“There aren’t many old-fashioned number 10s anymore”

To conclude our report of the week on attacking midfielders, Jean-Marc Ferreri (58 years old), passed by Auxerre, Bordeaux, OM or Toulon has agreed to take a look at the evolution of a position he has busy during his 20 year career. Interview!

Jean-Marc Ferreri, the role of the attacking midfielder that you occupied from the years 76 to 99 has evolved a lot. How do you see his moult?

There aren’t many of the old-fashioned number 10s from my day. The Platini, Giresse, Passi, Genghini, Bravo, Touré… we have known a lot of them (laughs)! Indeed, today, the game systems no longer favor this game. When they played in 4-2-3-1 in Marseille with Dimitri Payet behind the attacker, it was very effective! This role, I had it at the Girondins de Bordeaux and Auxerre and my power of speed and acceleration even pushed me to evolve to the position of attacker or winger. In the French team or under the orders of Guy Roux, I played games on the right side but I ended my career in Toulon, in a position of real number 10. I also made a very big season since I had scored 17 goals in L2. I was enjoying myself just behind the striker, captain at 34 and a half, I had the freedom to go on all the ground and to be everywhere.

So this is a post which for “game lovers” is on the way out?

Football is much more physical today, we see it in training centers where the players are real athletes. We no longer take out these small jigs like Zinedine Zidane, myself or Andrea Pirlo and Roberto Baggio in Italy … currently, there are a lot of teams which are currently playing in 5-3-2 during the transitions in the defensive zone and in 3-5-2 on offensive phases. With two forwards and two defensive midfielders, it’s complicated to place a number 10. The 4-4-2 is the same, except when it is used as a diamond. In Bordeaux in particular, in this system, I was able to deliver many assists because I was having fun. With Bernard Pardo in 6, Jean-Philippe Durand on the right, Gesper Holsen on the other side and me in number ten, it was a treat to feed our two attackers, very complementary, that were Klaus Allofs and Piet Den Boer.

So in your opinion, there is still a gaming system that favors this kind of player?

Gaming systems are no longer the same. I really liked this 4-4-2 diamond, like OM sometimes with Dimitri Payet behind the two attackers, we have all the freedom to give the right balls, caviar. Considering the qualities I had, I really enjoyed myself. Lille and Nantes, for example, evolve in a flat 4-4-2 without a playmaker. In 4-3-3, we also spend a lot on the sides with the wingers, I experienced it in Auxerre and with Guy Ginger. It took a lot of effort from me on the defensive end.

“I was quickly cataloged as the” successor “of Michel Platini”Jean-Marc Ferreri

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You have competed with the best in the field in your time. How would you describe her today?

It was complicated, I was quickly cataloged as the “successor” of Michel Platini. It is true that I suffered a little from this comparison. He was the best player in Europe and the World at the time with Maradona. When the 1984 European Championship was crowned, there was an incredible generation ahead of us with Platini and Alain Giresse who were two exceptional attacking midfielders! We were a bit in the shadow of these players… then there was this bronze medal in Mexico, but after the World Cup was very complicated.

What is your definition of a “football artist”?

I had the chance to play three times against Diego Maradona, there aren’t many French people who have faced him so much! I did France – Argentina where I had the pleasure of scoring a header just before the World Cup in Mexico. Then twice against Napoli where they won the UEFA Cup with a magnificent team. At the time of the Girondins de Bordeaux, we welcomed the Italians in an extremely packed match because everyone had come to see the idol and the living God in Naples. We lost at home 1-0 and we went 0-0 to ten against eleven at San Paolo in the second leg. I was lucky to be able to face him, he was a real number 10.

Between Platini and Maradona, your heart is bound to swing for one of the two!

They were two geniuses, two real artists and with a ball, they knew how to do everything. Michel, he was less a soloist, less individualist. Maradona took the ball and he could change the match as in his goal against England where he is able to eliminate eight players over thirty meters. Platini had scoring qualities but above all he had an exceptional vision of the game and an exceptional level of passing

Far from your time, the France team evolves without a playmaker today. Who do you think could fill this position?

I would say Antoine Griezmann who, not often, did it at one time. He practically evolved behind the attacker even if he is more of a center forward at heart. Often he’s very good when he turns like that around the attacker because he has passing quality and technically it’s very strong. He would have the ability to play in 10. I find that, on the contrary, we have a lot of defensive midfielders: Kanté, Pogba, Nzonzi, Camavinga… We also have very, very good attackers, but unfortunately, we don’t ‘has more old-fashioned midfielders.

What advice could you give to a player who “loves the game” today?

In general, for a number 10, the notion of pleasure is there above all. We love to touch the ball, it must also have an excellent quality of last pass and be skilful in front of goal. The older ones, Zizou or Platoche, that was it!

Interview by Joel Penet

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