Francesco Farioli’s commanding Alanyaspor

Francesco Farioli honed his skills at Aspire Academy as many of the more intelligent minds in football have the Doha-based training centre on their CVs. The 33-year-old manager was then the goalkeeping coach for Roberto De Zerbi at Sassuolo as we wrote that the Italian club were one of the first teams to make short goal-kick routines and integral facet of their playing style. He would also coach at Fatih Karagumruk in Turkey, implementing an entertaining style of football before continuing his work at Alanyaspor where the Turkish side finished in their highest league position ever last year. He is currently growing as a young coach as there are a few hallmarks of De Zerbi’s playing style in his system while he has added to these ideals as his side have become one of the more entertaining teams to watch in European football.

Build-up

Farioli’s build-up shape is based on player spacing, attracting pressure, establishing numerical superiority while also utilizing movement in the second and third line to progress play. His build-up shape is not too dissimilar to Roberto De Zerbi’s shape from the latter periods of his Sassuolo tenure as well as the shape from his Shakhtar Donetsk tenure, utilizing closer player spacing to attract pressure before switching the ball or playing deep passes in between the lines while the tight player spacing also allows his team to work quick passing interchanges in small areas and interchange positions with greater fluidity and movement. The 33-year-old will normally utilize a two-chain build-up shape but as his tenure at Alanyaspor progressed, he utilized a three-chain shape against some of the bigger teams while his side would also switch to a three-chain with greater regularity.

Farioli’s team will normally operate in a 2+3 shape with deeper fullbacks as in pressure situations, Alanyaspor will circulate possession to the fullback as their tighter player spacing allows them to play the ball to the ball-far centre-back who will push up with possession and look to work a pass to the eight space, nine-space or to the flank. When the ball is moved to the fullback, the deepest-lying midfielder will also move to the ball-near side as this will allow him to receive possession to work a forward pass or a back-pass to the ball-near centre-back before the centre-back plays the ball to the ball-far centre-back or he will move the opposition line of pressure, attracting a marker to the ball-near flank, allowing the ball-far centre-back to push into the vacated six-space to receive possession or for the fullback to play the ball to the ball-far centre-back to receive possession and have space to drive into. Alanyaspor will normally operate in a general 2-3-2-3 shape with positional fluidity and movement in between the lines.

In the photo above, they are positioned in their 2+3 shape as it has already been mentioned that Alanyaspor will utilize positional interchange in the third line as the winger has tucked inside, with Efecan Karaca normally playing a free role in between the lines. With wingers tucking inside, Alanyaspor will sometimes forego width in the final third in order to create central overloads for players to receive possession in between the lines as they have a 3v2 in the third line. The winger will sometimes tuck into the eight space as if the ball is played to the fullback, the midfielder will make a movement into the wide area with the winger in the half-space, receiving possession as the fullback makes a run into the central spaces as the winger can play the ball to the fullback to play the ball to midfielder on the flank who will cut inside while the winger makes a run outside him to receive possession on the flank and have a high quality crossing opportunity. Sometimes, Farioli’s side will utilize this narrow shape in between the lines as once a player receives possession in between the lines, this will trigger overlapping runs from the fullbacks as one of the 8s will lay-off to the six-space to work a pass to the striker to lay-off the ball for a switch pass to the flank.

In the situation above, Alanyaspor’s numerical superiority in the third line will allow them to have a more fluid interchange of positions to open passing lanes or create numerical superiorities in certain areas of the midfield for connections. The opposition are pressing in a 4-2-3-1 shape as once the ball is moved to the fullback, the wide player will pull into the wide areas while the 8 will occupy the half-space as if the winger pushes up to apply pressure on him, the 8 can drop deep to receive possession. The deepest-lying midfielder will then evade his marker with a little movement, pushing into space to receive possession to drive the ball forward and possibly switch the ball to the weak side. The 8 could also drop deep to draw his marker forward with a timed movement to receive possession directly from the goalkeeper as the centrally placed winger will side-step into the open space in between the lines as the 8 will lay-off to the deepest-lying midfielder to play a one-touch pass in between the lines to the winger as this will trigger the fullback making an overlapping run as he will drive the ball forward into space. If the ball is moved to the fullback, the winger will make a movement into the wide zone while the 8 will hold his position with the ball-far 8 pushing up closer to the nine-space, allowing the striker to drop deep and receive a direct pass in the nine-space to switch the ball to the weak side and make a run into the box or to turn and play a through pass to the 8 making a run in behind.

 In the actual sequence, Alanyaspor would have the wingers stretching play with the central striker dropping deep to create that 3v2 situation in the third line. The goalkeeper would play the ball to the left-sided centre-back who played the ball to the six-space for a lay-off to the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper then pushed the ball forward, driving the ball outside of his box to work a pass to the left-sided centre-back who drove the ball forward and switched a pass to the left winger as the ball-near midfielder made an underlapping run to receive a pass in the half-space and cut-back a cross across the face of goal.

Alanyaspor are not strict on their player spacing in build-up as they may operate as 2-3-2-3 with 8s in between the lines but the 8s are allowed to drop closer to the six-space to receive possession, laying off to the six-space who will play a direct pass in between the lines or play a switch ball to the opposite flank. The 8s will have sequences where they drop deep to receive possession and connect before pushing forward to occupy a space in between the lines, allowing the striker to drop into space and receive possession. There is constant movement in the midfield triangle, especially during pressure situations as the 8 will drop deep to work a quick connection in a tight space while creating space for an early pass in between the lines as well as once the ball is driven to the wide areas from the six-space, the ball-near 8 and winger will interchange positions to create space to receive possession in between the lines or to create space for a direct pass into the channels. Farioli’s side also rely on fluidity in between the lines in the eight space as one of the 8s can receive possession, triggering the ball far 8 to move in between the lines to receive possession as the fullback will tuck inside to receive the ball. This fluidity in the eight space also allows, the winger to tuck into the area when the 8 moves wider or the fullback to tuck into the 8 space when the 8 pushes higher.

