Serie A: 5 Players from the 1990s who Deserve More Credit

#3 Attilio Lombardo, Sampdoria, 1989 – 1995

Ruud Gullit and Atilio Lombardo of Sampdoria

Nicknamed Popeye by teammates because of his baldness and physical strength, Attilio Lombardo was a crucial part of the great Sampdoria side that achieved so much in Italy and on the continent during the early 1990s. Blessed with raw pace and a rapid change of feet, Lombardo spent most of his career on the right wing, where he linked up with some of the club's other top talents: Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, and Ruud Gullit (to name but a few).

It is true that Lombardo could be wasteful when presented with opportunities to score. However, he more than made up for it with other areas of his game: his work-rate was second to none; tactically, he was highly versatile and able to play in different positions when required, and his mazy running and crossing from wide on the right would lead to countless goals for the Blucerchiati, for whom he scored 50 times (during two spells) in 304 appearances - not bad for a right-winger playing in the best defensive league during its zenith!

Attilio Lombardo eventually went on to become the first player to win three Serie A titles with three different clubs (Sampdoria, Juventus, Lazio), but it's that first stint at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for which he will be most richly remembered.