All-Time XI (Italy and Italian Clubs)

I'll start with Azzuri, I have a list of some Italian clubs best 11 players and a coach each.

Here:






Dino ZOFF 1968-83
Caps 112
Three decades as Azzurri No 1, captain of the World Cup winning team and a champion of Europe in 1968, Zoff had an illustrious international career. Bowing out at 40, his 112 record caps seemed unlikely to ever be beaten until Paolo Maldini came along. His incredible run of 1,143 minutes without conceding a goal at the highest level remains unsurpassed. The former Juventus star just got better with age, due to his professionalism and physical fitness. Bossed the Azzurri to second at Euro 2000.

Gaetano SCIREA 1975-86
Caps 78 Goals 2
An international regular for over a decade, Scirea was the model libero. A player of elegance, class and agility he was above all a leader and a superb organiser of the play. Another vital member of the Juventus-inspired 1982 World Cup winning team, Scirea could break and make attacks equally comfortably. After retiring from an impressive career, he was appointed as Dino Zoff's assistant at Juventus but tragically died in a car crash while on a scouting mission in Poland.

Claudio GENTILE 1975-84
Caps 71 Goals 1
Gentile played mostly as a central defender for Juventus but, more often than not, slotted into the right-back role for the Azzurri. A genuine hard-man and an uncompromising defender, he became an international regular for almost a decade. Another member of the 1982 World Cup winning side and the all-conquering Juve of the 1980s, Gentile famously kept Diego Maradona quiet in the 1982 tournament.

Giacinto FACCHETTI 1963-77
Caps 94 Goals 3
Like Paolo Maldini, a truly great left-sided defender. Facchetti still holds the record for captaining his country a massive 70 times, including at the victorious 1968 European Championships. Facchetti was not only a great defender but noted for his forward runs, one of the first full-backs to push on and aid the attack. The tall defender also had a glorious club career winning trophies both home and abroad with Inter.

Franco BARESI 1982-94
Caps 81 Goals 1
Italy have always been blessed with great defenders and Franco Baresi is no exception. Elegant on the ball and clinical in the tackle, Baresi was recently voted the Greatest Italian Player ever. Sadly he failed to repeat the trophy-filled success of his time with Milan at international level. Baresi bowed out after his amazing performance in the 1994 World Cup Final where he played despite serious injury.

Paolo MALDINI 1988-2002
Caps 126 Goals 7
Played in a record 126 games for the Azzurri, Maldini quit international football after the shock 2002 defeat to South Korea. A Nike campaign during the 1996 European Championships revealed that: 'Paolo Maldini is Italian for No Entry,' and his reputation as one of the world's best players remains intact. The Milan great made the left-back spot his own and has become the benchmark for all aspiring defenders. Maldini never won an international trophy, suffering heartbreaking defeats in 1990, 1994 and at Euro 2000.

Giancarlo ANTOGNONI 1974-83
Caps 73 Goals 7
With so many fine defenders in this team there is no reason to suggest that Antognoni and Rivera could not play together. Still the most popular player to don the Fiorentina shirt, Antognoni enjoyed his greatest triumph at international level winning the 1982 World Cup. A midfielder of balance and vision, Antognoni is one of the finest ball players that Italy has ever produced.

Gianni RIVERA 1962-74 (First half)
Caps 60 Goals 14
A symbolic figure in the emergence of the Milan side of the 1960s, Rivera is one of the most graceful footballers Italy has ever produced. A vital component in the 1968 European Championship, Rivera would have amassed far more than 60 caps had it not been for tough competition from his great rival – Sandro Mazzola. Rivera played superbly at the World Cup Finals in 1970, only to be dropped for the Final itself.

Sandro MAZZOLA 1964-74 (Second half)
Caps 70 Goals 22
Having to choose between Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola was a perennial headache for Italy Coach Ferruccio Valcareggi in the late 1960s. It was difficult to play both creative stars in the same team, so they often played a half each. The Inter great eventually won more caps than Rivera, and started the 1970 World Cup Final against Brazil.

Bruno CONTI 1980-84
Caps 47 Goals 5
Conti may have won fewer caps than most members of this team, but almost all were memorable. The Roma stalwart gave the side much needed balance and his ability to create and take chances from midfield was vital. Conti was one of the star performers in the World Cup of 1982.

Roberto BAGGIO 1988-04
Caps 56 Goals 27
The Divine Ponytail is genuinely the most popular Italian footballer of the 1990s. Emerging at the 1990 World Cup, Baggio’s flair captivated supporters. At the World Cup in 1994 he single-handedly helped an average Italy side to the Final, despite an uneasy relationship with Coach Arrigo Sacchi. Strangely, Baggio has never played in a European Championship but did again feature for his country at the 1998 World Cup under Cesare Maldini. A useful scorer and inspiration for teammates.