Alanyaspor’s short goal-kick routines are similar to Sassuolo’s short goal-kick routines with the importance of attracting pressure as Farioli and De Zerbi were early adopters of these sequences after the rule changes. Farioli’s team will normally line-up in a 2+3/2+4 shape with deeper-lying fullbacks as the Turkish side have also worked sequences where the ball is played to the centre-backs who push up to attract pressure, but the opposition are in a medium block. The fullback has then tucked into the central spaces to receive possession with the ball-near 8 moving into the wide zone in order to work a one-two with the deepest-lying midfielder before looking to switch possession to the flank. Alanyaspor will utilize shorter passing interchanges to attract opposition pressure before playing a deep pass in between the lines in order to create a breaking situation where they switch possession to the flank.

Alanyaspor’s need to stretch the pitch in the build-up phase, especially through attracting pressure to one area by playing the ball to the centre-back before playing the ball to the ball-far centre-back who will have the space to drive the ball forward and look to work passes in between the lines. Switching possession is also an integral facet of their build-up play as the fullbacks occupy deeper positions while the wingers stretch the pitch in the opposition half as Farioli’s side will constantly look to switch the ball to them in space as well as create 1v1 situations for them in the wide areas. Alanyaspor look to attract pressure in the build-up phase, using the width of the pitch to circulate possession with the centre-backs working passes to each other to attract pressure while the fullback will drop into the deeper and wider areas to receive possession, playing direct passes to the six-space or to the ball-far 8 who has dropped deep to receive possession and lay-off to the six-space to switch possession to the ball-far fullback or winger.

Alanyaspor can switch the ball from a variety of areas, be it in the first line of the build-up phase or in the second-line while they will also switch the ball in the third line of build-up play to put players in 1v1 situations on the flank. They will work sequences when the fullback will receive possession in the wide areas and drive the ball inside before playing a pass to the ball-far fullback or ball-far centre-back as if the ball is played to the former, the fullback will work a pass to the ball-near 8 before making a run inside as the winger moves to the wide areas as Farioli’s side can work a pass to release the ball to the winger on the near side or play the ball back into the centre for the fullback to switch a pass for the inverted ball-far centre-back to facilitate a switch to the weak side for the ball-far winger to have a 1v1 situation.

Alanyaspor will always utilize tight player spacing as this allows them to circulate possession rapidly in the build-up phase while attracting pressure as if opposition players move out of spaces, the Turkish side’s tight player spacing will allow a player to move into that area and receive possession. Farioli’s side’s tight player spacing will also allow the fluid movement and interchange of positions, especially in the midfield triangle with interchanges in the six-space to drag opposition players out of position while it also facilitates quick transitions as Alanyaspor can work early passes into the channels for the wingers to make runs in behind. They can work a sequence with a square pass into the half-space for a direct pass into the channels for the winger to make a run in behind, receiving possession and having a crossing opportunity.

In the situation above, Alanyaspor are in one of their tight player spacing situations as they are looking to attract opposition pressure with the centre-backs driving forward with possession. As the centre-back is pushing the ball forward, the one of the 8s is in a direct passing situation while the fullback is in the wide zone. The opposition are in a rigid 4-4-2 defensive shape as the opposition winger has pushed up to close down the fullback while the midfielder has pushed up to close down the deeper-lying midfielder as this has created a yard of space in between the lines for the player in the ten-space to move into open space and receive possession, playing a one-touch pass to a runner on the flank or turning and looking to switch the ball to the weak side. Karaca is also occupying the nine-space as the right-wing zone is vacant as the close player spacing shape allows for late movement into this area. With the centre-back driving forward with possession, the ball-near 8 has moved into the wide space to drag a midfielder out of the central area as the centre-back can work a pass to the deepest-lying midfielder’s front foot where he can receive possession for the ball-far winger making a movement inside to trigger an overlapping run from the ball-far fullback for him to receive possession. Or the deepest-lying midfielder can play a direct line-breaking pass to the nine-space for Karaca to lay-off for the attacker in the ten space to work a pass for the right 8 to make a run into the channels as the fullback will then make an underlapping run, allowing him to cut inside or work a pass into the centre.

In the situation above, you can also see rotations and interchanges in the 9 space as Karaca has tucked inside to occupy the area, allowing the central striker to drop deep and receive possession in between the lines. With the deeper-lying midfielders interchanging positions to attract pressure, Karaca has tucked into the nine-space to occupy the centre-backs, allowing the striker to drop deep and receive possession in between the lines. Once the striker receives possession, the deepest-lying midfielder will push up to receive possession in a lay-off situation before Karaca makes a movement into the open space in the wide zone to receive possession. The tight player spacing allows for these automatisms to take place in such a short space while Alanyaspor can play a long or intermediate pass to get in behind the opposition defence to create a breaking situation. This also allows Alanyaspor to forego width for spacial superiority in between the lines while players can always make late runs into the wide zones to receive possession.

The tight player spacing build-up facilitates interchanges of positions, the opening of passing lanes when dragging markers out of position and delayed runs and movements into space for players to receive possession. The build-up shape will normally be a 2-3-2-3 or a 4-1-2-3 with a staggered triangular midfield line as the 8s maintain higher positions in the 8 space as if the centre-backs are pushing forward with possession, the deepest-lying midfielder will push up and drag his marker out of position while the ball-far 8 will drop into the 6 space to receive possession. This movement can also be utilized when the fullback is in possession with the ball-near 8 pushing up and dragging his marker out of position while the deepest-lying midfielder moves into the half-space to receive possession. The ball-far deepest-lying midfielder will also drop deep to receive possession while the fullback will push into the 8 space as Alanyaspor will create an overload on one flank which will allow the fullback to switch the ball to the ball-far fullback to receive possession and drive the ball forward.

