#2 Franz Beckenbauer
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In recent times, the reputation of Franz Beckenbauer has taken an absolute beating, but if you can separate the man from the player, you are talking about the greatest player in the history of German football.
Beckenbauer made the Sweeper role his own and actually changed how the position is played. Before Der Kaiser, the Sweeper was very defensive, but he was the one who made it more attacking and almost became a creative, deep-lying midfielder.
The skills of the German were shown in his accomplishments, which includes a World Cup and two Ballon d’Ors, which is incredibly rare for a defender. He also captained Bayern Munich to three consecutive European Cup victories in one of the greatest sides in European history.
#1 Paolo Maldini
The great Franco Baresi mentored Paolo Maldini, and it’s arguable that Maldini surpassed Baresi in his career. 904 games for Milan, 128 appearances for the Italian national team and 26 titles to his name, Maldini is a certified legend of world football.
The titles only tell half the story, because to really believe how good Maldini was, you will have to watch him and see how he works. He timed his tackles to perfection, he knew when to go forward as a left-back and knew how to hold a line when playing in the heart of the defence. Watching Maldini in action is a footballing lesson, something that everyone who wants to be a defender should view.
Simply put, Maldini is the greatest defender of all time. Very few can match what he has accomplished, and even fewer are able to say that they can match his abilities as a defender.