Gigi RIVA 1965-74
Caps 42 Goals 35
Italy’s record scorer has an amazing strike-rate for his country. Although Riva was not a conventional centre-forward, as he often started from the left-hand side, his instinct for an opportunity set him apart from contemporaries. The Cagliari legend would have made more than his 42 caps had it not been for a serious broken leg which ended his playing career. A winner of the 1968 European Championship and a key component for the World Cup runners-up of 1970.


THE COACH:
Enzo BEARZOT 1977-86
Although Vittorio Pozzo took Italy to World Cup wins in 1934 and 1938, Bearzot deserves to assume the role of Coach of this star-studded side. Much criticised going into the 1982 World Cup, he managed to steer the Azzurri to the title having born the fruits of moulding a settled group of players from the late 70s. Bearzot bowed out after 88 internationals and after the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico.
Words: Peter Bourne & Antonio Labbate

Fantastic Rosso, You are really amazing you know that! i mean threads like this is something cool and i can learn more bout my fav. team.

keep it up my friend.

More to come, From North of Italy to South of Italy.

Im doing it in Alphabetical Order,





Pierluigi PIZZABALLA 1958-66
Pizzaballa was a symbolic figure of the successful Atalanta side in the early 1960s. Goalkeeper in their historic Coppa Italia success of 1963, he also kept goal when the Bergamaschi first topped the League in 1964. Pizzaballa won one international cap – against Austria in a pre-1966 World Cup friendly.

Giovanni VAVASSORI 1970-72 & 78-83
A former club Coach, Vavassori’s service to Atalanta was also unquestionable on the pitch. A product of the outfit’s youth system, he was an elegant libero and man marker during two spells with the club. Fused between a stint at Napoli, he spent most of his career in Bergamo winning U-21 caps but never with the full squad.

Gaetano SCIREA 1972-74
Scirea may not have been at Atalanta long but remains the most successful product of the club’s revered youth system. After making his debut in 1972, he spent two seasons with the club – including one in Serie B - before joining the mighty Juventus and the rest as they say is history.

Umberto COLOMBO 1961-67
Colombo was a rock at the heart of the most successful Atalanta side to date. After signing from Juventus, he was switched from a defensive midfielder to the linchpin at the back. A member of the 1963 Coppa Italia winning side.

Antonio CABRINI 1975-76
There was a great Italian left-back before Paolo Maldini. Like Scirea, Cabrini’s Atalanta career was relatively short before he embarked on a highly successful decade with Juventus, which included just about every major honour in the game and a World Cup winner’s medal.

Roberto DONADONI 1982-86
Donadoni was arguably the most underrated player in the all-conquering Milan sides of the late 80s and early 90s. A fabulous dribbler, he worked within the team ethic and with boundless energy. Donadoni spent four well-educated years in Bergamo before joining the Rossoneri for a then club record sale of £4m.

Glenn STROMBERG 1984-92
Stromberg is the most celebrated foreign player in Atalanta’s history. A member of the Gothenburg side which won the UEFA Cup in 1982, he joined the club in 1984 and spent eight years in Bergamo before his retirement. He stayed loyal to the club when they were relegated to Serie B, making over 200 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

Fleming NIELSEN 1961-66
Nielsen was another member of the celebrated 1963 side. A versatile element, he played his best football at the heart of the midfield, balancing both athleticism and elegance. The Great Dane, also worked as a journalist and still wrote for a Danish newspaper when playing in Italy.

Angelo DOMENGHINI 1962-65
Fantastic wide player who was to later make 33 appearances for the Azzurri, as well as collect trophies with both Inter and a Scudetto with Cagliari. Domenghini’s starring contribution to Atalanta was a hat-trick in the Coppa Italia Final win over Torino.

Filippo INZAGHI 1996-97
Inzaghi may have spent just one season in Bergamo but stays in the record books as the only Atalanta player to ever win the Serie A top scorers’ title. He replaced Christian Vieri at the club and his 24 goals would later earn a move to Juventus, where he carried on scoring.

Giuseppe SAVOLDI 1965-68
Savoldi just pips Adriano Bassetto for the choice as second striker. A product of the club’s youth system, he established himself at Atalanta before moving on to Bologna and then becoming the world’s first £1m player when he switched to Napoli in 1975. Despite his potential he collected just four Azzurri caps.

