2 tackles per game. He completed 87.7 % of his passes and 76.8% off all aerial passes he made. His interceptions were the highest in the Bayern squad. In the air too Martinez rules supreme, he won an average of three aerial duels per game. These statistics combine together to form the picture of an indomitable ‘bull’ in midfield.
Martinez’s work-rate is extremely impressive. He is one of few players who put in the same amount of effort even in the 90th. Martinez heckles opponent players, covers the space, wins the ball back and dictates play – effectively.
The impact
At the end of the day, a player’s worth is measured by the impact he has. In terms of impact, Martinez was unparalleled in Europe last season. He was the final piece of the jigsaw that has shown us a team that could possibly be Europe’s powerhouse in the seasons to come.
He typifies the perfect professional; a player who does not yearn for adulation. He just went about his business and played a crucial part in Bayern’s treble success. Martinez is the tireless worker every team needs and it is a job he does extremely well.
Match of the season
The first leg of the Champions League semi-final was undoubtedly Martinez’s night. He was up against the best midfield in the world, and he showed his mettle. He marked Andres Iniesta out of the game and tracked back to help his team when Leo Messi was on the run. He even pressured the Catalans to make errors you’d never see them generally make and weakened their attacks.
Now a defensive midfielder is not a glamorous player. Very few defence minded player are considered catalysts for success. Fabio Cannavaro and Matthias Sammer are the only recent examples who were defensive-minded players and received the Ballon D’ Or. Martinez defines the modern player and is a master of all trades in midfield. Nobody knows will be awarded the coveted title of FIFA player of the year 2013, but a team that contains Javi Martinez cannot do much wrong.
Click here to view the rest of the Player of the Season nominees
