Monday, February 17, 2025

10 Greatest Players in Serie A History [Ranked]

Share

Once upon a time, way back in the 90s and 00s, there was a time when every player dreamed of playing on Italian shores. AC Milan – who boasted some of Italy’s classiest players – were the dominant force in the Champions League, while the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan and AS Roma had all reached superstardom status.

Despite that no longer being the case with the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga all gathering pace on their Italian counterparts, the long line of talent that Serie A has been home to over the years is just sublime.

From talismanic forwards to swanky midfielders to the coolest of defenders, Italian football may have focused on the latter, but there has been no shortage of talent in the former duo of departments, as evidenced by the impending list of the Italian top flight’s top 10 players of all time.

Ranking factors

  • Number of Serie A titles.
  • Goals + assists (for forwards).
  • Longevity in the Italian top flight.
  • Memorable performances/seasons.
  • Clean sheets (defenders + goalkeepers).
  • Individual awards.

1 Paolo Maldini

AC Milan

Your favourite defender’s favourite defender. Paolo Maldini spent the entirety of his club career plying his trade for Serie A royalty AC Milan and, across 647 league outings, and puts together an incredibly compelling case to be remembered as the greatest-ever defender to grace the turf.

Composed, versatile and intelligent, the archetypal Italian won countless trophies with his beloved Rosoneri, including seven Serie A titles and a quintet of European Cups. Milan-born Maldini is a club legend in the truest sense and, for all those who have followed, set the benchmark for what a central defender should be.

To understand what sort of influence he had on the red side of Milan, the number three was retired in his honour once he, sadly for all football fans, hung up his boots in 2009 at the ripe old age of 41.

Paolo Maldini – Serie A Statistics

Teams

AC Milan

Games

647

Goals

29

Assists

28

Titles

7x (87/88, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 98/99, 03/04)

2 Diego Maradona

Napoli

What Diego Maradona is evidently lacking in Serie A outings, he certainly makes up for in his superstardom and all the eyes he brought to Italian football. Diminutive in size, the way that he could weave in and out of players was mesmerising and his deftness when doing so encapsulated everything joyous about the beautiful game: giving fans something to get excited about.

3:05

greatest players-1

Related

The 30 greatest footballers of all time have been named but who comes out on top; Messi, Ronaldo or Maradona?

For Napoli, the gifted Argentine played just 187 games in Serie A over a span of eight years. In that time frame, he plundered 81 goals and 48 assists, winning two titles in 86/87 and 89/90. Much of his most memorable work came intangibly, however, when leaving the opposition in the wake of his talent. And what an abundance of talent the dainty playmaker had.

Diego Maradona – Serie A Statistics

Teams

Napoli

Games

187

Goals

81

Assists

48

Titles

2x (86/87, 89/90)

3 Gianluigi Buffon

Juventus and Parma Calcio 1913

When tasked with naming the greatest goalkeeper of modern football, the majority of fans – from all corners of the globe – would mutter Gianluigi Buffon. Standing strong in the frame of the goal 657 times in Serie A, Carrara-born Buffon is Italian football personified. Arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time, the imposing presence of the 10-time Scudetto winner was frightening.

Starting his illustrious career with Parma in 1005, the footballing hero may be one of the greatest players to never win the Champions League but his collection of trophies elsewhere – both individually and from a collective standpoint, see him stand tall and above the rest. Without Buffon, who knows where goalkeeping would be?

Ginaluigi Buffon – Serie A Statistics

Teams

Juventus and Parma Calcio 1913

Games

657

Goals conceded

534

Clean sheets

298

Titles

10x (01/02, 02/03, 11/12, 12/13, 13/14, 14/15, 15/16, 16/17, 17/18, 19/20)

4 Marco van Basten

AC Milan

If it hadn’t been for his injury, there is every chance that Marco van Basten would have concluded his playing days as one of the best players to ever do it. Fundamentally, the Dutch hitman was a freak of nature in front of goal – and, in return, he won the Ballon d’Or three times during his career (1988, 1989, 1992), while also winning a trio of European Cup titles with AC Milan and won Euro 1988 with Holland.

Who knows what the mercurial frontman would have achieved if he wasn’t forced to retire at the tender age of 28? Still, that doesn’t prevent fans from taking a trip down memory lane to remember one of the greatest to ever do what he was paid to do: score bucketloads of strikes.

Marco van Basten – Serie A Statistics

Teams

AC Milan

Games

147

Goals

90

Assists

31

Titles

3x (87/88, 91/92, 92/93)

5 Zinedine Zidane

Juventus

The Old Lady has homed some of the most influential footballers of all time, but not many can rival what Zinedine Zidane, a one-time World Cup winner, oozed. The enigmatic Frenchman – widely recognised as one of the most cultured players of all time – reached superstardom levels once arriving in Spain to become a Galactico, but some of his most memorable moments came while plying his trade for Juventus.

