In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-back John Terry (right) closely marks centre-forward Didier Drogba.
Edwin van der Sar, pictured playing for Manchester United during the 2010–11 season, is considered to be one of the pioneers of the sweeper-keeper role.
Paolo Maldini marking a player during a friendly match
Franz Beckenbauer
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Franz Anton Beckenbauer was a German professional football player, manager, and official. Nicknamed der Kaiser, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players of all time. B
Defender (association football)
…with few clubs in the biggest leagues using the position. The modern example of this position is most commonly believed to have been pioneered by Franz Beckenbauer, and subsequently Gaetano Scirea, Morten Olsen and Elías Figueroa, although they were not the first players to play this position. Aside from the…
Beckenbauer with West Germany in 1975
Beckenbauer (left) after Bayern Munich's Cup Winners' Cup triumph in 1967
Beckenbauer with Diego Maradona during a New York Cosmos friendly in Argentina, November 1978
Beckenbauer (right) and Johan Cruyff shake hands and exchange pennants before the 1974 World Cup final