Nicknames: Bianconeri & La Vecchia Signora
Founded: 1897

Owners: Agnelli family
President: Andrea Agnelli
Honorary Presidents: Gianpiero Boniperti & Franzo Grande Stevens
Director General: Giuseppe Marotta
Director of Sport: Fabio Paratici
Coach: Antonio Conte
Assistant coach: Angelo Alessio
Coaches: Massimo Carrera, Cristian Stellini
Goalkeeping coach: Claudio Filippi
Chief Scout: Carlos Vargas
Fitness Coach: Paolo Bertelli
Medical Affaird Coordinator: Fabrizio Tencone

Club Address: Piazza Crimea, 7 - 10131 Turin
Tel: 0039-011-65631 Fax 6604550
Internet site: www.juventus.com
Unofficial site: www.juventuz.com
Training HQ: Centro Sisport




Juventus are historically the most successful team in Italian football and one of the most successful and recognized in the world. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, an organization recognised by FIFA, Juventus were Italy's best club of the 20th century and the second most successful European club in the same period.

Overall, Juventus has won 51 official competitions, more than any other team in the country; 40 in the national First Division, which is also a record, and 11 in UEFA and world competitions. Juventus is the third most successful club in Europe and the sixth in the world, with the most international titles officially recognised by one of the six continental football confederations and FIFA.

Juventus were the first Italian and Southern European side to win the UEFA Cup. In 1985, Juventus, the only team in the world to have won all official international cups and championships, became the first club in the history of European football to have won all three major UEFA club competitions.

Juventus have a larger fan base than any other Italian club, with 14 million, and at 180 million, they also have one of the highest numbers of supporters world-wide (italian: tifosi). The club are one of the founders of the European Club Association, which was formed after the dissolution of the G-14, a collection of Europe's most elite clubs. The Torinese side are also recognised for its contribution to the Italian national team, with majority contributions to Italy's World Cup victories in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006. Juventus also have the most registered World Cup-winning players in history with 22, as well as the most Ballon D'Or winners with 8.


Club Records:

All-time Top Scorer: 285 Alessandro Del Piero*
Season's Top Scorer: 32 Felice Borel (33-34)
Most Appearances: 690 Alessandro Del Piero*
Most Capped Italian: 112 Dino Zoff
Biggest Signing: £32m Gianluigi Buffon (Parma 01-02)
Biggest Sale: £48m Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid 01-02)

*Player currently active


Serie A Records:

Most Points: 86 (04-05)
Lowest Points: 29 (38-39 & 61-62)
Biggest Home Win: 9-1 v Inter (60-61)
Heaviest Home Defeat: 1-7 v Milan (49-50)
Biggest Away Win: 7-0 v Pro Patria (50-51)
Heaviest Away Defeat: 0-6 v Inter (53-54)
Most Wins: 28 (49-50)
Least Wins: 8 (38-39 & 55-56)
Most Defeats: 15 (61-62)
Least Defeats: 1 (77-78)
Most Goals: 103 (50-51)
Least Goals: 28 (38-39)
Most Conceded: 56 (61-62)
Least Conceded: 14 (81-82)


Trophies:


Scudetti: 29 (record)
1905, 1925-26, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1957-58, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06


Coppa Italia: 9 (record).
Winners: 1937-38, 1941-42, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1964-65, 1978-79, 1982-83, 1989-90, 1994-95.
Runner-up: 1972-73, 1991-92, 2001-02, 2003-04


SuperCoppa Italiana: 4
Winners: 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003.
Runner-up: 1990, 1998, 2005.


European Champions Cup/UEFA Champions League: 2
Winners: 1984-85, 1995-96.
Runner-up: 1972-73, 1982-83, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2002-03


UEFA Cup/Europa League: 3 (record).
Winners: 1976-77, 1989-90, 1992-93.
Runner-up: 1994-95


UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
1983-84


UEFA Super Cup: 2
1984, 1996
(1985 final with Everton FC not played due to Heysel Stadium disaster).


FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2
Winners: 1985, 1996.
Runner-up: 1973


UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1
1999-2000.