The staggering of the midfield is so crucial to this shape as it allows Alanyaspor to attract pressure while utilizing movement amongst the midfield three to create space and open passing lanes in between the lines. There are situations where the 6 and an 8, normally the right 8 will be in the same line as once the centre-backs receive possession, they will both drop deep to receive possession, dragging opposition midfielders with them before one of them moves towards the ball and the other backs into a pocket of space in between the lines to receive possession. When the right 8 drops deep to receive possession, Karaca will tuck into the 8 space and drop deep to receive possession I the third line, in behind the line of pressure to receive possession, turn and surge forward on the counter-attack while there also sequences when he will drop in between the lines to receive possession while the 8 will push back up into the 8 space as Karaca will make a run into the right half-space to receive possession and drive the ball forward to create an opportunity.

The close player spacing allows Alanyaspor to drag the opposition to one side of the pitch during the pressure phase before switching the ball to the opposite fullback on the weak side as if Karaca is tucked into the 8 space and the ball-near 8 is operating in the same line as the 6, Karaca will push up and make a run into the channels while the 8 will also make a movement into the 8 space. The fullback can play the ball into the wide zone for Karaca who will lay-off to the 8 space while the fullback is making a overlapping run outside him to receive possession as Alanyaspor could create a crossing situation with a triangular passing pattern. In such situations, when Karaca makes the run forward the striker can drop out of the nine-space to receive a direct pass in between the lines and flick a pass onto a teammate making a run in behind to drive forward and create a clear-cut goalscoring opportunity.

Alanyaspor will regularly switch to a three-chain but their essential tenets in build-up play will remain the same as they will operate in a 3+2 shape, circulating possession to attract pressure before playing deep passes in between the lines. There will be staggering, rotations and interchange in the six-space with players making late movements in between the lines to receive possession as Karaca will continue to float in between the lines, receiving possession while also making runs into the channels. Farioli utilized a three-chain against some of the bigger teams in Turkey as his team could circulate possession amongst the back-three to attract pressure while there would be movement in between the lines to create space for deep passes to evade pressure before switching possession to the flank.

In the situation above, Alanyaspor is building up in a three-chain while a staggered midfield three while the opposition look to press in a 4-2-3-1 shape. The back three will circulate possession amongst each other, inviting opposition pressure as once possession is played to the wide centre-back, the opposition winger will be engaged to push up and apply pressure allowing the eight to drop into space and receive possession as he can swivel to a pass to the nine-space. The back-three can also circulate possession, attracting pressure to play a deep pass to the ten space as Alanyaspor have a numerical superiority in the third line with two opposition midfielders while Farioli’s side have three players in that zone.  As the back three-circulate possession, there will be a player making a run forward before a teammate drops deep to receive possession. In the six-space, the ball-near 8 will drop deep to receive possession and establish a double-pivot in midfield as the deepest-lying midfielder will make a late movement into the 8 space to receive possession. These series of movements are complex but allow Alanyaspor to evade pressure with speed and tempo as once the deepest-lying midfielder receives possession in the eight space, one of his teammates will drop deep while the other is making a run in behind. The midfielder could thread a pass in behind to the runner to establish a breaking opportunity or he could play the ball to the attacker dropping deep to facilitate a switch ball.

In the above image, the ball-near wing-back has dropped deep to receive possession while the ball-far wing-back has pushed high as once the wide centre-back receives possession, the ball-near wing-back will drop deep to receive possession as Farioli’s side look to attract pressure in the build-up phase. The Turkish side can attract pressure to one flank to create space for a deep pass into the channels or half-space as well as for the midfielders in the centre who are spaced in a triangular shape to work a routine with a midfielder pushing up and another midfielder dropping into space to receive possession to facilitate a switch to the highly placed ball-far wing-back who will be in a 1v1 situation. An 8 could also drop into the same vertical line as the deepest-lying midfielder to attract a marker before bursting forward to clear a space for the deepest-lying midfielder to receive possession to play a one-touch pass into the forward line.

Alanyaspor’s main tenets of attracting pressure and switching the ball translate to their three-chain build-up as does Farioli’s preference for tight player spacing in the possession phase which allows his team to work little movements to create space for rotations. In their 3+2 shape, movements such as one midfielder dropping deep to drag a marker out of position while his teammate pushes forward to receive possession become more integral in a shape with tighter player spacing. In such situations, Alanyaspor could play a direct pass in between the lines to a teammate for a lay-off to the midfielder who has pushed forward while the Turkish side could also work a direct pass to the midfielder. Alanyaspor will also be more direct with direct passes into the channels for runners while they will also look to work central combinations before switching the ball to the ball-far wing-back who will have a 1v1 opportunity. In build-up situations within their own box, Alanyaspor will utilize the goalkeeper to create numerical superiority while circulating the ball to attract pressure for a deep pass in between the lines which will lead to a layoff and switch while they will also utilize movement in the second line to create space for a pass into the midfield line.

Alanyaspor can seamlessly switch to a three-chain even when they are operating in a system with a back four due to their tight player spacing in possession and continuous fluidity and movement. With their fullbacks remaining in deep positions, the ball-near fullback will tuck inside to create a 3+2 shape to circulate possession or to create a 3+1 shape with two midfielders in the 8 space to create a triangle in midfield. Farioli’s side can utilize this shape to circulate possession and play the ball to the ball-far centre-back to drive the ball forward and pass while if they are in a 3+2 shape, the ball-near 6 will drop deep to receive possession in a wall-passing situation to attract pressure for a deep pass in between the lines. Alanyaspor can also switch to a three-chain with one of the midfielder’s dropping next to the centre-backs, allowing the fullback to push up as a winger tucks inside to the 8 space to receive possession or the fullback will make an inverted movement to occupy the 8 space with the winger dropping into the wide zone to receive possession.

