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Juventus are the most successful club in the history of Italian football and are widely regarded as one of the biggest clubs in the world. The Old Lady, as they are fondly referred to, have grown used to dominating the Serie A, while they have also enjoyed success on the continental stage.
Over the years, some of the most decorated players to have graced the game have donned the black and white stripes and left lasting impressions at the club. With a staggering 36 Serie A titles and innumerable other accolades domestically as well as in Europe, Juventus are the undisputed kings of Italy.
Since the club's inception in 1897, Juventus set the standard in the Serie A and have progressively grown in stature on and off the pitch.
Juventus set to remain top dogs of Italian football for the time being
From the greats of yesterday to legends in the making like Cristiano Ronaldo, the Bianconeri have always managed to recruit top-class talent and are currently on a run of nine successive Serie A triumphs.
Picking the ten greatest players from a sporting institution of the stature of Juventus is no small feat. The likes of Gaetano Scirea, Gianluca Vialli, Fabrizio Ravenelli, David Trezeguet, Andrea Pirlo and Ronaldo himself do not make the top-ten due to a variety of reasons — such is the stature of the Turin based outfit.
In the case of Ronaldo, the fact that he's only been at the club for two years meant he has not been around long enough to displace the rest of the players on the list. Nevertheless, the Portuguese star is one of the greatest footballers of all time and has already broken several long-standing records in his Juventus career.
Ronaldo looks set to write his name into Juventus folklore in the coming years and is one of the club's finest players despite not making the list.
On that note, here are the ten players from different eras who are widely regarded as the club's greatest ever players.
#10 Giampiero Boniperti | 1946 - 1961
Nicknamed Mr Juventus, Giampiero Boniperti spent the entirety of his playing career with the Old Lady and played a pivotal role in establishing the club's dominance in Italy.
The striker was Juventus' leading man for over a decade but was also equally adept at playing on the wings thanks to his technical ability and versatility. In the latter part of his career, Boniperti also played in a withdrawn attacking midfield position and provided several assists, further highlighting his ability as a footballer.
With five Serie A titles and a Golden Boot to his name, the Italian was Juventus' all-time top scorer and appearance maker, before Alessandro Del Piero broke both those records.
Del Piero has himself said that Boniperti is one of the greatest Italian players of all time, as the striker carved out a piece of history for himself with his exploits at the club.
#9 Pavel Nedved | 2001 - 2009
When Zinedine Zidane moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2001, Lazio's Pavel Nedved was identified was the legendary midfielder's replacement. Despite the weight of expectations on his shoulders, the Czech Republic international endured a stunning spell with Juventus and quickly established himself as a key player in Turin.
Juventus won successive Serie A titles between 2001 and 2003, with Nedved in the thick of the action from an advanced midfield position. The mercurial midfielder also won the Ballon d'Or in 2003 ahead of illustrious names such as Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini, as he cemented his status as one of the best players in the world.
Nedved's versatility coupled with his two-footed ability meant he was blessed with a unique skill set, as he dazzled Juventus fans across the world with his guile on the ball and crossing prowess.
The midfielder remained with Juventus when they were relegated to the Serie A and eventually retired in 2009 with two league titles to his name. Nedved currently serves as the club's vice-chairman and is hailed as one of the club's finest foreign players.
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#8 Giorgio Chiellini | 2005 - present
Giorgio Chiellini is a modern-day Juventus great and has been through thick and thin with the Serie A giants. The Italian defender is a traditional old fashioned defender and has combined elegance with doggedness to incredible effect for the Old Lady.
Known for his positional sense, strength and hard-tackling style, Chiellini's warrior-like attitude has been on display several times over the years for Juventus. The defender is one of two active players on the list continues to play a big role for the Bianconeri despite being 35 years of age.
With 17 trophies to his name including a staggering nine Serie A titles, the Italian defender is Juventus through and through and has been a loyal servant for the club over the years.
Chiellini is one of the leaders of the dressing and a role model to up and coming players in his position, as he looks set to spend the twilight years of his career with the Bianconeri before eventually calling it quits when the time comes.
#7 Roberto Bettega | 1969 - 1983
Roberto Bettega spent a staggering 14 years at Juventus and enjoyed a highly successful spell with the Serie A giants. Hailed as a complete striker, Bettega was dominant in the air and was blessed with physical strength in abundance.
In his prime, Bobby Goal, as was fondly referred to at the time, was one of the most feared strikers on the planet. With seven Serie A titles and several other domestic as well as continental honours, Bettega helped oversee an era of dominance for the Bianconeri.
In 326 appearances for Juventus, the legendary striker scored 129 league goals for the club and was also named Serie A top scorer in the 1979-80 season. Bettega spent the lions share of his career with Juventus and also served as the club's vice-chairman between 1994 and 2006.
#6 Alessandro Del Piero | 1993 - 2012
Alessandro Del Piero is Juventus' all-time top scorer and is hailed as one of the finest attackers of his generation. Dubbed as "fantasista" for his ability to score goals as well as create them with impeccable flair, Del Pierro is arguably the greatest attacker in the club's illustrious history and spent nearly two decades in Turin.
The legendary Italian won six Serie A titles and was also the club's top scorer in the Champions League when they won the competition in 1996.