Serie B Cadetti Championship: 1
2006-07

Other Trophies:

Coppa delle Alpi (1): 1963
Joan Gamper Trophy (1): 2005
National Department of Public Education Cup (3): 1900; 1901; 1902
Government of Torino’s Gold Medal: (1901)
First Centenary 1897-1997 Cup: Republic of San Marino Trophy (1997)
Viareggio Tournament (5): 1961, 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005
Primavera Scudetto (5): 1962-63, 1971-72, 1993-94, 2005-06, 2006-07
Primavera Coppa Italia (3): 1994-95, 2003-04, 2006-07
Primavera SuperCoppa Italia (2): 2006-07, 2007-08


Stadium Details



Juventus Stadium
Address: Strada Comunale di Altessano 131, 10151 Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Capacity: 41,000
Pitch dimensions: 105m x 68m
Location: Turin


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Juventus Stadium is an all-seater association football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home of Serie A club Juventus.

The stadium was built on the site of Juventus's and Torino's former home, Stadio delle Alpi, and is the first fully owned soccer stadium in Italy. It was opened at the start of the 2011–12 season and has a capacity of 41,000 spectators. The stands are just 7.5 m from the pitch, a major improvement from the Stadio Delle Alpi. The distance between the last row of the grand stand and the pitch is 49 m.

The first official match was Juventus - Parma which was played on the 11th September 2011 where Stephan Lichtsteiner scored the first goal in the new stadium on the 17th minute.

Top Scorers in Serie A since 1929

1932-33 Felice Placido Borel II - 29 goals
1933-34 Felice Placido Borel II - 32 goals
1947-48 Giampiero Boniperti - 27 goals
1951-52 John Hansen - 30 goals
1957-58 John Charles - 28 goals
1959-60 Omar Sivori - 27 goals
1979-80 Roberto Bettega - 16 goals
1982-83 Michel Platini - 16 goals
1983-84 Michel Platini - 20 goals
1984-85 Michel Platini - 18 goals
2001-02 David Trezeguet - 24 goals
2007-08 Alessandro Del Piero - 21 goals


FIFA World Player of the Year

1993 Roberto Baggio
1998 Zinedine Zidane
2000 Zinedine Zidane


European Player of the Year

1961 Omar Sivori
1982 Paolo Rossi
1983 Michel Platini
1984 Michel Platini
1985 Michel Platini
1993 Roberto Baggio
1998 Zinedine Zidane
2003 Pavel Nedved
2006 Fabio Cannavaro


http://members.tripod.com/Bianconeri

The early successes

Sitting on a bench in Corso Re Umberto in 1897, a group of young students from the Liceo D'Azeglio of Turin decided to found a sports club whose main aim was to play football. Thus was born Juventus Football Club, according to legend, just a game, for fun, out of a desire to do something new. Football was a sport that was spreading rapidly throughout Europe at the time.

In that period, Juventus, whose first president was Enrico Canfari, played against more experienced sides, and yet already in 1905 it won the first Italian championship in its history after a thrilling three-way final with Genoa and Milanese. Juventus chose Piazza D'Armi as its home ground and played for a number of years in a pink shirt. The change to black and white came by chance in 1903 following a mistaken delivery from England, where the playing strip had been ordered.

Up until the outbreak of the Great War, Juventus had to be content with playing a secondary role to the football powers of the era, ProVercelli and Casale, but in the immediate post-war period it became a leading actor thanks above all to the goalkeeper Giacone and the full-backs Novo and Bruna, the first players to earn a place in the national team. The president was the poet and man of letters Corrado Corradini, the author of the club’s anthem, that lasted until the sixties.

In 1923, Giampiero Combi, one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, made his debut in the first team. Edoardo Agnelli, the son of the founder of Fiat, was elected president of the club. This was the start of a special partnership that was destined to last over time. Given the growing number of fans, Juventus moved to the stadium of Corso Marsiglia. A team that already included players of the calibre of Combi, Rosetta, Munerati, Bigatto and Grabbi was strengthened by the arrival of the trainer Jeno Karoly and Hirzer, the inside left forward, both Hungarian. In 1925-26, after an enthralling battle with Bologna and the final against Albo Roma, Juventus won their second championship, the prelude to a cycle of victories that was to bring five successive trophies.

The Juventus trainer of the period was Carlo Carcano and the team included legendary players like Orsi, Caligaris, Monti, Cesarini, Varglien I and II, Bertolini, Ferrari and Borel II. Juventus won continuously from 1930 to 1935 and made a decisive contribution to the Italian team that won the World Cup in 1934. The victories in Italy brought Juventus its first international experience, taking part in the European Cup (now known as the Champions League), reaching the semi-finals on four occasions. In 1933 Juventus again changed its ground: this was the beginning of the era of the municipal stadium, built to host the World University Games and where the team was to play until the home leg of the 1989/90 UEFA Cup final.

