A free defender in football, he is a libero, aka “cleaner” - a defensive player who does not have a defensive position indicated before the match.
In fact, he chooses this position himself in order to insure his teammates, “clearing” their flaws, and, if necessary, “taking” the ball away.
Today it is widely believed that a smart defender is the enemy of the team. This is partly true - the one who thinks less and plays simply, as a rule, is unlikely to help organize his own constructive attack, but will also protect his own goal as much as possible. Most often, they placed the libero behind the backs of partners as a safety net for more advanced defenders. It would seem that a free defender in football performs simple and even slightly primitive functions, but in practice this is not so. Players like Paolo Maldini or Franz Beckenbauer knew how to choose the right position, as they had an excellent vision of the field.
The position of “free football quarterback” appeared around the 70s of the last century. The game at that time was most often built on the principle of “not to miss and try to score”, that is, the initial task was not to miss, the secondary goal was to score.
On the one hand, this logic is justified: did not miss - did not lose. On the other hand, viewers are interested not only in the result, but also in the quality of the game itself, roughly speaking, people want spectacles. In turn, the presence of a “free defender” position implies a game with five defenders, which means football in the catenaccio style, the ancestors of which are Italians - a purely defensive football.
The second reason why the “cleaners” are no longer in demand is to record an offside position for one player. More specifically, the transition to the game with the new rule. Previously, when the “offside” position was recorded for two enemy players, the defense could advance far enough forward, leaving the libero behind. Today, offside is fixed by one player, and most teams in the world play defense in a line. As a rule, these are four defenders. Less common is the option with three centerbacks and flanking laterals, operating throughout the field edge.
In order to create an artificial “offside” position, the entire line of defense must act synchronously and come forward at the right time.
Thus, the position of “free defender” in football was abolished as unnecessary. Club and national teams gradually switched to the game “in line”. However, the transition took place smoothly, and for a long time a free defender in football was associated with a personal defender, who was “attached” to the eminent and formidable striker, if the opposing team had one. In general, the history of football knows many examples when (in addition to traditional defenders, midfielders and attackers) football functionaries and coaches thought up individual positions on the field to increase the effectiveness of the game. Examples include the winger, playmaker, center forward, false ten, etc.