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catenaccio

British  
/ kateˈnattʃo /

noun

  1. soccer an extremely defensive style of play

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of catenaccio

C20: from Latin catena chain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For the opening stages, Italy keep the door bolted, their solid catenaccio style doing its job.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2022

Soon there was foreign vocabulary, too: the Italian defensive strategy, catenaccio; the wandering “sweeper” position, the libero; the Dutch tactical revolution, totaalvoetbal.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 18, 2018

The nation that gave us catenaccio was cut wide open by a lovely piece of interplay involving Sterling and Young early in the second half.

From The Guardian • Mar. 27, 2018

"We have proved that Italy is not just catenaccio", Conte added, using the Italian word to describe the team's traditional, defensive-minded playing style.

From Reuters • Jun. 27, 2016

This, of course, is no small matter in a country legendary for its defense and the smothering approach known as catenaccio, or door bolt.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2012

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