10 best goalkeepers of the decade

Modified Dec 12, 2019 07:57 GMT

Liverpool's Alisson helped them to win the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19

2. Samir Handanovic

Samir Handanovic is a renowned penalty-saving expert

Slovenia’s Samir Handanovic has been one of Serie A’s premier goalkeepers since moving to Italy during the previous decade, but it’s been with Inter Milan – who he joined in the summer of 2012 – that he’s established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world, being named in Serie A’s Team of the Year three times and being voted the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year on three occasions too.

A huge man who stands at 6’4”, Handanovic is also a surprisingly quick and agile athlete, and his incredible reflexes and positional sense have allowed him to pull off some truly insane saves – earning him the nickname ‘Batman’ in the process. Up to the end of 2018-19, the Slovenian has made 330 Serie A appearances and kept an impressive 125 clean sheets.

Renowned for being a penalty saving expert, Handanovic has saved 23 in Serie A action - only one behind legendary Italian keeper Gianluca Pagliuca – and set an Italian record of stopping six consecutive spot-kicks between 2013 and 2015. While his trophy cabinet remains disappointingly empty, he definitely goes down as one of the best keepers of the decade.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Vishal Subramanian