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Friday 25 January, 2008

Blog: Simply The Best

Who has been the most iconic player in Serie A during the past 16 years? It is a tough question, but one you will find answered in the latest edition of Calcio Italia. Steve Wilson gives his view on the subject

If you have been watching Football Italia or reading Calcio Italia since September 1992 you will know that there have been some world-class players on show in Serie A during that time.

To pick the best one of all is surely an impossible task? Well, that is exactly what we have done in the latest edition of Calcio Italia – our 150th issue – which will hit news stands this Friday. We weren’t just looking for the best players though, they had to be Icons – players who really made a difference and enticed viewers to watch the Italian game. So who is top of the pile? You will have to buy the magazine to find out our top 15, but there is sure to be some controversial choices.

For starters, there are nine Ballon d’Or winners to consider – Kaka, Fabio Cannavaro, Andriy Shevchenko, Pavel Nedved, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, George Weah, Roberto Baggio and Marco Van Basten, all of whom must surely be in contention?

Van Basten retired at the end of the debut 1992-93 season, so did he do enough in that one year to earn inclusion? A strike rate of 13 goals in 15 games, a Scudetto medal and Champions League Final appearance says he has to be in contention.

Which other greats from the 1980s encroached into the 1990s enough to earn a mention? The legendary defensive masters Franco Baresi and Giuseppe Bergomi, perhaps? How about some of the Italians who graced the Premier League? Fabrizio Ravanelli, Gianfranco Zola, Paolo Di Canio and Gianluca Vialli were all big names before they took their talents to Britain.

There are also those who went the other way to consider. Without Paul Gascoigne’s move to Lazio there wouldn’t even have been a Channel 4 show to begin with. Did Paul Ince make a big impact at Inter? Or was David Platt the most successful British export?

There have been plenty of goal-getters who have lit up our screens, such as Giuseppe Signori, Roberto Mancini, Gabriel Batistuta, Christian Vieri and David Trezeguet. Or is it the classy defenders and goalkeepers like Ciro Ferrara, Alessandro Nesta, Walter Zenga and Gianluca Pagliuca who get your vote?

More recently you have to look at the World Cup winners of 2006. If we are talking about Icons then look no further than Marco Materazzi. What about club flag bearers like Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti? And, in a team full of heroes, how can we overlook Gennaro Gattuso, Fabio Grosso and Andrea Pirlo?

So many great names have given us pleasure since 1992, as you can see from the selection included above – and we haven’t even mentioned Paolo Maldini and Roberto Baggio. To find out who our team of experts chose you will have to pick up the February issue of Calcio Italia, but before you do, take a moment to let us know who you would have picked as your No 1 Calcio Icon.

Have your say on this issue. Email us at: fieditorial@channel4.com

Paolo Maldini … No explanation needed!
Alan Dillane

Without a doubt it must be Paolo Maldini at no 1.
Franco Bina

Marco van basten is different gravy.
Alessandro Constantin

My personal choices...Italian players - Maldini and Roberto Baggio. Foreign players - Zinedine Zidane, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka.
Fabio Di Mario

PAOLO MALDINI, PAOLO MALDINI & PAOLO MALDINI! That is your top 3. If every League did a similar vote then no League would have the abundance of talent that is found in Italy - not even Spain or England.
Zambrotta 0

It would be Paolo Maldini.
Mark Zamparo

There are obviously plenty of names out there, but I think it needs to be a player so iconic that their name was/is effectively synonymous with their club. For me these players are: Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, Gabriel Batistuta and Alessandro Del Piero. Gabriel Batistuta in particular WAS Fiorentina for about as long as he played there, in addition to being a consistently prolific goalscorer: In this respect, he was probably THE most iconic player.
Federico Moscogiuri

I think on the basis of his raw ability,along with his strength in the face of adversity, both after the World Cup Final penatly miss and two terrible knee injuries, not forgetting his form at two lesser clubs in Bologna and Brescia, Roberto Baggio has got to be the greatest player of the last 16 years.
If we look back over the seasons he played at some of the extraordinary goals he scored, Italia 90 against Czechoslovakia, numerous free-kicks including against Borussia Dortmund in the European Cup and one of my favourites for Brescia against Juventus where his first touch was out of this world.
Marcello Anderson

