5 most underrated players in Juventus history

Juventus v SS Lazio - Serie A
Juventus v SS Lazio - Serie A

Juventus have established themselves as one of the biggest teams in Europe and indisputably the biggest in Italy.

An unending list of football greats have donned the famous Black and White of the Old Ladies.

Zinedine Zidane, Gigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero, Antonio Conte, Andrea Pirlo and Giorgio Chiellini are just a few of the hundreds of players to have contributed to Juventus' rich history.

However, like in every top team in the world, there have been a few players who contributed to the Bianconeri's successes in one way or another but have seen their inputs go under the radar for various reasons.

The list below might not be agreeable to all but these players are hardly spoken about in the same light as their teammates at the time.

Some players on this list played for other clubs in their careers so this list is just confined to their time at the Allianz Stadium.

5 most underrated players in Juventus history

#5 Andrea Barzagli

Juventus v Atalanta BC - Serie A
Juventus v Atalanta BC - Serie A

The Italian is the least underrated player on this list and his inclusion would undoubtedly raise some eyebrows.

Barzagli was the least talked about in the famous Juventus' "BBC" trio comprising Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, and Barzagli himself.

The trio played together at Juventus since the arrival of Barzagli at the Turin club in 2011, playing in Antonio Conte's famous 3-5-2 formation and winning three consecutive Scudettos under the Italian.

While Bonucci was the Rolls-Royce of the trio, serving as a defensive playmaker for the club and Chiellini being the leader of the team, Barzagli was the bullish one who took no prisoners in his defensive duties.

Barzagli played for Juventus for almost nine years and amassed almost 300 appearances for the club before his retirement in 2019.

He won the Scudetto in every one of his league seasons at the club apart from his first, while winning another eight domestic trophies.

Barzagli was named in the Serie A Team of the Year on four different occasions.


#4 Stephan Lichtsteiner

Tottenham Hotspur v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: Second Leg

This is another name on the list that might cause a bit of controversy as the Switzerland international was a regular at Juventus for many years.

Lichsteiner signed for Juventus from Italian rivals Lazio in 2011 and quickly cemented his place in the starting XI as the marauding right wing-back in Conte's 3-5-2.

Affectionately nicknamed "Forrest Gump" by the Juventus faithful, Lichsteiner was known for his tenacity and relentlessness for the Bianconeri.

He made over 250 appearances for the Turin club in his seven seasons and won 14 trophies.


#3 Sami Khedira

SS Lazio v Juventus - Serie A
SS Lazio v Juventus - Serie A

Khedira joined Juventus in 2015 after a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid. He quickly settled into the side and surpassed his total Real Madrid goal tally in his first two seasons at Juventus.

The German World Cup winner's final season at Juventus was plagued with numerous injuries as he managed only 22 Serie A appearances in his final two and a half seasons.

However, he will be remembered for playing an integral part in Juventus' route to the Champions League final in 2016/2017.

Khedira appeared 145 times and scored 21 goals for Juventus before moving to Hertha Berlin in February 2020.


#2 Medhi Benatia

Real Madrid v Juventus - International Champions Cup 2018
Real Madrid v Juventus - International Champions Cup 2018

Benatia, the second central defender on the list, signed for Juventus in 2016 on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich.

Due to the presence of more proven defenders at the club, the Morocco international mainly played a backup role in the team.

His loan spell was made permanent after his debut season at Turin in which he averaged the joint-most tackles and interceptions in Serie A for Juventus.

He became more involved in the team after signing permanently, playing an important role in Juventus' sixth consecutive title defense. He also scored twice in the Coppa Italia final against AC Milan.

Benatia made just five appearances in his third season with the Italian giants before joining Al Duhail in 2019. He won six trophies at Juventus.


#1 Carlos Tevez

Juventus v Real Madrid CF - UEFA Champions League Semi Final
Juventus v Real Madrid CF - UEFA Champions League Semi Final

Tevez joined Juventus in 2013 after four seasons at Manchester City and quickly proved his worth to the Juventus fans, scoring the fourth goal in Juventus' 4-0 victory over Lazio on his debut.

The Argentine was undoubtedly a proven striker when he signed for Juventus as he had already made a name for himself in the Premier League.

Although he signed for the Old Lady at the age of 30, which is considered old in the football world, he showed no signs of slowing down as he scored 50 goals in just two seasons at the Allianz Stadium.

Tevez moved to Boca Juniors after two seasons with Juventus but not before winning back-to-back Juventus' Player of the Season award, being voted in back-to-back Serie A Team of the Year, and winning the Serie A player of the season in his final season in Italy.

As a result of his performances in his final season at Juventus, Tevez was named on the ten-man shortlist for the 2015 UEFA best player in Europe.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande
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