The back three is nothing new in Italian football, but in 2025/26 it has returned to being one of Serie A’s most recognisable identities. It is not a passing fad: it is a choice that ties together building from the back, width and defensive aggression. In this tactical analysis we look at why several teams have opted for three centre-backs, how the system works, and what its strengths and limits are, with real examples from the league.
The main exponents in Serie A 2025/26
Before getting into the detail, here is an overview of the teams that have made the back three their core structure:
| Team | Coach | Reference formation |
|---|---|---|
| Roma | Gian Piero Gasperini | 3-4-2-1 |
| Atalanta | Ivan Jurić, then Raffaele Palladino | 3-4-2-1 |
| Inter | Cristian Chivu | back three |
The Gasperini school
The modern reference point for the back three in Italy is Gian Piero Gasperini. At Atalanta he turned it into a trademark: a 3-4-2-1 built around clear principles, man-marking all over the pitch, defenders stepping out to press, wing-backs overlapping to provide width, and two attacking midfielders behind the striker. It is not just a formation, it is a way of understanding the game based on initiative and the courage to defend high up.
His move to Roma in 2025/26 brought that model to the capital, confirming how much the back three has become a philosophy before being a shape on the tactics board.
Gasperini’s Roma
At Roma, Gasperini has reintroduced the 3-4-2-1 with a defensive line that has featured profiles such as Mancini, N’Dicka and Hermoso together. The idea is the same as at Atalanta: build from the back with three centre-backs, so as always to have an extra man against the opponent’s first press, and leave the width to the wing-backs. The two players between the lines are tasked with linking midfield and attack, attacking the space between the opposition units.
A project like this needs the right personnel, which is also why the Giallorossi’s transfer business has focused on attacking wide men able to beat their man, the piece that completes a system designed to be vertical and proactive.
Atalanta and continuity
The Atalanta case is a curious one, because after Gasperini’s departure the team did not change its skin. The bench passed first to Ivan Jurić, a graduate of the same school, then to Raffaele Palladino, but the 3-4-2-1 remained the basis of the play, with a defensive anchor like Djimsiti leading the line and the wing-backs providing the thrust. It is proof that, in Bergamo, the back three is not tied to a single coach but has entered the club’s DNA.
Chivu’s Inter
A different story, but the same number of centre-backs, at Inter. The Nerazzurri come from years of playing with a back three and, with Cristian Chivu on the bench, have continued down that road, with a rearguard that has rotated around the likes of Acerbi, Akanji and Carlos Augusto. Here the system is more oriented towards control and balance than the all-out aggression of the Gasperini school: the same skeleton, a different interpretation. It shows that the back three is not a single dogma but a container each coach fills in his own way.
Strengths and limits
The advantages are clear. In build-up, the three centre-backs offer a numerical advantage against the opponent’s first pressing lines and let the wing-backs advance without exposing the defence. Defensively, central density and preventive marking make it easier to double up and track the opposition striker.
But there are risks too. When the wing-backs push forward, the wide spaces can be left open and become the opponents’ favourite route. The system requires defenders who are comfortable on the ball, because the build-up starts with them, and it struggles against quick teams that attack the space in behind: if a man-marking assignment is beaten, the line stretches and concedes ground. It is a delicate balance, one that rewards those with the right personnel and punishes those who improvise.
What to expect
The back three will remain one of the keys to reading the season. With Gasperini’s Roma spreading the gospel in the capital, Atalanta defending its own tradition and Inter cultivating its more balanced version, Serie A 2025/26 offers a small laboratory on how the same principle can produce very different football. The formation alone does not win matches: the players and the ideas matter. But the feeling is that the return of the three centre-backs is here to stay.
Frequently asked questions
What is a back three in football?
It is a defensive system with three central defenders on the same line, usually accompanied by two wing-backs. In the formations most common in Serie A, such as the 3-4-2-1 and the 3-5-2, the three centre-backs provide density and a numerical advantage when building from the back.
Which Serie A teams play with a back three in 2025/26?
The main exponents include Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma with the 3-4-2-1, Atalanta, who kept the same structure even after changing coach, and Inter, who under Cristian Chivu continued along the back-three path inherited from previous seasons.
Who popularised the back three in Italy?
The modern reference is Gian Piero Gasperini, who at Atalanta turned the 3-4-2-1 into a trademark built on man-marking and overlapping wing-backs. His arrival at Roma in 2025/26 brought the same model to the capital.
What are the advantages of a back three?
It offers a numerical advantage in build-up, lets the wing-backs push wide without exposing the defence and creates central density. It also allows more aggressive preventive marking, with the centre-backs able to follow the striker man to man.
What are the risks of a back three?
It exposes the wide areas when the wing-backs push on, requires defenders who are comfortable on the ball and struggles against teams that attack space quickly. If a man-marking assignment is beaten, the line stretches and concedes space in behind.
