Top five centre-back partnerships in 21st century

There have been a few iconic duos that dominated and seemed unbreakable as a pair.

Before the three-man defence system picked up pace in modern football, the importance of having a solid center-back pairing at the heart of defence was immense, which even today stands relevant. Any team, be it a club or a national outfit, must have a solid partnership at the back in order to achieve any success.

The focus of the following will be on those iconic center-back pairings that were the foundations of their team’s success and left a lasting impression of how vital that area of the squad is. 

5. John Terry & Ricardo Carvalho - Chelsea FC

Jose Mourinho was appointed manager at Chelsea FC in 2004, after guiding FC Porto to a memorable UEFA Champions League triumph. In his first season itself, the Portuguese manager blew the competition away in one of the most dominating title triumphs ever.

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The foundation to that incredible Chelsea team, which won their first league title in over 50 years, was their center-back pairing of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. The duo were rock-solid and their dominance was rewarded with several records that stand to this day. Among many, they set records like conceding least goals in a season (15), conceding least away goals in a season (9) and securing most number of clean sheets in a season (25).

4. Sergio Ramos & Raphael Varane - Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s recent domination of the Champions League where they won the competition three times consecutively remains one of the most incredible records in recent football history. Zinedine Zidane was blessed with a squad of superstars but the Frenchman’s secret to success was the center-back pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane. 

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The players complimented each other, and stepped up on every crucial moment. Players with different qualities to their game, their contrasting traits were complementary and the duo became a force to reckon with. 

Raphael Varane became a perfect understudy to an established elite defender like Ramos as his physicality and raw potential combined well with Ramos’ perception of the game. Together, the duo have helped the team win many trophies including four UCL triumphs, and are still going strong.

3. Nemanja Vidic & Rio Ferdinand - Manchester United

Manchester United has been a team whose success has come at the back of a solid center-back partnership over the years. Their best-ever center-back pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic propelled the Red Devils into one of the most fearsome sides in Europe. 

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Vidic arrived at United in 2007 and soon formed a rock-solid partnership with Ferdinand who had already established himself at the club. The duo played eight seasons together, collected 21 trophies between them and helped the club to a UEFA Champions League triumph in 2008 and two runner-up placements in 2009 and 2011. 

2. Gerard Pique & Carles Puyol -  FC Barcelona

Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol were a partnership made of two very different personalities and footballers. While Puyol represented a defender who was rugged, carrying in-your-face aggression and zeal, Pique was sort of a defender who was cool, collected and technically sound. This duo was yet another pair which not only complimented each other, but enhanced FC Barcelona’s overall gameplay.

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In the era of tiki-taka football, this defensive partnership allowed the flair players of the FCB to express themselves, assured that any errors will swiftly be dealt with at the back. The duo were instrumental in Barcelona winning the treble in 2008-09 and helped Spain win the FIFA World Cup in 2010 as well.

1. Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini - AC Milan

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AC Milan of the 2000s was a fearsome outfit. The squad was blessed with iconic players like Kaka, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and more. The two pillars of success of that squad were Alessandro Nesta and Paolo Maldini. These two weren’t only a force as a unit, but arguably the best defenders in Europe in their individual selves.

Maldini was in the swansong of his career and had already attained the legendary status in the game, while Nesta established himself as one of the most technically gifted defenders in Europe. The duo justified Italy’s status of producing some of the best defenders of the game and were the reason why AC Milan dominated in that era.

They helped the Rossoneri to two UEFA Champions League triumphs in 2002/03 and 2006/07 and almost secured another UCL when they finished runner-ups to Liverpool in 2005/06.