Felipe Melo – The Head

Some people are born leaders, or become them when the occasion calls for it.

At the beginning of his career, Roberto Mancini favoured a purely technical midfield. At Inter, too, we saw Figo, Cambiasso, Veron and Stankovic lined up from right to left. Pure creativity, perhaps at the expense of physical presence. Things were different in England, where he developed a footballing admiration for Yaya Tourè. Physical strength and technique, mobility and leadership: in the Ivorian, Mancini saw the midfielder he wanted at the heart of his team.