The name that came to mind for me was Paolo Maldini. He has to be the face of Serie A for the last 15 years for sure. But being an Interista I was a little disheartened to see that there was no mention of Francesco Toldo, or more importantly Javier Zanetti.
Though I probably don't consider Zanetti the Icon of Serie A, I would expect him to get a mention in at least the Top 5. After all, he's never played for any other Italian clubs, he was Morrati's first purchase so there is a presence of symbolism attached to him, he has played too many games to count in Serie A already nearing 600, he has won every trophy there is to win in Italy, and he helped Inter overcome Lazio in their memorable UEFA Cup victory. Zanetti is Inter's Maldini.
I know that this is a bold statement, but Zanetti has been part of the triumphs and sufferings that Inter have had to endure, and similar to Maldini has remained faithful to the Nerazzurri by never parting from the club. Zanetti has not only won over the heart's of Interistas, but he has also gained the respect of fans world wide, he has earned the reputation as arguably one of the best wide defenders ever to play the game. For these reasons I feel it necessary that Zanetti be considered one of the Top 15 Icons. Other mentions that I would consider that I didn't read in the article online would be possibly Ivan Zamorano, or Christian Panucci.
Had Luca Toni not left Serie A at the climax of his career he too could be a contender. But he simply left for Bayern too soon to be considered an Icon, he just didn't accomplish enough in Italy. I know he was leading scorer, and almost set a record, but he never won Serie A, he was never in Champions League, nor has he ever made a Coppa Italia Final. I look very forward to reading the Icon article and hope dearly that I am proved wrong and Javier 'Capitano' Zanetti is mentioned.
Joseph Frasca

I suppose it wouldn't even be in question if we all just agreed it was Paolo Maldini... but it is. Hands down.
R Flosi

Baggio.
G Solinas

I personally think that Ronaldo is the greatest player since 1992. His performance with Inter in 1997-98 is the best in Serie A since 1992, but since Ronaldo left Serie A while Paolo Maldini has been there all his life, I give my vote to Maldini.
Anon

Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Zinedine Zidane and we can complete the Top 10 with Del Piero, Totti, Kaka, Nedved, Cannavaro, Buffon and Batistuta.
Michael Angelo

It's got to be Baggio.
Matteo Sedazzari

There were plenty of Icons possessing sheer brilliance that graced Serie A over the years, but none had the added gift of true sportsmanship than Roberto Baggio.
Tony De Angelis

Alessandro Del Piero. He is certainly my favourite.
James Perkins

So many choices. Here goes....
Gigi Buffon and the legendary Gianluca Pagliuca in goal. Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro, Franco Baresi in defence for sure! Lilian Thuram was fantastic at right back too plus Marcos Cafu.
Zinedine Zidane was at his best at Juve and is right up there. Pavel Nedved, a young Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti have been incredible over the years too. Didier Deschamps provided great balance. Juan Sebastian Veron offered something unique too and Kaka ain't bad.
Gabriel Batistuta was extraordinary, and Robero Baggio at USA '94, what a player! For the memories Andriy Shevchenko deserves a shout too, but overall give it to The Divine Ponytail.
Neil Robertson

It has to be Paolo Maldini. Milan have been the most successful team since 1992 and Maldini the most successful player.
Frederick Finiguerra

The Divine Ponytail - Roberto Baggio.
Anon

Without a doubt - Paolo Maldini.
Tarick Halil

Francesco Totti is without doubt the best Italian player of the last 6 years by far, he is also one of the world's best players and one of the rarest talents you can find. Maldini was born and established into a rich side run by Italy's ex-Prime Minister and had the greatest squad at the time, but Totti was born into a cheap Roma team, who only spent money in 2001 and after spending that cash got bankrupt, he left fame, glory and most importantly money to one side and his love for Roma on the other, and we all know how that ended up...
Mr q8i

When it comes to selecting a single player as the Calcio Icon during the past 15 years, I think Paolo Maldini should decorate that throne. Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluigi Buffon, Gabriel Batitstuta, Pavel Nedved and Zinedine Zidane all deserve to be there too. Not to mention Roberto Baggio, the most talented and greatest among all.But as an icon, I would go with Maldini for playing for 20 years in Milan, being the captain of Italy, an icon even a layman would recognise, a player who is respected by each and every professional football player and above all the greatest defender of these times for sure!
1.Paolo Maldini
2.Roberto Baggio
3.Alessandro Del Piero.
Dennis Juve