10 greatest Italian defenders of the last 50 years

#1 Gaetano Scirea

Gaetano Scirea lifting the World Cup in 1982

Unarguably one of the finest defenders in history. Gaetano Scirea was the emblem of the legendary Juventus and Italy defence of the 1970s and 1980s.

Along with Antonio Cabrini and Claudio Gentile, with Dino Zoff behind them, Scirea led Juventus and Italy to numerous successes in that golden period of Italian football.

He was a departure from the archetypal stereotype of Italian defenders (particularly his centre-back partner Gentile) of being aggressive and physical, instead, he defended with a finesse and innate ability to read the game which ensured he rarely had to make a rash tackle.

He started his professional career with Atalanta in 1972, spending two years there before transferring to Juventus in 1974 where he went on to achieve immortality and greatness with his performances over the next 14 years.

Scirea was the consummate professional, a highly talented defender who played through his whole 16-year career without ever receiving a red card and also went 8 consecutive seasons in Serie A without getting booked (a remarkable feat considering how ultra defensive and negative Serie A was in those days).

He is one of only six players who won all UEFA/FIFA recognized competitions as well as one of only nine to have won all three UEFA Club competitions (all achieved with Juventus). He retired from football after the 1988 season, and his stay at Juventus brought about 14 trophies viz; 7 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia and one each of the European Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup

He made his national team debut in 1975, and became an undisputed starter for the next 11 years, famously keeping the legendary Franco Baresi out of the starting line-up until his retirement in 1986 after winning 78 caps.

With the Azzurri, he participated at four tournaments, the European Championship on home soil in 1980 (where he helped Italy to a fourth-place finish), being elected into the team of the tournament as well as three World Cups in 1978, 1982 and 1986.

Scirea was an integral member of the World Cup winning squad in 1982 and was voted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and the greatest Juventus XI of All Time in 2017.

His composure and ability to read games meant Scirea excelled as a sweeper, and his leadership skills were widely acclaimed, captaining his club and country for many years. His immense sportsmanship also showed the world that it was possible to be a top quality defender without resorting to harsh tackles and aggressive tactics.

He tragically passed on in 1989 aged just 36 years in a car crash, after watching a European match involving his darling Juventus. He had his name immortalized forever in Turin and Italy, with numerous football monuments, awards and tournaments named after him.

Though he rarely gets the recognition his immense talent and career achievements deserve, Gaetano Scirea was a defensive masterclass, a priceless jewel whose legacy as one of the finest defenders to grace a football pitch will live on forever in the hearts of Italians and football lovers.