Juventus Legends List

1. John Charles
2. Roberto Bettega
3. Michel Platini
4. Gaetano Scirea
5. Dino Zoff
6. Paolo Rossi
7. Marco Tardelli
8. Claudio Gentile
9. Giampiero Boniperti
10. Antonio Cabrini
11. Pietro Anastasi
12. Giampiero Combi
13. Roberto Baggio
14. Salvatore Schillaci
15. Omar Sivori
16. Raimundo Orsi
17. Luis Monti
18. Giuseppe Furino
19. Zbigniew Boniek
20. Sandro Salvatore
21. Zinedine Zidane
22. Franco Causio
23. Pietro Rava
24. Felice Borel II
25. Renato Cesarini
26. John Hansen
27. Ciro Ferrara
28. Pavel Nedvěd
29. Gianluca Vialli
30. Umberto Caligaris
31. Carlo Parola
32. Antonio Conte
33. Luis Del Sol
34. Didier Deschamps
35. Romeo Benetti
36. Moreno Torricelli
37. Sergio Brio
38. Alessio Tacchinardi
39. Virginio Rosetta
40. Angelo Di Livio
41. Lucidio Sentimenti IV
42. Gianluca Pessotto
43. Stefano Tacconi
44. Carlo Bigatto
45. Fabrizio Ravanelli
46. Antonello Cuccureddu
47. Edgar Davids
48. Ferenc Hirzer
49. Benito Sarti
50. Fabio Capello
51. Giovanni Agnelli
52. Marcello Lippi
53. Giovanni Trapattoni
54. Ermes Muccinelli
55. Lorenzo Valerio Bona
56. Helmut Haller
57. Giancarlo Bercellino
58. Ernesto Castano

Juventus Legend Number 1

John Charles "Il Buon Gigante", "The King"




Position: Striker/Central defender
Teams: Leeds United, Juventus, Roma, Cardiff City, Hereford United, Merthyr Tydfil
Born: 27 December 1931 in Swansea, Wales
Died: 21st February 2004 in Wakefield, England
Wales Caps: 38 Goals: 15
Juventus appearences:155
Juventus goals:93
Height: 1.88m (6'2'')
Weight: 88kgs

Honours:

3 Scudetti (1957-58, 1959-60, 1960-61)
2 Coppe Italia (1958-59, 1959-60)
1 Serie A Capocannoniere (1957-58, 28 goals)
Football Association of Wales Golden Player (2003)
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2001)


John Charles was a footballing hero to many and was the first British player to be signed by a foreign club, joining Juventus in 1957 for a then world record fee of £67,000.

He was born in Swansea, had a poor upbringing and learned to play his football in the streets wearing clogs. He went to Leeds United when he was only 17 and was first capped for Wales just after his 18th birthday.

Charles had tremendous speed, great presence and was a formidable header of the ball. He was equally effective first as centre-half, then as centre-forward.

In eight years with Leeds, he scored more than 150 goals, including 42 in the 1953-4 season. His transfer to Juventus changed the face of British football by giving players the opportunity to make big money from the game. The transfer set a trend that was to see others such as Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law following in his footsteps.

At Juventus, he was revered by the fans, who called him "Il Buon Gigante", the gentle giant.

He was well over six foot tall, weighed almost 14 stone and was never sent off or even cautioned. Charles enjoyed the Italian lifestyle despite the rigid regimentation and rigorous training schedules of the time.

He bought a share in a restaurant, had a villa on the Italian Riviera, another in Turin, and Fiat ensured he had two top-of-the-range cars.

At Juventus, he established a magnificent partnership with Omar Sivori, the Argentine forward, the two becoming the most feared combination in the Italian game. With Juventus, who had languished near the bottom of Serie A before his arrival, Charles won three championships and the Italian Cup.

In 1958, he took part in the World Cup in Sweden at the time when Pele was making his international mark. Unfortunately, injury forced Charles to miss the quarter-final against Brazil, which the South Americans won 1-0.

After five years and 93 goals, he returned briefly to Leeds, then went to Roma, before ending his playing career with Cardiff.

He became manager of Hereford, then Merthyr Tydfil, and became technical director with the Canadian side Hamilton Steelers.

After his retirement, Charles, whose brother Mel also played 31 times for Wales, ran a pub in Yorkshire for many years.

He was awarded the CBE in 2001.