THE COACH:
Emiliano MONDONICO 1987-90 & 94-98
Renowned for his defensive style of play, Mondonico was the tactician behind Atalanta’s resurgence in the late 1980s. He guided the club to a European Cup-Winners Cup semi-final as a Serie B side. He later enjoyed a successful spell at Torino before returning to steer Atalanta out of the Second Division.

So Atalanta were a great side in the 60s eh?

Rossonero, rather than just using the method of copy-paste, and just blindly pasting them here without any sources, it would have been better if you would have just put down your own favourite Italian XI and commented on it.

That is because i want to feed my brain and others' by useful stuff instead me of blabbing about and then others not liking my choices and start to argue.

I will post my all time XI for a team, but first let me put the copy-paste ones first, so that others can benefit from them and use some of them in their all time XI

We came to know what Sweden is when Stromberg came to play
Sexy blonde he was :blush:
Journalists used to call these players from Northern Europe "wooden legs" cause they had no tactical ability but great phisical strength

Francesco TOLDO 1993-01
His breathtaking performances in Euro 2000, coupled with his fine form over the latter years at the club, secured his place ahead of Giuliano Sarti and Enrico Albertosi. Despite his colossal frame he was surprisingly agile and, unlike many Italian ‘keepers, Toldo commanded his box well in Tuscany. Financial problems enforced his sale to Inter.

Ardico MAGNINI 1950-58
Supreme right-back in the great championship-winning side of 1956, he was an outstanding man-marker famous for his well-timed tackles. Magnini was an international regular during the 1950s.

Sergio CERVATO 1948-59
One of the finest defenders to have graced Serie A, he was exceptionally quick and a tireless competitor. He also boasted a fierce shot and took both penalties and free-kicks. Often contributed to the Viola's attacks, scoring 31 goals during his 10 years in Florence.

Francesco ROSETTA 1948-57
Stopper in the great Fulvio Bernardini side of the 1950s. Hard and uncompromising yet also graceful and refined, he was signed from Torino where he had already won the Scudetto. Rosetta played a big part in the Viola set-up that only conceded a miserly 20 goals in 1955-56.

Ugo FERRANTE 1963-72
Brilliant and unsung sweeper who starred in the 1969 Scudetto triumph. Solid and dependable at the back, Ferrante could also make surging runs forward to split the opposition in half. Italy had a crop of outstanding defenders at the time and this stopped Ferrante winning more than three caps.

Giuseppe CHIAPPELA 1949-60
A master in midfield, he began his career in the centre before moving to a wider role. He is seen as the most important member of the glorious 1955-56 side, the vital cog in Fulvio Bernardini's machine. When it came to commitment and bravery, no other player in Italy could match him. Still revered in Florence.

Giancarlo DE SISTI 1965-74
Tenacious and committed midfield player who was the lynchpin of the 1969 Scudetto-winning side. He combined ball-winning ability with clever attacking play and had a wonderful positional sense. Renowned for his neat passes through the middle, he was also a fearless tackler and was nicknamed 'Picchio’ – which means 'I hit.’

Giancarlo ANTOGNONI 1972-87
Perhaps the most loved Viola star of all, this elegant playmaker was a club stalwart for 15 years. He played just behind the forwards as a classic schemer – a quick mover with a powerful and precise right foot. His sublime long passes set up many counter-attacks and he had the vision to switch play in an instant.

Kurt HAMRIN 1958-67
Devastating Swedish right winger who was also a scoring machine. His 150 Serie A goals for the Viola was a club record for more than 30 years. His exploits are still remembered in the city. Fast and direct, his forte was cutting into the box from wide positions. A superb opportunist and brilliant finisher in front of goal.

Gabriel BATISTUTA 1991-00
The greatest Fiorentina striker of all time. The Argentine arrived in 1991 and was an instant hit with the fans dubbing him 'Batigol'. In nine years with the Viola, he broke Hamrin's 150-goal record. A striker with no weaknesses – superb on the ground, with a potent left foot, he was also strong in the air and took a mean free-kick.

Giuseppe VIRGILI 1954-58
A much-loved member of the 1950s side, this powerful forward formed a telepathic understanding with inside-forward Miguel Montuori. Virgili scored 21 goals during the 1955-56 Scudetto triumph and in his 101 games for the Viola scored 55 goals, guaranteeing a strike every other game.

THE COACH:
Fulvio BERNARDINI
Without doubt, the finest Coach in the club's history. Known as 'il dottore' – the doctor – he built a stylish and powerful side that cruised to the 1955-56 Scudetto, losing just one game – the very last one at Genoa – and gave the great Real Madrid a fright in the 1957 European Cup Final. The 1955-56 team is regarded as one of the best Serie A has ever seen and Bernardini's men should have won more titles being runners-up in 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960.



Words: Mario Risoli