Positional Play

In the opposition half, Alanyaspor utilize movement and quick interchanges to circulate possession in the opposition half as they can create high quality shooting opportunities from through ball and crossing situations. Farioli is an intelligent educator of attacking movement in the final third with strikers moving into space to receive through balls in the attacking line to create high quality shooting opportunites. Karaca is essential in the build-up phase as the multi-faceted conduit is also an integral attacking player, making late runs into space to receive through balls for cut-back opportunites or shooting opportunities inside the opposition box. There is a heavy focus on movement and triangular passing interchanges to circulate possession in the centre as well as stretching the pitch with switches to the wide areas to create high quality crossing opportunities.

In the situation above, Alanyaspor are circulating possession in the opposition half as the movement is apparent with the striker looking to make a run in behind from the central spaces after dropping deep and a player in the right half-space looking to make a run in behind to receive possession as there is a focus on creating progressive passing opportunities for the player in possession. Alanyaspor have players tucked inside to the half-spaces as their shape may seem narrow but this allows the fullbacks to make late overlapping runs into the wide areas to receive possession and have crossing opportunities. The player in the eight space can drop closer to the ball to receive possession, to clear a passing lane for the player to drop deep receive possession, lay-off a pass to his teammate who originally moved to open the passing lane to play a one-touch switch to the flank for the fullback to make a timed overlapping run to receive possession and have a cut-back opportunity. The player in the eight space can also make a dummy movement into the wider areas for the fullback to push up and the player positioned in the half-space to tuck into the ten space to receive possession or dummy a pass to the striker making a run in behind to have a shooting opportunity. The player moving into the ten space can also lay-off for his teammate who moved into the half-space to play a through ball for the striker making a run in behind in a triangular situation.

On the ball-far side, the fullback can make a late overlapping run to allow the ball far winger to tuck into the pocket of space available in the left half-space to receive possession for the striker to make a run in behind while the midfielder in the half-space will move into the ten space to receive a lay-off and lob a pass to the fullback on the flank for a low crossing opportunity on the flank. These situations can also be utilized as a ploy for the player in the half-space to drop deep and move more central, creating space for the fullback to make an overlapping run to receive possession as the striker makes a run behind towards the penalty area before making a dart to the near post to receive a low cross in the box. In Alanyaspor’s positional play circulations, there will be a heavy use of triangular rotations and movements especially in the wide areas with the wingers stretching play as this allows the fullbacks to tuck into the central spaces as auxiliary midfielders, make late overlapping runs into the wide areas or underlapping runs into the half-spaces as well as utilizing the ball-far fullback to tuck into the central zone while allowing the ball-far winger to stretch play.

There is an onus on wide combinations and stretching the pitch as Farioli’s side will employ positional interchanges and blind-sided movements in the central spaces but will also stretch the pitch with the wingers constantly maintaining wide positions. The fullbacks will be positioned centrally for ball circulation and movement as passing options as their positioning facilitates circulations from side to side as they consistently provide passing options for centre-backs and central midfielders. When possession is being circulated from one flank to another, the ball-far fullback can tuck into the midfield line or drop deeper to create a three-chain with the centre backs as in the second scenario, he can receive possession with the winger stretching the pitch to work a pass for the 8 in the half-space or to circulate possession for the ball-far centre-back to drive the ball into space. For the first scenario, the centrally positioned fullback will push up with possession, driving the ball forward to work a pass to the winger, continuing his run into the half-space while the 8 will drop into the fullback zone to receive possession to work a pass into the centre. Alanyaspor can also work a routine where the fullback makes a run into the half-space and the 8 drops deep for the fullback to move into the 9 space to interchange positions with the central striker who will drop deep to receive a pass in between the lines, playing the ball for the winger who will cut inside for the fullback to make a movement to the half-space and then the wide zone for the winger to have a shot on goal or for him to spread the ball to the fullback for the 8 to make a run into the half-space to receive possession and cut-back to the striker for a high quality opportunity.

The wide triangles and movements in the wide areas have been essential to Karaca being a shrewd operator in between the lines as when he is deployed as a winger, he can receive possession in the wide areas and drive the ball into the centre with a teammate overlapping him. When he is positioned in a more central position or Alanyaspor are employing a three-chain as the 32-year-old has the opportunity to float in between the lines, moving into the nine-space, allowing the striker to drop deep and receive possession when the ball is played to the opposite flank as once the ball is played to his ball-near side, he will drop deep and the striker will move into the nine-space. He can also frequently make runs from the nine-space into the half-space to receive through balls for shooting opportunities or make runs into the half-space from triangular passing situations in the wide areas, so he can play low crosses. With ball circulation, Karaca can also move into the half-spaces to receive possession with his ball-near 8 moving to occupy the wide areas as this allows the attacker to occupy a central position with freedom to move in between the lines to receive possession as well as moving into the nine-space.

Alanyaspor operate with a great amount of fluidity in the nine-space as players are constantly moving and making runs off each other in the attacking lines, especially in the central positions. When the ball is moved to the wide areas, the central attacker positioned in the nine-space will make a movement into the wide areas to receive possession, evacuating the nine-space as if the attacker moves to the left flank, Farioli’s team will work a wide combination to create a low crossing situations as Karaca will make a late run into the box from the right flank to receive the delivery. In the nine-space, the central striker will make movements into the wide areas to receive possession while he also makes runs into the channels to receive through balls as in such situations, he vacates the nine-space as there are situations with the ball-far fullback is tucked into the eight space to make a movement into the nine-space to receive possession and have a shooting opportunity. Ball-far 8s will normally make movements into the nine-space as they will normally push into the 10 space when possession is held on the opposite flank before the striker moves into the wide areas or drops deep, allowing the 8 to move into the position. Alanyaspor frequently evacuate the area for teammates in the zone to make late diagonal movements into the area to receive possession after the striker drops deep.