- Jack Charlton

Juventus Legend Number 2

Roberto Bettega "Bobo-gol"




Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Born: 2th December 1950 in Torino, Italy
Italy Caps: 42 Goals: 19
Teams: Juventus, Varese, Toronto Blizzard
Juventus appearances: 326
Juventus goals: 129
Height: 1.84m (6'1")
Weight: 78kg

Honours:
7 Scudetti (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982)
2 Coppe Italia (1979, 1983)
1 UEFA Cup (1977)
1 Serie A Capocannoniere (1980, 16 goals)

Roberto Bettega was a cross between Nureyev and Marco Van Basten. Born in Turin on 27 December 1950, Bettega’s talent is so difficult to describe because his power to enchant was so great. A pure striker, he became more versatile and complete as a player as his career progressed, but moments of sublime football always characterised his style as when his cheeky back-heeled goal against Milan compelled even coach Nereo Rocco to raise his hat. Not to mention his spectacular diving header against England in Rome...

Bettega grew up playing football for the Bianconeri youth teams, and at Rabitti’s and Pedrale’s Juventus football school. At 19-years-old, he was sent out on loan to Serie B side Varese, where he came across the now legendary coach Nils Liedholm. Liedholm said of Bettega at the time, "He allies tremendous athletic strength with impressive technical skills. He is particularly strong in the air, and can kick the ball with either foot. All he needs is to build up experience, and then he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with."

Liedholm, or the Baron (as he is nicknamed), was not far wrong. The young Bettega’s 13 goals helped Varese to win promotion to Serie A. On 27 September 1970, Bettega made his Serie A debut for Juventus, away to Catania. True to style Bobby-gol, as he would later become known, scored the winner. It was the first of the 178 goals which he would bag throughout his career. That season, marked by the tragic death of manager Armando Picchi, Bettega scored 13 times in 28 matches. But he really exploded onto the scene the following season. Playing alongside other young talents such as Causio and Fabio Capello, Bettega increased his ratio to ten goals in 14 matches (the famous back heel at the San Siro among them).

Bettega’s last goal before an enforced rest period came on 16 January 1972 against Fiorentina. Immediately after, he was sidelined and his health seriously endangered by a lung infection and the initial stages of tuberculosis. To many, it seemed that Bettega would never again set foot on a playing field. They were wrong. On 24 September of the same year, Bettega was already in action again, helping Juventus to their second successive Scudetto. Giovanni Trapattoni was now coach, and his input heralded some team changes. Importantly, Bettega now found himself the main frontman, a position where he united foresight and organisational skills with the predatory instinct of a striker.

The national team could not get by either without his class and intelligence, and his first call-up to the Azzurri came in 1975 for the match againt Finland under coach Bernardini. But it wasn’t until Bearzot arrived on the scene that Bettega really came into his own for Italy, leading the troupes to the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Bettega’s name should have headed up the team list for the 1982 World Cup in Spain; but it wasn’t to be. Disaster was lurking just around the corner. Bettega’s dreams came to an end in the 1981 European Cup match against Anderlecht when a collision with the Juve opponents’ goalkeeper caused major ligament damage to his knee.

Bettega finally took to the pitch again for Juventus in the 1982/83 season, without the title of World Champion which he would undoubtedly have earned. He finally bade farewell to the Bianconeri on 25 May 1983 after the ill-fated European Cup final against Hamburg in Athens. But Bettega returned to the club again when Umberto Agnelli asked him to be club vice-president.

In total, Bettega played 326 League matches for the Bianconeri and scored 129 goals. He made 42 appearances for Italy, scoring 19 times. During his career, he won seven League titles (in 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981 and 1982), a UEFA Cup (in 1977), and two Coppa Italia (1979 and 1983). He was Serie A’s top striker in the 1979/80 season with 16 goals.

Juventus Legend Number 3

Michel Platini "Platoche", "Le Roi"




Position: Attacking midfielder
Nationality: French
Born: 21st June 1955 in Jœuf, France
France Caps: 72 Goals: 41
Teams: Nancy, St Etienne, Juventus
Juventus appearances: 147
Juventus goals: 78
Height: 1.78m (5'10")
Weight: 73kg


Honours:

2 Scudetti (1983-84, 1985-86)
1 Coppa Italia (1982-83)
1 UEFA Champions League (1984-85)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1985)
1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup (1983-84)
1 UEFA Supercup (1984)
1 UEFA European Championship (1984)
1 Ligue 1 (1981)
1 Ligue 2 (1975)
1 Coupe de France (1978)
3 Ballon D'Or, European Footballer of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985)
2 World Soccer Player of the Year (1984, 1985)
1 Serie A Player of the Year (1984)
2 French Player of the Year (1976, 1977)
3 Serie A Capocannonieri (1983, 16 goals), (1984, 20), (1985, 18)
1 European Championship Top Scorer (1984)
1 European Championship Player of the Tournament (1984)
3 Onze D'Or (1983, 1984, 1985)
English Football Hall of Fame, All-Time Great European Footballer
FIFA 100 (2004)
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (1985)
Officier de la Légion d'honneur (1988)


Michel Platini has had a glorious career in the Juventus shirt. He wore the black and white colours for five seasons and will always be a Bianconero at heart.

