Alessandro Circati on the art of defending: ‘Stopping a goal is equivalent to scoring’

The Socceroos and Parma centre-back on finessing his craft in the birthplace of catenaccio, his father’s influence and a World Cup dream

Most football fans would be able to rattle off their favourite goals if pressed. Few, though, would be able to do the same with great tackles. Nonetheless, for Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati, there is a beauty to be found in keeping the ball out of the back of the net out, too.

“Every aspect in football can be considered an art form,” he tells the Guardian. “Defending well is just as hard as attacking well. The ultimate goal in defending, you may think, is smaller than the ultimate goal of what attacking is, but it’s actually the same. You stopping a goal is equivalent to you scoring.”