Alanyaspor are constantly stretching the pitch and moving the ball from side to side as this allows the utilize runs and movements into the half-space more effectively as if the ball is circulated for the ball-far centre-back to drive possession forward, the fullback will push forward, allowing the winger to tuck into the half-space to receive possession or the winger will make a movement into the wide areas to receive possession as once he receives possession, the fullback will make an underlapping run to receive possession, the winger will cut inside for the fullback to make an overlapping run while the ball-near midfielder will make an overlapping run into the half-space. Switching situations can also be used to move their inverted fullback into the nine-space as once the ball is switch to the winger, Farioli’s side will work connections to play direct passes into the wide zone for the winger to receive possession, stretching the pitch as the striker has dropped into the eight space to work connections, allowing the fullback to make a run in behind him to receive possession in the nine-space to have a shooting or cut-back opportunity.

In certain situations, Farioli’s side will work quick interchanges while the winger is 1v1 with his fullback to make a movement towards the flank before making a run into the centre for Alanyaspor to play deep pass into the channels for a low crossing situation. In the wide areas, they will also work an interchange where the player in the half-space drops deep to drag a defender out of position to create space for a lobbed pass to the flank to generate a high-quality crossing opportunity. These movements and sequences are akin to a sequence utilized by Felipe Mateos Sanchez with Independiente Juniors as Sanchez is now an assistant coach at Alanyaspor. These situations are also where Farioli’s ideals of late vertical runs into the channels to disorient the opposition defence apply as the late runs into the half-space allow the winger to play the ball into the zone to create high quality low crossing situations.

Farioli’s side also utilize near post runs from the striker to receive a low cross at the near post and have a scoring opportunity while if Alanyaspor are in a situation where the striker has dropped deep and a teammate is occupying the nine-space, once the ball is moved to the by-line, the attacker occupying the nine-space will make a near post run while the striker will move into the centre of the box with the ball-far winger making a movement to receive possession at the back post. In situations where Alanyaspor play the direct pass into the channels and the striker is holding the nine-space, he will drive into the centre of the box towards the penalty spot before making a double-movement, faking a run to the near post before making a run to the back-post to create space for himself to receive the delivery. In wide combination situations, once the winger works a pass into the half-space, he will then make a movement around the half-space towards the near post to receive a direct cut-back to have a shooting opportunity or to square a pass to the top of the box. Alanyaspor take great care in attacking the box as they will usually attack the box with three or four players with an attacker making a run to the near post, an attacker occupying the centre while a teammate occupies the back-post as there will also be an attacker looking to receive a cut-back at the top of the box. If the nine-space is vacated in a crossing situation, the teammate at the back post will make a run to receive the delivery in the centre while the teammate at the top of the box will make a run to receive the delivery at the back post. When they attack the box with three players, they will also interchange positions to receive the ball and create space for the delivery.

Counter-pressing

Alanyaspor look to counter-press, immediately after losing possession in order to deny the opposition counter-attacking opportunities while sustaining attacking moves. Farioli’s side are extremely impressive with the way that they gain coverage in the counter-press, suffocating the opposition to win early turnovers or to force the opposition into playing long passes so their centre-backs can push forward to regain possession. In the counter-pressing phase, gaining coverage is essential for Alanyaspor as they immediately look to engage the opposition player on the ball before shifting to a more man-orientated form of defending to deny the opposition passing options to force a turnover.

In a counter-pressing situation, the closest player to the opposition player in possession will immediately push up to close the space and force a turnover as this could be the player who lost possession, pushing up to regain possession or this could even be a striker, dropping back to regain possession from the opposition player’s blind-side. Alanyaspor’s immediate goal is to deny the opposition player immediate passing opportunities as this prevents counter-attacks while allowing teammates to close down opposition players in the area in a man-orientated fashion. These early moments are essential for Farioli’s side to transition into their defensive shape and get adequate coverage in the zone as if the opposition player works a sideways pass to a teammate, an Alanyaspor player will be in the area to push forward and close down the space while if a back-pass is played to a centre-back or goalkeeper, the Turkish will apply pressure on the centre-back and goalkeeper switching to a man-orientated high press. Once Alanyaspor have man-orientated coverage, if the opposition attempt to play a forward pass then fullbacks and centre-backs will be able to push forward and win possession.

In certain situations, such as build-up situations, Alanyaspor will counter-press as a unit if they lose possession in a position where they have several players surrounding the ball as they will apply pressure as a unit to force an immediate turnover or force a loose pass for their defenders to push up and win an interception. This will normally happen when they lose possession during their transitional phase or build-up phase in order to deny the opposition a counter-attacking opportunity while their position and player spacing on the field will only allow them to switch into a man-orientated press if a back-pass is played. Alanyaspor’s close player spacing in the build-up phase facilitates a seamless transition into a counter-press as once possession is lost, players do not have to cover large areas to apply pressure on the opposition player in possession or cover passing lanes as this is also a factor in Farioli’s side forcing turnovers.

In attacking situations, Alanyaspor play early passes into the channels or crosses into the box as they can lose possession in these situations as they would prefer to transition into the counter-pressing phase as a unit, looking to close down spaces in tight areas before switching to a more man-orientated press so they can apply pressure on the centre-backs and goalkeeper, deny the opposition direct passing options and force long passes. With crosses into the box, the strikers will move to apply direct pressure on the ball when crosses are intercepted, the midfield line and defensive line will push forward while the ball-far winger will tuck inside maintaining equal distances between the central players and the wide areas as if the ball is played into the wide areas, he can push out wide to apply pressure while the ball-near midfielder closes down an opposition player in the half-space and the ball-near fullback will push up to close down the opposition winger. In these situations, the key is being able to transition into the pressing phase seamlessly with the coverage of the man-orientations.