The French striker played 224 matches: 147 in Serie A, 39 in the Italian Cup, and 38 in the European Cup. His list of successes is long: two Scudettos, the Champions´ Cup, the Cup Winners Cup, the European Supercup, the Intercontinental Cup and the Coppa Italia.

He grew up in Nancy, in the heart of France. Before moving to Turin to replace Liam Brady, he played with Saint-Etienne, a team also close to his heart.

His greatest achievement was being made European footballer of the year three times, and being leading scorer in the Italian championship for three seasons. However, his big regret is that he didn´t play in the UEFA Cup.

During the bianconeri centenary celebration, he was proclaimed as the best. Very few players can boast such a prestigious history, enriched by his European Championship-winning exploits with the French national team.

In his five years spent with Juve between 1982 and 1987, he scored more than 100 goals. It´s not hard to see why he became Agnelli´s favourite. The ex-Fiat president used to say: "We bought him for the price of a loaf of bread but Michel was like caviar."
The two of them still keep in touch, talking about football and their memories. His popularity is overwhelming. No other player has become as popular as he was in his heyday.

When he retired in 1987, Platini decided to move away from the world that had made him a star. He felt that making a clean break with the game would be less painful.

However the temptation to carry on in the game, even under a different guise, prevailed. First he became the French national coach, then in 1998 the president of the French World Cup committee. So successful has Platini been in his managerial career that he has climbed up through FIFA´s ranks and carved out a position for himself alongside Blatter, Havelange´s predecessor at the head of football´s world governing body.

Juventus Legend Number 4

Gaetano Scirea "The Gentleman", "Gai"




Position: Sweeper (Libero)
Nationality: Italian
Born: 25th May 1953 in Milano, Italy
Died: 3rd September 1989 in Skierniewice, Poland
Italy Caps: 78 Goals: 2
Teams: Juventus (1975-1988)
Juventus appearances: 552
Juventus goals: 32
Height: 1.78m (5'10")
Weight: 78kg

Honours:
7 Scudetti (1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986)
2 Coppe Italia (1979, 1983)
1 UEFA Champions League (1985)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1986)
1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup (1984)
1 UEFA Supercup (1985)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)


Was he a player gentleman or a gentleman player? Without a shadow of a doubt, he was both.

Ten years ago, on September 3, 1989, it was announced that Gaetano Scirea (who had been sent to Poland by then Juventus coach Dino Zoff to watch the Bianconeri's UEFA Cup opponents) had been killed in a road accident. A piece of Juventus went with him, and a model professional and a man who was well-liked by all who had met him was no more.

Born in Cernusco sul Naviglio on May 25, 1953, Scirea started out at Atalanta, making his Serie A debut at Cagliari on September 24, 1972. He moved to Juventus during the 1974-75 season and immediately made the number six shirt his own, going on to wear it 552 times in official matches, scoring 23 goals in Serie A and winning 14 trophies. Of those, seven were league titles (the first in 1975 and the last in 1986), two Coppa Italia (1979 and 1983), one UEFA Cup (1977), one Cup-Winners Cup (1984), one European Super Cup (1984), one European Cup (1985) and one Intercontinental Cup (1985). He won everything with class and courtesy, he was almost afraid to hog too much of the limelight. He was never sent off in his career nor was he ever suspended or involved in any kind of ugly scene.

He was the defensive pillar of the national side who, in 1982, were crowned world champions: the classic icing on the cake of an inimitable career, which he experienced alongside his great friend and team-mate, Dino Zoff. Scirea was a free spirit on the pitch, a shining star who was capable of pushing forward with infinite elegance and also of scoring goals. He played with his head held high, always abiding by the rules, one of few players who, having practically always worn the black-and-white striped shirt of Juventus, was well-liked by all those who loved football. Juventus' vice-president, Roberto Bettega said the following words about his friend: "Ten years on from his death the memory of a great friend is still alive, a roommate for five years with whom I experienced disappointment and joy, bitterness and victory that all contributed to his fame as a star player on the international scene. When I think of him, as an official, in the name of Juventus and my staff, I dearly miss a great friend who has left behind a huge hole."

