19
APR
3 legends created the golden generation of Italian football
Roberto Baggio
Baggio is known as one of the most talented and technically skilled football players of all time. He used his vision and dribbling ability to create a new position - trequarista. Baggio retired in 2004 as Italy's most beloved player and the first inductee into the Italian Hall of Fame.
Baggio with his 'divine ponytail'.
'Divine Ponytail' caused riots in the streets after he left Fiorentina for Juventus in 1990, causing a group of people to protest on the streets of Florence. He ended his career with a Ballon d'Or, a Serie A, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup title. The number of titles Baggio has won does not fully reflect his level and class, but the former attacking midfielder will continue to be remembered as one of the greatest players ever.
Paolo Maldini
Maldini is perhaps the greatest defender of all time and will be remembered for his glorious career and excellent defensive skills. He began his 25 years playing football as a left back and quickly became the best player in the world thanks to his technique and free movement style. Maldini then switched to centre-back, where he showed his class and composure to win 25 titles for AC Milan , including five Champions League/European Cup titles and seven Serie A titles.
Maldini's 'career age' is also remarkable. The Rossoneri legend played until the age of 41, starting his career in the 80s and appearing in 4 World Cups. Only in recent years has he been surpassed by Gianluigi Buffon in terms of most appearances in Serie A. Maldini's reliability and ability to read the game make him stand out from other centre-backs of his generation.
Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon is a superstar who is always mentioned when people talk about the best goalkeepers of all time. Like Maldini, this goalkeeper has been playing football since he was a teenager when he debuted in Serie A in 1995. The career of the legend born in 1977 is associated with almost every title, except the Champions League. This former goalkeeper has broken many records, one of which is the transfer fee for the most expensive goalkeeper in history. In 2001, Juventus paid 52 million euros to buy him from Parma.
Buffon is Italy's greatest goalkeeper.
The then-controversial sum turned out to be a bargain as Buffon spent 19 years in Turin. He won six Coppa Italia, ten Serie A titles and even stayed to play in Serie B as the defending World Cup champion with the Azzurri. Ultimately, Buffon will be remembered as one of the icons in Juventus' history. With 657 matches, 10 more than Maldini, this legendary goalkeeper is the player with the most appearances in Serie A ever.
In 2006, Buffon broke another record by keeping 5 clean sheets at the World Cup, contributing to bringing the 4th star to La Nazionale.