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

If you wanted to watch the absolute best football on offer during the 1990s, you simply had to tune in to the Italian Serie A. At that time the richest league in the world, clubs such as Juventus, Parma, Napoli, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Internazionale, Sampdoria, and Lazio were able to attract the world's top talent to the country, and what ensued was probably the greatest tactical war ever to grace modern sports, as flamboyant stars from across Europe and South America did battle against Italy's meanest, defensive-minded players and managers.

Many of the players on show during this era became household names: Zinedine Zidane, Paulo Maldini, Luis Nazario De Lima Ronaldo, Marco Van Basten, Franco Baresi, Michelle Platini, Ruud Gullit, Michel Platini, Diego Maradona, etc.

However, countless others do not receive the plaudits they deserve outside of Italy. This is mostly due to just how many exceptional players there were on show in Italy at that time, and also because it was such an incredibly tough league to score goals in, so fantastic players don't always have fantastic stats to back up their worth.

This article aims to showcase a few of those players who have slipped off the radar, giving us a chance to reflect on their brilliance together as a readership.

So, let's get into it! Here are five players from 1990s Serie A that we feel deserve much more of a mention:

#1 Zvonimir Boban, AC Milan 1991-2000

One of the most technically proficient players to ever pull on the famous l Rossoneri jersey, Zvonimir Boban could do it all with the ball at his feet. The Croatian-born technician was brought to Milan from Dinamo Zagreb in 1991 for a fee of £1.35 million.

He spent his first season on loan at Bari, where his raw-talent impressed, and he was called back into Fabio Capello's squad in time for the club's next assault on Serie A. Boban quickly cemented himself as a regular starter for the club and dazzled fans with his close-control, dribbling-skills, tenacity, and eye for a pass. He went on to help Milan to the Scudetto four-times in nine years and Champions League glories in 1994, humbling a strong Barcelona side in the final - 4-0!

An attacking-midfielder of immense quality, the man from Imoschi ended his AC Milan career having scored 21 goals in 178 matches in Serie A — a notoriously difficult division to get goals in. However, it's important not to judge this talent on his stats alone; Boban had the ability to dominate football matches, created chances galore, and inspired those around him with his gutsy and combative displays from the center of the park — a genuine player's player that isn't discussed nearly as much as he should be. All hail Zorro!

#2 Manuel Rui Costa, Fiorentina, 1994 – 2001

Of all the players on this list, Rui Costa is probably the most popular, however, it's your writer's opinion that he was so incredibly good that he should be discussed on a weekly basis as opposed to only when a new Portuguese wonder-kid breaks on to the scene, and the former Fiorentina and AC Milan ace is uniformly brought up as a means of comparison.

He arrived in Florence from Benfica in 1994 and quickly established himself as one of the finest footballers of his generation, earning himself the recognition of Brazilian legend, Pele, who named him one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers in 2004.

The Maestro (as he was known) generally operated as an attacking-midfielder but due to his touch, creativity, and work-rate, he was more than capable of dropping deep to orchestrate play, too.

The Portuguese ace moved to Milan in the later stages of his career, and it was at the San Siro where his incredible skill would finally be rewarded. He lifted the UEFA Champions League in 02/03 as part of an experienced Milan side that overcame great rivals Juventus in the first ever all Italian final at Old Trafford. The same side went on to lift l Scuddeto in the 03/04 season.

However, it is in Florence, where he played with Argentinian goal-machine, Gabriel Batistuta, that most of us remember his genius: the tricks, the chip shots, the flicks, the eye of a needle passes, the turns, the long-range strikes, and the rest. Manuel Rui Costa was unplayable on his day in the famous Viola of Fiorentina, where he spent 7 seasons, scoring 38 times and registering 9 assists in 215 Serie A appearances.

The skillful midfielder went on to inspire the next generation of Portuguese talent, including a young boy from the island of Madeira, named Cristiano...

"At that age, I was looking at a big reference in the national team, for example (Luis) Figo, Rui Costa, Fernando Couto. It was kind of a dream to reach that level."

#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.

#4 Sinisa Mihajlovic, Lazio, 1998 – 2004

Sinisa Mihajlovic spent most of his career in Italy and was superb whatever kit he pulled on. However, it was during his time at Lazio that he hit his best form in terms of goals and finally lifted the Serie A title in the 1999/2000 season.

The defensive hard-man operated at left-back for most of his career but was also adept at playing as a defensive-minded left-midfielder. Though not blessed with the pace or technique of some players mentioned already, Mihajlovic was untouchable on two counts: his left foot was magical, and he was an absolute master of discomposing opposition players. (Think of a Yugoslavian Luis Suarez, but a tough tackler and an even tougher guy.)

Mihajlovic is one of only two players to have ever scored a hat-trick of free-kicks in Serie A (Giuseppe “Beppe” Signori is the other player to have achieved this feat), and he is the joint record holder for most free-kicks scored in the division, a title he shares with Milan legend Andrea Pirlo. He was also incredible when it came to spreading the play from one flank to the other and more than capable of hitting Beckham-esque long balls for forwards to run on to.

Readers can cast their eyes over the video above to see just how good he was in dead-ball situations, but for even-better viewing experiences, try searching for some of his most aggressive tackles and moments of rage online — the man was intense!

#5 Demetrio Albertini, AC Milan, 1988 – 2002

Demetrio Albertini and Alessandro Del Piero

Demetrio Albertini played for AC Milan for most of his career and was instrumental in their success during the 1990s. However, his importance to the club's on-field dominance of both Italian and European football during that era often goes under the radar — outside of his native Italy (obviously) — and that's why he's included here.

“He played in front of Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi, and Maldini, one of the best backlines world football has ever seen, but his role as guardian of their blockade is often overlooked due to his quiet demeanor and lack of ego.” (the Gentleman Ultra)

Regarded as the metronome of l Rossoneri, the Italian engine ran the show for AC Milan during his fourteen years at the club. He was usually deployed as a deep-sitting midfielder and was tasked with sweeping up in front of the defense, winning back possession, and laying the ball off to the array of attacking talent that surrounded him (George Weah, Dejan Savicivic, Roberto Baggio, et al.)

However, Albertini was so much more than that! His array of passing was magical to behold at times; his tactical awareness was second to none; he had an incredible motor, enabling him to influence proceedings from the first minute to the last in both attack and defense; he could shoot; he could assist; he was powerful and prepared to fight for every ball — the man could do it all, and any club in history would have been lucky to have had him at its disposal.

By the time he finally decided to leave the San Siro in 2003 (following a loan stint in La Liga at Atletico Madrid), Albertini had won l Scudetto five times and had chipped in with 21 goals in 293 appearances. Truly one of the game's great unheralded players (outside of his native Italy).

What do you think of my list? Think you can do better? Leave your comments below:

Edited by Aaditya Narayan