The club has done what is right and proper by dedicating to Scirea the end where their most fervent supporters gather. He was a clean fighter, capable of transmitting confidence and strength at the same time. On the evening of the Heysel Stadium tragedy in Brussels in May 1985, it was Scirea who spoke on the microphone to try to calm the thousands of people traumatised by what was happening. And a few days ago, just minutes after kick-off between Juve and Reggina on the opening day of the season at the Delle Alpi, the stands were filled with cries of his name, "Gaetano Scirea". Just like when he would emerge, head held high, from the tunnel of the old Stadio Communale.

Juventus Legend Number 5

Dino Zoff "SuperDino"



Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Italian
Born: 28th February 1942 in Mariano del Friuli, Italy
Italy Caps: 112 Goals: 0
Teams: Udinese, Mantova, Napoli, Juventus (1972 - 1983)
As coach: Juventus, Lazio, Italian national team
Serie A debut: 1961 at Udinese
Juventus appearances: 476
Juventus goals: 0
Height: 1.82m (6'0")
Weight: 81kg

Honours:
6 Scudetti (1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982)
2 Coppa Italia (1979, 1983)
1 UEFA Cup (1977)
1 UEFA European Championship (1968)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)
Italian Football Federation Italy's Golden Player (2003)
Italian Cup (1990) (as coach)
UEFA Cup (1990) (as coach)
Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (1982)
Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (2000)


Always immensely focused and composed, great inside the box, magnificent on the line. Not very tall for a goalkeeper, sparesome in his moves, yet he made spectacular saves on occasion. Since then his physical appearance has remained largely the same.

He was nineteen years old when he made his debut in Serie A on September 24th 1961. At the time Zoff played for Udinese, although he only played 4 league games for the club. Upon moving to Mantova, he became more widely known, playing 93 league apps at his new club. But it wasn't until he came to Napoli that the young man from the north really made a name for himself. At Napoli he reached the final of the Italian Cup in 1972 and made in all 143 Serie A appearances.

Zoff's big break was to come and in 1972 he moved to Juventus, where he won all his titles. At Juve, he made his first major record, playing 330 all league matches in his 11 seasons at the club. During his time with Madama, he took part in 6 scudettos, two Italian Cups and a UEFA Cup. He missed one major title, the European Cup (Champions League). Both in 1973 and 1983, Juve lost in the final of the competition.

Zoff's worst memory during his time with Juve is of Torino attacker Paulino Pulici. "He [Pulici] caused me the most touble. He figured me out and I suspect he is the one to score the most goals against me." Pulici must have stuck to Zoff's memory for some reason, since he played 570 matches in the Italian top division, spanning over 20 seasons and there were goalscorers more prominent than Pulici during that period.

His first internation call up came in 1968, when he was called to face Bulgaria in the European Championship quarter final. In the previous encounter between the two teams Italy lost 3-2 and coach Feruccio Valcareggi replaced the first choice goalkeeper with Dino Zoff. There was no complaint from the coach about Zoff's performance when Italy won 2-0. Italy went on to win the Championship with Dino between the posts.

But Zoff was still not guaranteed a place in the Azzurri. In the World Cup of Mexico '70, he shared his duties with Enrico Albertosi. The latter was the first choice keeper and Dino watched the tournament form the bench. Italy finished 2nd. In 1972, the Azzurri were eliminated in the quarter final of the European Championship and Albertosi's days as Azzurri goalkeeper were over. It was time for Zoff's 11-year domination.

From September 20th 1972 he conceded not a single goal for 12 international caps. Zoff's performance did not go unnoticed and he was that year runner-up in France Football's annual award for best footballer. Dino had great expectations for the upcoming World Cup, but already in the second match of the tournament, he conceded a goal vs Haiti. His 1142 minutes of international caps without conceding a goal is to this day a record. For Italy 1974 was a terrible World Cup, winning only one match.

In Argentina '78, the Azzurri were back with 36-year-old Zoff as captain. He was blamed for conceding the deciding goals in Italy's matches vs Holland and Brazil but coach Enzo Bearzot could not imagine the Azzurri without their experienced captain. After 4th place in the World Cup, Italy finised 4th in the European Championship in 1980, but Zoff's place was never threatened.

Dino made up for all mistakes he might have made so far in his career by winning the World Cup in 1982. The tournament started out poorly for the Azzurri, but after the group stage, it was fast forward to the final with West Germany. Captain Dino Zoff held up the World Cup trophy at Santiago Bernarbeu in Madrid, being at the time 40 years old.