Pressing

During the pressing phase, Alanyaspor employ a high press influenced by triggers and man-orientations as their pressing shape is flexible to gain coverage in 1v1 situations across the pitch. Farioli’s side can employ 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 high press during games but they have also utilized a 4-4-2 diamond high press in more recent times to get adequate coverage across the pitch, being able to mark the centre-backs and the goalkeeper, covering the six-space as well as closing down the opposition in the wide areas. Their pressing shape varies due to their man orientations and the build-up shape of their opponents as they seek to win possession in the opposition half to launch quick attacking moves or force long balls for their centre-backs to regain possession.

Back-passes and wide passes are one of the main pressing triggers for Farioli’s side as if the opposition centre-back receives possession and plays the ball back to the goalkeeper, the ball-near striker will push forward to cover the passing lane in between his defender and the goalkeeper to force a long ball or errant pass into the centre or wide areas. If the goalkeeper is holding possession and attempts to push up with possession, then the ball-near striker will push up to apply pressure on the ball. In certain situations, Alanyaspor will apply pressure on the opposition goalkeeper with two strikers as both strikers will push up to apply pressure on the goalkeeper after a back-pass to force a turnover or a long ball. Alanyaspor will also apply pressure on sideways passes as if the ball is played to the fullback then the ball-near winger will push up to apply pressure with his fullback pushing up behind as the defensive block will shift closer to the flank.

When Farioli’s side are pressing in their 4-4-2 diamond, they will normally look to force backwards passes or sideways passes to lure the opposition into pressing traps while if the opposition switch from having a singular pivot to a double-pivot, Alanyaspor can utilize a 4-4-2 press with the deeper-midfielder tracking his opposition midfielder into the deeper areas. If the opposition move the ball to the wide areas, the ball-near striker will be closing down the centre-back, the ball-near wide player will be closing down the fullback while attacking midfielder will be closing down the midfielder in the six-space. The ball-far striker will tuck into the space in between the centre-backs as if a back-pass is played back to the goalkeeper, he will lead the pressing phase by directly applying pressure from the goalkeeper in the front. The goal is to force turnovers or long passes in the wide areas as Alanyaspor manage space and coverage in the pressing phase with players trading man-marking responsibilities in certain situations as if the attacking midfielder is closing down the six-space for a back-pass, the attacking midfielder will at times push up to close down the centre-back with the ball-near striker dropping deep to cover the six-space. There will also be 1v1 defending across the pitch for players to track markers as if the opposition look to have interchanges in the six-space with one midfielder dropping deep and the other pushing forward, Alanyaspor’s midfielders will track their marking responsibility into the deeper zone while the other midfielder will push higher with their marking responsibility.

In a diamond pressing shape, when the goalkeeper plays the ball to the centre-back, the ball-near striker will push forward to engage him from the inside to force a pass into the wide areas where the ball-near winger will push up to engage the fullback or to his fellow centre-back where his strike partner will make a pressing movement from the outside to deny passing access to the fullback. The attacking midfielder will then push up to close down the six-space as in these situations, Alanyaspor will force a long pass or a back-pass to the goalkeeper which the ball-near striker will push up to press. One of the intriguing facets of Alanyaspor’s diamond pressing shape is that once they regain possession, the players are spaced closer together for quick connections to create goalscoring opportunities or if they win possession due to a long pass being recovered by the centre-back, the centre-back can play an immediate deep pass in between the lines. Farioli’s side could have some interchanges in this shape as if Alanyaspor are pressing as a 4-2-3-1 on one flank and the ball is played to the ball-far centre-back, the ball-far winger will tuck inside to apply pressure while the ball-far fullback will push up to mark the opposition fullback. The striker could even drop deeper to cover the six-space with the wingers applying pressure as the strikers as the ball-far winger has the responsibility of covering the ball-far centre-back when he receives possession, denying him the opportunity to push and work a pass in between the lines. 

Alanyaspor will press as a 4-2-3-1 with the attacker pushing forward to apply the space in between the centre-backs, looking to press both centre-backs from the inside when they receive possession. However, if he is pressing one centre-back and the ball is circulated to the other centre-back, the ball-near winger is tasked with pushing forward to apply pressure on the ball-far centre-back with the attacking midfielder closing down the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder. The ball-near fullback and midfielder will push up to supplement the press in the wide areas while the striker will also shift over to the flank with the ball-far winger tucking inside. If the opposition switches to a double-pivot,  Alanyaspor will seamlessly transition into a flat 4-4-2 shape while in the wide areas, Farioli’s side can also transition into a diamond press to cover the man-orientations of the opposition staggering in the wide areas with the ball-far winger tucking inside, a midfielder pushing up to close down the six-space as the Turkish look to cover their responsibilities in the wide zone.

There are also certain situations where Alanyaspor will transition from a 4-1-4-1 medium block to a high 4-3-3 pressing shape as the opposition will be circulating the ball in their defensive chain. This manoeuvre has been utilized when the opposition are building up in a three-chain and are circulating possession amongst the back three with the wingers pushing up when the wide centre-backs receive possession to create a line of three. The ball-near fullback will push up to apply pressure while Alanyaspor’s 8s look to cover the opposition double-pivot while the ball-near midfielder will also look to close down the half-space, providing press security for the fullback who has pushed up to support the winger. The defensive line will shift across to the ball-near side while the deepest-lying midfielder will drop into a centre-back position to provide cover for the defensive line as they shift while also looking to close down the opposition player in the nine-space, pushing up to regain possession if an early pass is played into that zone. Alanyaspor can press in a variety of different shapes but Farioli’s ideals on man-orientated marking which have been influenced by Torino’s Ivan Juric and Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini will remain the same as they are can constantly alter their shape and adapt to teams during pressing sequences.

Defensive Shape

Alanyaspor will employ a 5-4-1 low block or a 5-2-3 medium block which allows them to close down spaces in between the lines, shift into 2v2 situations in the wide areas while maintaining constant pressure on the ball. With the variety of man-orientated pressing shapes that are utilized, Farioli’s side can transition into a defensive shape with the deepest-lying midfielder dropping into the defensive line to create a back five while the two midfielders will cover the central spaces with the wide attackers dropping beside them. The striker will lead the pressing phase from the front as the Turkish side will look to force back-passes which will allow Farioli’s team to transition into their higher man-orientated press.