Having spent almost the entirety of his senior career with Juventus, Del Piero achieved legendary status at the club when he decided to remain with the Bianconeri despite their relegation in 2005.
Renowned for his technique and set-piece ability, the Juventus legend was a complete forward back in the day added to the legend of the club's #10 shirt. He left the club in 2012 and retired two years later after spells with Sydney FC and Delhi Dynamos.
#5 Dino Zoff | 1972 - 1983
When Dino Zoff signed for Juventus in 1972, he was 30 years old and already a seasoned veteran in the Serie A. Having made a name for himself with stints at Napoli, Udinese, Mantova and the Italian national team, Zoff elevated his game to new heights in Turin and exhibited staggering levels of consistency.
Since making his debut in 1972, the Italian goalkeeper sent an unbelievable record of playing 330 Serie A games in a row, a record that stands till date.
Stunningly, Zoff never missed a league game for the Old Lady in his 11-year stint at the club — meaning his 330 appearances for the club arrived in succession.
The legendary goalkeeper was always reliable between the sticks and was someone who also led his sides, having captained Juventus and the Italian national team on several occasions. Zoff wasn't the most exciting keeper around, but his impeccable positioning sense meant he didn't have to make too make flamboyant saves.
The goalkeeper holds several long-standing Serie A records and is undoubtedly an all-time great.
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#4 Paolo Rossi | 1973 - 1975 & 1981 - 1985
Paolo Rossi was one of the most prolific Italian forwards during his days and is amongst the finest players the country has ever produced. Having burst onto the scene at Juventus as a youngster, Rossi departed the club to get regular game time under his belt in 1975 and joined Vicenza.
In 1976, Rossi was subject to a co-ownership deal between Juventus and Vicenza and became the most expensive players in the world at the time.
The Italian striker became the first player in history to lead the goalscorers chart in the Serie B and Serie A in successive seasons, as he began to make a name for himself.
After playing a starring role for Italy in their 1982 World Cup triumph, Rossi returned to Juventus and helped the Bianconeri win two Serie A titles and their first-ever European Cup in the years that followed. In 1982, the striker also won the Ballon d'Or for his achievements with club and country, as he enjoyed a stunning second spell with Juventus.
#3 Zinedine Zidane | 1996 - 2001
Despite plying his trade in Juventus for just five seasons, Zinedine Zidane is hailed as one of the greatest players in the club's history. The Mercurial Frenchman arrived with a reputation with Ligue 1 outfit Bordeaux and became a global superstar in Turin, where he turned heads with a series of eye-catching performances in the centre of the park.
Known for his vision, ball control, technical ability and flair, Zidane is hailed as one of the most naturally gifted players to have ever graced the game.
While players past and present have lavished praise on Zidane's ability, Rob Smyth of the Guardian described his genius perfectly.
"In terms of ball retention he was probably the greatest player of all time, blessed with such grace and supernatural awareness that he could play a game of real-life Pac-Man and never be caught."
Zidane won two Serie A titles and several other honours with Juventus in his five-year stint, while he also picked up the Ballon d'Or in 1998. In the summer of 2001, Real Madrid signed him for a world-record fee at the time, where he further cemented his status as one of the greats of the game.
#2 Gianluigi Buffon | 2001 - 2018, 2019 - present
Gianluigi Buffon's longevity and commitment to Juventus is unlikely to ever be topped. The Italian goalkeeper joined the club for a then world-record fee in 2001 and has since then broken several long-standing records at the Bianconeri.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Buffon recently made history by eclipsing Paolo Maldini's all-time record of 647 appearances Serie A appearances. Over the years, the legendary shot-stopper has cemented his status as a Juventus legend and won several personal as well as club honours.
With a staggering 10 Serie A titles to his name, Buffon is still going strong at the age of 42 and recently signed a one-year extension with the Old Lady. While he left the club for a solitary season to ply his trade for Paris Saint-Germain, the veteran goalkeeper returned to the Allianz Stadium last summer to spend the twilight years of his career.
The Champions League trophy continues to elude the Italian, but he is sure to be remembered as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and a Juventus legend when he eventually decides to hang up his boots.
#1 Michel Platini | 1982 - 1987
In football history, not too many players have made a bigger impact in a five-year spell at any club like Michel Platini did at Juventus. The French maestro joined the Bianconeri in 1982 and spearheaded the club to two Serie A titles and a European Cup.
Platini also won the Ballon d'Or three times in succession between 1983 and 1985, as he took the Serie A by storm with his outrageous ability on the ball. Primarily an attacking midfielder, his game awareness coupled with his set-piece ability made him a force to be reckoned with for Juventus.
Additionally, Platini was also one of the best passers of the ball and Juventus often relied on his natural brilliance for moments of magic. The Frenchman's ability is best summed up by a quote from former Juventus coach Giovanni Trapattoni, who admitted that the mercurial midfielder didn't pay too much attention to his fitness.
"Michel was one of those great players who saw fitness work as being a bit superficial. He used to say, 'We're not going to compete in the 5,000 metres at the Olympics, we have to play with our feet."
Platini retired at Juventus aged 32 and is fondly remembered by fans across the world as one of the club's best-ever players.
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