Zizou, as many call him, was as graceful as he was tenacious – and it was his perfect combination of flair and steel that made him such a wonderful footballer to observe, especially when he was strutting his stuff in the middle of the park.

In truth, there was little more joyous than watching Zidane wander through an opposition midfield, brushing off his opposite number with ease – and that’s before we even mention his trademark pirouette. That, in itself, was worthy of a spot on this list.

Zinedine Zidane – Serie A Statistics

Teams

Juventus

Games

151

Goals

24

Assists

27

Titles

2x (96/97, 97/98)

6 Andrea Pirlo

AC Milan and Juventus

Able to switch the ball 50 yards and land it on a sixpence, there are not many – if any – players new and old that can rival Andrea Pirlo’s passing ability. And it was his unfathomable capabilities on the ball that made him such a menace to play against. A one-of-a-kind talent, who is recognised as one of the best deep-lying playmakers of all time, the classy operator took control with ease and made them look like a walk in the park.

Give him time on the ball? He’ll pick out a cross-field pass with ease. Pressure him? He’ll produce a deft pass around you. Pirlo was incredibly talented and was an integral piece of AC Milan’s success as they reached three Champions League finals in the span of five years, inducting his well-renowned surname into the club’s esteemed Hall of Fame.

Andrea Pirlo – Serie A Statistics

Teams

AC Milan and Juventus

Games

493

Goals

58

Assists

102

Titles

6x (03/04, 10/11, 11/12, 12/13, 13/14, 14/15)

7 Francesco Totti

AS Roma

One-club footballers may be a dying breed in modern football – but Francesco Totti is one of the best to ever do it. Forever enshrined in the mythology of AS Roma and, subsequently, Serie A for not playing his football anywhere but the Italian capital. He played his first game in 1993 and, an impressive 24 years later, ended his career as the top division’s second-highest goalscorer with 250 strikes on his CV.

Despite a series of interested suitors lining up for his signature, the talisman stayed true to his roots and racked up the solitary league title – in 00/01 – and Coppa Italia titles in back-to-back seasons between 2006 and 2008, proving his ability to guide his side to greatness. They just don’t make them like Totti anymore.

Francesco Totti – Serie A Statistics

Teams

AS Roma

Games

618

Goals

250

Assists

160

Titles

1x (00/01)

8 Franco Baresi

AC Milan

Before the likes of Maldini and his partner in crime Alessandro Nesta were stationed in the heart of defence for AC Milan, Franco Baresi paved the way for those who followed in his footsteps – and, not forgetting, he played a starring role in Rossoneri’s Gli Invincibili side.

Although he was stood at 5ft 9in, there was seldom a time when a centre forward got the better of him with the majority of his defensive work being done between the ears. Known as ‘Kaiser Franz’ thanks to the similarities shared with none other than Franz Beckbenbauer, Travagilato-born Baresi was AC Milan personified. Even more, the man himself recently became the first inductee into the revered club’s Hall of Fame.

Franco Baresi – Serie A Statistics

Teams

AC Milan

Games

470

Goals

12

Assists

12

Titles

6x (78/79, 87/88, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94, 95/96)

9 Alessandro Del Piero

Juventus

Eternal Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero, who earned the moniker Pinturicchio thanks to similarities in his play to Roberto Baggio, is Turin royalty. The one-time Champions League winner struck 290 times throughout his 705-game Old Lady career and is best remembered for being a living symbol of football passion.

That notion transpires into Italian football as a whole, too. A true great of the game, Del Piero is part of the Serie A furniture and has his record in front of goal to attest to his brilliance. The talisman’s partnership with David Trezeguet will forever be remembered as one of the greatest the world has ever seen.

Alessandro Del Piero – Serie A Statistics

Teams

Juventus

Games

478

Goals

188

Assists

108

Titles

6x (94/95, 96/97, 97/98, 01/02, 02/03, 11/12)

10 Javier Zanetti

Inter Milan

If you were to look up longevity in the dictionary, the name ‘Javier Zanetti’ would stare you directly in the face. Loyal to the bone to Inter Milan, similarly to Totti was to Roma, the versatile Argentine – who could play at full-back or central midfield – notched up 615 outings in the Italian top flight across his San Siro-based career.

Affectionately monikered El Tractor for his undying vascular capacity and tirelessness up and down either flank, his disciplinary record is also mightily impressive. For reference: across his 22-year career in football, he received just two red cards. In that time, Zanetti – widely admired as one of the best Argentines to ever play the beautiful game – won five Serie A titles. A true legend of Italian football.

Javier Zanetti – Serie A Statistics

Teams

Inter Milan

Games

615

Goals

12

Assists

29

Titles

Read more

Local News