In the picture above, the wingers are tucked inside to cover passing lanes into the central spaces as if an opposition player receives possession in between the lines, the ball-near midfielder and winger will close down the space to make a tackle as if the ball is played into the wide areas then the wide player will lead the press. There is an opposition player dropping into space to receive a deep pass in between the lines as if he receives possession, the midfielders will look to close him while the ball-near centre-back will push up to close him down as the ball-far winger will tuck inside to cover the central spaces. The midfielder dropping deep to receive possession at the top half of the photo is the responsibility of the central midfielder as if he receives possession, the winger and ball-near midfielder will close him down as the wingers occupying more central positions allow Alanyaspor to regain possession in units within the central spaces.

In the situation above, Alanyaspor are in their 5-2-3 medium block as they can easily transition in between a 5-4-1 low block and a 5-2-3 medium as once the opposition move deeper into their half, the wingers will drop either side of the midfielders to support their fullbacks and create a rigid defensive line. They can also transition into a 5-2-3 when they are pushing up to apply pressure on the ball to force sideways and back-passes to transition into their higher press and to force turnovers. If the ball is played to the ball-far centre-back then the wide attacker will make a pressing movement from the wide areas to apply pressure on the centre-back, denying him passing access to his fullback while Alanyaspor’s ball-near fullback will push up to mark the winger with the ball-near midfielder pushing up to mark the opposition midfielder. Farioli’s side will utilize these routines to force back-passes so they can transition into a higher press as they can switch to a 4-2-3-1 with one midfielder pushing up behind the striker as the other midfielder pushing into the six-space.

They can also switch to a flat 4-4-2 shape with the ball-near winger tucking into the central spaces, the ball-near midfielder pushing into the wide areas with the defensive midfielder pushing into the midfield line as they can transition into a diamond formation with the wingers pushing up to lead the press while the central striker closes down the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder. They can also transition into a diamond shape with the striker moving up to apply pressure on one of the centre-backs who will play the ball to his partner for the ball-near wide player to close down the centre-backs as a midfielder pushes up to close down the six-space while the deepest-lying midfielder pushes out of the back-line to cover the six-space. In their medium block, if the ball is played to the wide areas then the wide attacker will push up to engage the player in possession while the central midfielders are tasked with covering passing lanes in between the lines while pushing up to engage opposition players when they receive possession in the central spaces. Alanyaspor look to apply constant pressure on the opposition to force backwards and sideways passes.

Defensively, Alanyaspor will predominantly employ a 5-4-1 defensive shape as they can switch into this formation with the deepest-lying midfielder dropping in between the centre-backs or a winger moving into the defensive line to cover for his fullback. Alanyaspor will to cover the central spaces, denying the opposition passing access into these areas and forcing them wide or backwards. The Turkish side look to apply constant pressure on the ball in order to regain possession so that they can launch a quick counter-attack as they can suffer with players moving out of position to track man-markers, leaving spaces in their defence which the opposition can take advantage of.

In the situation above, Farioli’s side are in their 5-4-1 defensive shape with the striker applying pressure on the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder to deny him passing access to the central spaces while the midfield double-pivot have opposition attacking midfielders in their cover shadow. There is a free attacker in between the lines as if he receives possession, the centre-backs will push up to force a turnover with the midfielders looking to close down the space. The ball-far winger is tucked into the central positions as this allows Alanyaspor to shift and close down the opposite flank while if an opposition player receives possession in between the lines, both midfielders will be able to engage he ball with the winger tucking inside to provide cover. This is crucial in pressing situations as well as if a pass is played to a centre-back in his zone, he will push up to apply pressure as if a pass is played directly to the flank, the fullback will push up to win possession or the winger will chase the ball to the wide areas. If the ball is played back to the centre-back with the winger in the wide areas, the ball-near midfielder will push up to press with the deepest-lying midfielder pushing out of the defensive chain to cover for him.

The striker’s role is to cover the six-space as well as apply pressure on the centre-backs as he will constantly scan to check if the midfield line is pushing up with him and if the wingers are in positions to close down passes to the wide areas before pushing forward to trigger a higher man-orientated press. When the ball is moved to the wide areas, the 5-4-1 low block is essential in covering opposition triangular passing routines as the winger will close down a deeper player as the fullback will close down the opposition wide attacker with the ball-near midfielder closing down an opposition attacker in the half-space or pushing forward to support the winger while covering the passing lane to the half-space. If the opposition attacker in the wide zone and the opposition attacker in the half-space interchange, then the players will remain in their respective zones as they will not be drawn out of their positions in the low block.  

In the midfield zones, the midfield double-pivot have been tasked with covering passing lanes while if a player receives possession in their zone, they will push up to close down the player as the defensive block as a whole will push forward with them to maintain a rigid defensive block and close down spaces in between the lines. Once the midfielders push forward to close down a player, the opposition attackers in between the lines become the responsibility of the centre-backs as if a pass is played into their zone then the centre-backs will push forward to recover possession. Operating with a back five allows the centre-backs to push out of position with the rest of the defensive line tucking inside to cover their position. There are also situations where the midfielders maintain deeper positions to cover passing lanes as Alanyaspor’s wingers will tuck into the centre to apply pressure on central players as the central striker will drop deep to cover passing lanes. Farioli’s side prefer to maintain small distances in between the defensive and midfield lines as this allows the ball-near midfielders and wingers to cover for teammates, track runners into the box to make blocks or tackles as once a centre-back pushes up to track a marker, his ball-near midfielder or winger could drop into the defensive line to cover for him.