But Zoff did not quit, he went on playing another season for his club and country. On May 29th 1983 in Goteborg, Italy lost 2-0 to Sweden. It was appearance number 112 for Zoff (beaten to this day only by Maldini), his 93rd while at Juve, 59th as captain.

In his autobiography entitled "Straight from Juventus", Zbigniew Boniek gave the following description of Zoff: "In my first season at Juve, we had one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world between the posts: Dino Zoff. Without exaggeration, I can truly say he was a model athlete one hardly comes across these days. Despite his 40 years of age, he trained at least as much as the rest of the players. He was always humble and nice. A true professional and excellent performer to the end of his career. He hoped to finally win the European Cup in 1983 and end his career. Although he failed at this, his farewell was one of the most emotional moments during my time at the club."

Zoff did not manage to stay away from soccer for more than a few months. He returned to Juve as coach in 1984 and was appointed head coach few years later. Madama won the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup in that period and Zoff moved on to Lazio, where he stayed in the years 1990-94. Cragnotti appointed him president, but in the 1996-97 season he returned to coaching. After Eriksson's departure he again became the coach of Lazio.

Zoff's greatest moment as coach came when he was nominated Azzurri coach in 1998. Italy qualified for Euro2000 and, as we all know, lost in the final to France. Dino Zoff, one of the greatest footballers of all time, quit the national job.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lyLIg4ua4g

Juventus Legend Number 6

Paolo Rossi "Pablito"



Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Born: 23rd August 1956 in Prato, Italy
Italy Caps: 48 Goals: 20
Teams: Como, Vicenza, Perugia, Juventus, Milan, Verona
Serie A debut: Perugia 2-0 Como, 9/11/75
Juventus appearances: 83
Juventus goals: 24
Height: 1.77m (5'10")
Weight: 66kg

Honours:
2 Scudetti (1981-82, 1983-84)
1 Coppa Italia (1982-83)
1 UEFA Cup-Winners’ Cup (1983-84)
1 UEFA Supercup (1984)
1 Champions League (1984-85)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)
1 Ballon D'Or, European Footballer of the Year (1982)


Paolo Rossi was the man who, in 1982, won Italy the World Cup for a third time. En route to the final his goals shot down Brazil and Poland. In the final against West Germany it was Rossi who scored the first of Italy’s three goals. The striker from Tuscany finished as the 1982 World Cup’s top scorer - not bad considering he failed to score in the first four games.

His exploits in Spain earned him a place in Italian football’s hall of fame. Yet Rossi was fortunate to be involved in that World Cup. In 1979, a year after catching the eye during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, Rossi was caught up in a match-betting scandal that rocked the Italian game. The striker, who was playing for Perugia, was one of several players accused of fixing a 2-2 draw with Avellino. Rossi was banned for three years although it was reduced to two on appeal.

The ban was lifted just two months before the 1982 World Cup. Nobody in Italy expected Enzo Bearzot, the Italian Coach, to select Rossi who surely lacked match fitness. But the pipe-smoking Bearzot, remembering Rossi’s wonderful contribution to Italy’s excellent ‘78 campaign, gambled on the striker who had signed for Juventus just before the ban was imposed.

"I knew that if Rossi wasn’t in Spain," explained Bearzot, "I wouldn’t have had an opportunist inside the penalty box. In that area he was really good, really fast, always ready to run by using feints. In attack it is necessary to have a fast striker. He doesn’t have to be tall but he must be quick to exploit the counterattack."

At first it seemed Bearzot had made a terrible mistake. Rossi failed to score in Italy’s opener against Poland (0-0). In the second match against Peru (1-1) he was substituted early in the second half after a dreadful first 45 minutes. And he again fired blanks in the third match against Cameroon (1-1). The Azzurri scraped into the second phase on goal difference. By now the hysterical Italian Press were calling for Rossi’s exclusion and Bearzot’s head.

To reach the last four Italy had to play holders Argentina and favourites Brazil. Against Argentina, Rossi failed to break his scoring duck but he had a good game and Italy won 2-1. So against Brazil, who had beaten their South American rivals 3-1, the Azzurri had to win to make the semi-finals. Brazil needed only a draw.

This was the match in which ‘Pablito’ - his nickname following the 1978 World Cup in Argentina - exploded into life. In one of the greatest games of all time Rossi hit a sensational hat-trick that dumped the brilliant Brazilians out of the tournament. First he headed Italy ahead after five minutes. Brazil equalised. Then he capitalised on a Brazilian mistake and blasted Italy into a 2-1 lead. Brazil again equalised, but they had no response to his third goal 15 minutes from time.

