Attributes that define each nation's footballers the best

#4 Italy

Footballing philosophy: Defensive, counter-attacking

Greatest Italian players: Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, Gianni Rivera, Fabio Cannavaro

A nation known to be “Dolce Vita”, which means sweet life, carefree and upbeat, Italy has produced football that is ironically known for its stark contrast to the deeply organized and highly defensive style. The strength of Italy and its players lies on “catenaccio” (door bolt), a trait which is exemplified by its ability to shut out the opposition with its defense.

Italy’s success has primarily been on the back of a rock-solid back line. Italians are well-known for their “catenaccio” strategy that they used to great success in the 1960s and 70s. Renowned for their cautious style, Italians rarely went forward; they usually held their line and had most of the men behind the ball. A dour, boring tactic to some, but one that helped them overcome great oppositions. That said, Total Football changed everything.

Over the years, the Italians have married their defensive prowess with counter-attacking and strong build up, which has ensured that they have been successful in leagues beyond Italy.