In a recent statement, former Argentina national team player Nicolás Tagliafico expressed his concern about the lack of trained players in the left-back position in Argentine football. Tagliafico, who has actively participated in both the French league and the national team, pointed out that currently, the role of the full-back is not given the necessary importance, despite its relevance in today's game.
Tagliafico attributes his training and position as a full-back to Silvio Marzolini, whom he considers one of the best full-backs in the history of Argentina. Through Marzolini's influence during his early days at Banfield, Tagliafico was able to develop a successful career in that position, having played 55 matches with the Argentina national team and being part of significant achievements such as the back-to-back Copa América championships and the 2022 World Cup.
The former footballer also reflected on the current challenges in the training of players in the full-back position, highlighting the versatility that this role used to have in the past. In his own words, he mentioned: "I feel that during my time, the full-back was sometimes used as a center-back or pushed further up. It's difficult to train players in that position now. Not only left, but right as well."
Tagliafico mentioned a contemporary example, such as 'Colo' Barco, who has alternated between the positions of full-back and midfielder in his career. This situation reflects the current difficulty of finding players specialized in that specific position on the field. Despite facing this challenge, Tagliafico continues to serve as a reference in the left-back position both in his club, Olympique de Lyon, and with the Argentina national team under the direction of Lionel Scaloni.