There are situations when Alanyaspor are in their 5-4-1 shape as the ball is played into the space behind the midfielder as Farioli’s team will respond with the ball-far midfielder shifting to provide cover and make a tackle. The ball-far winger will also tuck inside to close down the man in possession if the second midfielder is beaten while a centre-back will also push up to engage the man in possession to eventually regain possession. The midfielders will cover for each other when passes are played into their zone and they are unable to win the initial turnover while the wingers will tuck inside and cover as the ball-near centre-back will push up as in the defensive phase, Farioli has implemented an ideal of defenders constantly covering for each other while the rigid defensive block facilitates this.

Set-pieces

Farioli has also experimented with short corners during his tenure in Turkey as well as different set-piece variations and sequences as the 33-year-old coach is not averse to innovating from a set-piece standpoint. He would employ a short corner sequence with an attacker moving out of the box towards the corner-kick taker while dragging a marker with him. As the attacker was moving towards the corner-kick taker, another attacker made a movement into the box, towards the near post, as Alanyaspor had 4 attackers against 7 defenders. However, before the corner-kick was taken, Alanyaspor only had 3 attackers in the box as once the pass was played to the attacker who moved out of the box, another attacker made a late run into the box. Once the pass was played and the player next to the corner-kick taker turned to play a cross into the box, the player making the second late run into the box, redirected his run to the near post, allowing the attacker positioned at the near post to move into the centre as a delivery was played into the near post which was mis-kicked as the ball rolled across the face of goal for a player at the back-post to score with a simple tap-in. This corner-kick routine utilized fluidity at the near post to disorient the opposition defence as the player who originally moved to receive the ball, moved from the near post, dragging his marker with him while a second run was made to the near post which was a decoy for a third near post run. This forced the opposition defence to focus on the near post while allowing an attacker to ghost in at the back-post and apply the finish.

Farioli would employ another short corner situation as this time, a teammate was positioned closer to the corner-kick taker while another teammate was positioned in the half-space to create a 3v2 in the wide zone. Alanyaspor had 5 attackers against 7 defenders in the situation as once the short corner was played, a player made a late run into the box towards the near post. The ball was played to the player nearest to the corner-kick taker who played the ball for the teammate in the half-space as the Alanyaspor attackers moved towards the top of the box. A direct looping in swinging cross was then played into the box as it was held by the goalkeeper. Although this corner did not directly lead to an opportunity, the design of the corner was intelligent as Alanyaspor could have better utilized this situation as the players could have held their position to ensure a deep defensive block as once the ball was played into the half-space, a one-touch pass could be played to the teammate who made an early run into the box as the original corner was making a run into the box to receive a lay-off for a cut-back to the top of the box and a shooting opportunity. Pinning the opposition into a deep defensive block could have been utilized to allow the original corner-kick taker to remain in an onside position as once the ball was played to him, a teammate could have made a late run to the top of the box to receive a cut-back and apply the finish. A deeper cross could have also been played to the back-post for a late run to the back-post as this is a corner-kick routine worth revisiting and revamping in the future.

Farioli also utilized an intriguing throw-in situation from the right flank of the opposition half as an attacker moved towards the throw-in taker before making a run into the box. The attacker would drop deep once more as another attacker occupied an offside position to drag an opposition defender away from the situation. Once the attacker dropped deep for a second time, a teammate made a movement in behind him to receive possession in the channels before clipping a cross to the back-post for an attacker to head over the bar. This another set-piece situation that could be revisited and revamped as once the ball was played into the box, a teammate could have made a run to receive possession in behind to have a shot or to make a decoy run for a higher quality cut-back into the same zone for a teammate to tee-up a runner for a better shooting opportunity or take his own shot. Alanyaspor had the personnel for further movement and runs in this situation to create a better cut-back and shooting opportunity.

In a deeper central area, Alanyaspor also had a short free-kick situation where they did not have a single player positioned in the centre of the box. They had three players positioned around the free-kick, 4 players positioned on the left side of the box as well as two players on the right side of the box. On the left flank, it was a 4v4 situation while on the right, it was a 2v2 situation as the opposition had two supporting players for each side positioned in the centre as well as a wall of one player and another defender positioned outside the box. For the free-kick one player made a dummy run and rolled the ball to a teammate to work a pass to the left where a teammate dropped deep to receive possession as his teammates made runs into the box for the player to loft a delivery to the right as a player at the back-post played the ball into the centre as an attacker lost the initial aerial duel. Alanyaspor were positioned perfectly to regain possession outside of the box to send a shot high and wide from range. Despite not being able to score from the situation, the design of the free-kick was phenomenal as after the initial ball into the box, an attacker from the left made a run towards the near post, dragging a defender out of position and clearing a space in the centre of the box as a better delivery could have resulted in a goal. Alanyaspor could have also had a late run into that area for a teammate to apply the finish. However, Farioli’s side were perfectly positioned to regain possession in the case of a deflection.

Conclusion

Farioli is in his second professional job as he has already committed to a style that has hallmarks of some of the proactive attacking managers of the modern-day era such as Roberto De Zerbi and Gian Piero Gasperini. The early stage of his career in Turkey has been utilized to build a training methodology while expanding on his ideas out of possession as he was linked with Spezia job in the summer. His team are a work in progress as they currently sit 12th in the expected goals table, have an expected goals conceded number of 11.17 as they have conceded 15 goals this season while they are currently 2nd in passes per defensive action (PPDA). It is integral to remember that they have played some of the bigger sides such as Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir to start the season as this may have had an effect on their metrics. The 33-year-old is certainly a manager on the rise as Alanyaspor finished in their highest ever position last season as Farioli will look to build on that this year. His next move will probably be to Serie A as his style suits that league very well as Lecce have an intriguing young squad and methodology for recruitment which should suit him as do teams like Sassuolo and Sampdoria while teams like Parma in Serie B should be targeting him. Alanyaspor will be one of the teams to watch in Europe this season.