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19th March 2018
01:56pm GMT

The tackle in question, as seen above, is the epitome of everything that is great about great defending and, as a result, everything that was great about Alessandro Nesta.
There is no energy wasted, no superfluous movements, no unnecessary aggression; everything is calculated, everything is measured and the opponent is dispossessed before his mind has even registered that a tackle is incoming.
Though only in possession for the briefest amount of time, Nesta is consistently in control of the situation, always aware of his next step, always ready to punish the most minor lapse in concentration.
It is the footballing equivalent of world class pick-pocketing, and Nesta was the best in the world at it.
Nesta was the quintessential Italian defender in every sense and remains the benchmark for centre-backs. Strong, elegant and composed, he was from the school which rules that timing rather than power is the defender's best friend.
Most people are aware of and agree with this tenet of defending, but executing it is a different story altogether. While incredibly athletic and capable of competing physically with the best in the game, physicality was often a last resort for Nesta. He was patient in the tackle, willing to wait for his opponent to open himself up for just a millisecond too long and then, just like that, the ball is gone.
Rather than use force to clear both the ball and the man, he deploys perfect timing and skill to bring the ball under his control with a kind of beguiling tranquility, before departing like a thief in the night.
It is a mix of efficacy and beauty which is almost unrivalled in football, as effective as it is pleasing on the eye and an example of someone who has truly mastered his art.
Does this moment fully capture the brilliance of Nesta? Of course not. No more than any still photo of a Lionel Messi run can truly capture the ethereal ruthlessness with which the Argentine runs games.
It is, however, the closest we will get to a distillation of the man. An example in a few grainy seconds of what he brought to the pitch, and an example of why we'll likely never see anyone better.
It is defending and Alessandro Nesta, both in their purest forms.