If I were to use the word “dramatic” and associate it with a top football league, the first impression that many a reader would have is that I’m talking about England’s fast-paced Premier League.
Yes, the Premier League has a special kind of charm, with its end to end, physical, non-stop action spreading joy and stealing the hearts – when it’s not in fans’ mouths – of football fans all over the world. And at this moment in time, yes, the Premier League is probably the “most dramatic” there is.
But, if one were to turn back the clock, and branch out into the finer arts of philology, and check with the etymology of “dramatic”, it can be fairly accurately guessed that the late Latins used the word to describe events outside theatre, and liken events in real life which jump out of the page to those which happen in stories or plays.
Italy has always been a country with a touch of magical realism (the general acceptance that magical or unrealistic events happen in the real world) about it. It is a place where culture is revered, food is delectable, and passions run high. Italy is also a country where a controversy is always just around the corner. These facets make life in Italy, an almost real world, never ending drama”(albeit, as with everything good and great which have sustained over a considerable period of time, one with low ebbs).
And everyday life in Italy is so deeply intertwined with football, that a connection to dramaticism can be made, with Italy’s Serie A, where the football players and clubs act as the artists, the football pitch is the stage, the football season is the story, the fans are the audience, and where Italy itself, represents a maverick atmosphere which makes football much more than a game in the boot-shaped country.
Owners who are politicians or movie directors, scandals such as the Calciopoli, pizza, fashion, glitz, glamour, intense tactics, and world class players certainly added to Serie A’s dramatic appeal when it had it’s day in the sun.
It may take a purist to appreciate this, just as it takes a purist in cricket to enjoy the Test format, and if that is the case, it is for the purist that I write this. Here is my take on Serie A’s best XI. It was not an easy task in any sense, and it was so hard that I had to add a substitutes bench in order to not do injustice to some of the greatest players to ever play the game.
The team takes place in a 3-4-3 formation.
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon
Italy’s most capped goalkeeper just shades Dino Zoff (who has to settle for a place on the bench) to claim the position between the sticks in this all-time XI. Buffon holds the record for the most-clean sheets in Serie A, as well as with the national team. He is considered by pundits, coaches, and fellow players alike, to be one of the greatest goalkeepers ever, and he lays claim to a number of records.
He made his Serie A debut for Parma in 1995, aged 17, against eventual Champions Milan, against whom he kept a clean sheet in the game. Buffon became the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the game when Juventus splurged a whopping €51m on him. He was only 23 at the time.
Buffon has made 808 career appearances and held himself within high distinction throughout his long career. He also holds the record of going the most number of minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A history (974 minutes).
Buffon was also runner-up in the Ballon d'Or in 2006, a rare and commendable feat for a goalkeeper, and he recently also won the Golden Foot award, becoming the first goalkeeper in the history of the game to do so.
Defenders
Centre-back: Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi is a legend. No other words do the great sweeper justice. The "Kaiser Franz", as he was aptly dubbed, was voted Milan’s Player of the Century, which is no mean feat given the plethora of talent to have played for the grand old club.
He spent his entire 20-year career with the Milanese club, winning a host of titles on the way. Baresi also finds a place in the Italian Football Hall Of Fame, to which he was inducted in 2013.
Baresi was a complete defender, with commendable physical prowess, aided by his almost inhuman mental strength and concentration. He was a ball player and one of the most elegant defenders of all time. Baresi was most comfortable as a central defender or sweeper but was able to play anywhere across the backline or even midfield on occasion. He was a strong tackler and possessed excellent reading of the game, allowing him to be efficient at intercepting balls meant for opposition forwards.
Baresi made a total of 719 career appearances, scoring 33 goals. He won 2 Intercontinental cups, 3 Champions Leagues, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 6 Serie A titles, and 4 Italian cups. He also won the 1982 World Cup with Italy.
Centre-back: Paolo Maldini
Skill? Check.
Reading of the game? Check.
Physical Strength? Check.
Longevity? Check.
Leadership? Check.
5 Champions Leagues? Check.
7 Serie A titles? Check.
Best defender of all time? Check.
Oh, and captain of this team? Check.
Paulo Maldini was a leader of men, and the man’s immense tactical nous can be summarised by a few words he once uttered himself, “If I have to make a tackle, I have already made a mistake.”
Maldini represents both the antique and the modern, and a feature of a great player is one who can adapt and play just as well across generations. Maldini has proved that.
Centre-back: Gaetano Scirea
Juve’s no. 6 during the from 1974-88, Scirea was a class defender. There was hardly physicality in his play, which is highly unusual for a defender, and he remarkably never got a red card in his entire career.
The Former Atalanta defender spent 14 highly successful years at Juventus, winning 7 Serie A titles amongst a host of other titles. He was precise in the tackle, tactically aware, and useful on the ball. He also made 78 Italy appearances, scoring two goals for his national team.
Scirea was also an excellent human being, with the football world mourning his loss, when he sadly died in a car crash in Poland at a young age of 36.
Midfielders
Right central midfielder: Javier Zanetti
Inter legend Javier Zanetti was an example of professionalism, loyalty, hard work, and talent when he was a player. The Argentine played over 1,000 professional games in his career, including 140+ for Argentina.
Zanetti could play anywhere across the backline and midfield and was famed for his discipline, pace, and immense stamina.
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs called Zanetti his most difficult opponent, saying “The most difficult opponent to play against was Javier Zanetti, I faced Zanetti for the first time in the Champions League quarter-finals in 1999, he was the right-back and I was on the left. He impressed with his qualities, his speed, power, intelligence and expertise. I played against him twice more and he was my most difficult opponent, a complete player."
The former Inter captain played professionally until he was 41, and he won plenty of titles with Inter, most notably the Champions League in 2010.
Central defensive midfielder: Andrea Pirlo
When Pirlo moved across Milan from Inter to Milan, nobody expected him to be one of Italy’s all-time great players. But a change of position from Trequarista to Regista did the trick. Pirlo used his divine vision from deep to control games, create chances, and carry out tactical instructions to a tee. He played for Inter, Milan, and Juventus, and is respected by the fans of all three teams.
He was also a set piece master and had a great variety of kicks in his armoury. He could play long, loopy balls into the box, or he could drill his free-kicks in flat, and with pace. He also scored some sublime free-kicks and penalties, memorably chipping Joe Hart in the shootout against England in the Quater-Final of Euro 2016.
Pirlo won 2 Champions Leagues, and 6 Serie A titles alongside a number of other trophies.
Left central midfielder: Pavel Nedved
Quick, Two-footed, and powerful, Pavel Nedved was one of the best players of his generation. Often utilised off the left of midfield, Nedved could also play anywhere in the middle of the park.
Nedved had never ending stamina, giving him a huge physical advantage over his opponents. He was an able dribbler, and a good crosser of the ball as well. Nedved also had a powerful shot and wonderful technique on the volley. Nedved also had good vision which allowed him to thread passes to the forwards and create chances for his teammates.
The Czech man also never shirked from his defensive responsibilities with his work rate being a gift for the coaches he played for. The fact that he “replaced” Zidane and wasn’t found wanting makes a case to what a great player he was.
Nedved spent 13 highly successful years in Italy, and he remains in the hearts of all Italian Football fans.
Central attacking midfielder : Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane may be synonymous with Real Madrid, but his best years arguably came when he played for Juventus. Not much needs to be said about the former playmakers ability as he is widely acknowledged as one of football’s greatest ever players.
The French maverick won the Ballon d’Or in 1998 while playing for The Old Lady, and the way he floated around defenders like they were not there was a treat to watch.
Zidane displayed the kind of form that prompted Madrid to splash out a then world record fee on him.
Zidane made 209 appearances for Juventus over 5 years and scored 31 goals. He won two Serie A titles for the Turin side, along with a number of other trophies. While at Juventus, Edgar Davids, his then teammate said, "He is a special player. He creates space where there is none. No matter where he gets the ball or how it comes to him, he can get out of trouble. His imagination and his technique are amazing".
Forwards
Right striker: Diego Maradona
Arguably the greatest player of all time, Maradona won two Serie A titles with Napoli at a time when Milan dominated the domestic scene in Italy. The Argentine scored some sublime goals for the Naples side, and he was part of the famous Ma-Gi-Ca attacking trident along with Careca and Bruno Giordano, which propelled THAT Napoli side into football folklore.
At his best, Maradona could probably rival current day Messi for dribbling skills, touch, balance, and goals. The Argentine was quick, talented, and ultimately fun to watch as he destroyed defences across the Italian top flight as he etched his name into the history books. Here is a glimpse of what he could do:
Left striker: Roberto Baggio
Italy’s Roberto Baggio was probably the greatest ever forward the boot-shaped nation has produced. He was dubbed the “divine ponytail” for his iconic hairstyle, and his attributes included pace, finishing, vision, and touch.
As controversial as he was talented, the multiple Serie A winner always proved his doubters wrong on the pitch. He also had an amazing 1994 FIFA World Cup, but his tournament was ultimately stained when he missed a fatal spot kick in the final vs Brazil.
Baggio was entertaining right from his debut to his last game, and he hung up his boots at the age of 37, underlining his longevity.
Centre forward: Gunnar Nordahl
A guy who can score 210 goals in just 257 games in the most defensive leagues in the world deserves to lead the line in this mythical XI. The Swede played a vital role for Milan and was the deadliest goal scorer in Italy’s top flight.
Nordahl was also probably the best January signing in the history of football, and he was on fire throughout his time at Milan. He opened his goals account for Milan 50 minutes into his debut, and he ended his first season with 16 goals in just 15 games.
When Andriy Shevchenko scored his 100th goal for Milan, some supporters said , "Well he can double that number, and then add another 26, then, and just then, he has passed Il Cannoniere.”
His goals can be seen here :
The final team would look like this:
Serie A has had so many good players that it was impossible not to have a substitutes bench for this team. I have also named who I think would have been best to coach this team.
Coach: Arrigo Sacchi
Substitutes:
Dino Zoff: Dino Zoff was just shaded by Gigi Buffon on this lineup, and the classic goalkeeper was a tremendous professional. Buffon won through because of the records he has, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Zoff was an amazing goalkeeper as well.
Alessandro Nesta: Alessandro Nesta was known for his elegance in the tackle, as well as his tight marking. He will be an able deputy to the 3 defenders ahead of him in the lineup.
Valentino Mazzola: Mazzola was a class forward, but Maradona, Baggio, and Nordahl had to start. Nevertheless, if a goal was needed, Mazzola would be the first name off the bench.
Giacinto Fachetti: The only reason Facchetti didn’t make the starting XI was the formation this team lines up in. If a change in formation was implemented, Facchetti would ably slot into the left-back role.
Giuseppe Meazza: "Peppino never wanted to hear about tactics. He was a simple person who became a king when he entered the goal box, with a technical ability that was comparable to Pele." said one of Meazza’s former team-mates, and such a man definitely deserves a spot in our squad, albeit as a backup to the three legendary forwards who start.
Michel Platini: It was a straight call between Zidane and Platini, and Zizou won out. No other player would have gotten ahead of Platini, but as it stands, he has to make do with a place on the bench in this line up.
Gianni Rivera: The “Golden Boy” of Italian football completes this squad, giving it a formidable look, and ready to defeat any opponent put in front of it.
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