Not surprisingly, he chose his first goal against Brazil as one of the most important he has ever scored. "It freed me psychologically and also increased my motivation," he said. "Like all strikers, once you get a goal you want more as soon as possible."

In the semi-final, against Poland, Rossi scored both goals in a 2-0 win. In the final Rossi, almost inevitably, grabbed the first goal in a memorable 3-1 win. Later that year he was named European Footballer of the Year - after a lot of Italian journalists were made to eat humble pie.

Rossi learned his trade at Juventus but even before he celebrated his 18th birthday his football career was in jeopardy after he had cartilages from both knees removed. He was loaned to Como and it was with the Lombardy minnows that he made his Serie A debut in November 1975.

Then Juventus sold a half-share in Rossi to Serie B club Vicenza and it was there he made his name. In his first season with the Biancorossi, in 1976-77, his 21 goals helped Vicenza win promotion to Serie A. The following season Rossi and Vicenza proved to be the revelations of Serie A. Rossi was capocannoniere with 24 goals. Newly-promoted Vicenza, coached by Gian Battista Fabri, finished second to Juventus.

That season Rossi won his first cap for Italy in a 1-0 victory over Belgium in Liege while Vicenza bought out Juve’s share in Rossi for a then-staggering £1.75m, a deal that nearly ruined the club. After a slightly disappointing 1979-80 season, Rossi scored 15 goals. They were not enough to stop Vicenza falling into Serie B and he was loaned to Perugia. There, apart from finding himself embroiled in a match-rigging scandal, he netted 13 goals in 28 games.

Before his two-year ban was announced Juventus bought Rossi for a cut-price £600,000 from Vicenza. It was a shrewd business move. Not only did they make £1.15m profit, but after the 1982 World Cup the Bianconeri owned one of the hottest properties in world football.

In Turin ‘Pablito’ won more trophies - the Coppa Italia in 1983, Lo Scudetto and the Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1984 and the European Cup in 1985. By now Rossi, wearing the red and black of Milan, was a shadow of the player of 1982. He had scored only two goals for Milan in the 1985-86 season and his inclusion in the 1986 World Cup squad was more for morale than form. After he returned from Mexico he was transferred to Verona. Rossi was still only 29 but this was to be his last port of call. Injuries had returned to plague him, just as they did when he was a teenager.

He kicked his last ball in April 1987 in Verona’s 3-0 win over Diego Maradona’s Napoli. It was a fitting end for Rossi since Napoli would win the title that season.

World Cup wonder

Paolo Rossi featured in three World Cup squads - in Argentina in 1978, in Spain in 1982 and Mexico in 1986. Rossi returned to Italy a superstar after his performances in Argentina. He formed a lethal partnership with Juve’s Roberto Bettega and helped the Azzurri to a highly respectable fourth place.

‘Pablito’ scored three goals in that campaign - against France, Hungary and Austria - although his brilliant one-two with Bettega, which allowed Bettega to score the winner against Argentina, remains the abiding memory.

Rossi was not expected to be a first-choice player in the 1978 campaign. The media expected Enzo Bearzot to pick Torino’s Francesco Graziani ahead of him. But Rossi’s good form in the pre-World Cup friendlies forced Graziani to sit on the bench. Rossi was included in the 1986 World Cup squad in Mexico but, although he did not know it then, he had played his last game for Italy in a 2-0 win over China in Naples.

By 1986 Rossi was a Milan player and he scored just two goals in 20 games for the Rossoneri. His inclusion in the Mexico party was based more on morale than form. Despite the Azzurri’s mediocre performances Bearzot persisted with Inter’s Alessandro Altobelli and Verona’s Giuseppe Galderisi in attack. Rossi could only watch helplessly as France dumped Italy out of the tournament in the second round.

Juventus Legend Number 7

Marco Tardelli "Schizzo"



Position: Midfield
Nationality: Italian
Born: 24th September 1954 in Capanne di Careggine, Italy
Italy Caps: 81 Goals: 6
Teams: Pisa, Como, Juventus, Inter, San Gallo
Serie A debut: Juventus 2-1 Verona, 5/10/75
Juventus appearances: 259
Juventus goals: 35
Height: 1.78m (5'10")
Weight: 70 kgs

Honours:
5 Scudetti (1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1983-84)
2 Coppe Italia (1978-79, 1982-83)
1 UEFA Champions League (1984-85)
1 UEFA Cup-Winners’ Cup (1983-84)
1 UEFA Cup (1976-77)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1984)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)


The expression on Marco Tardelli’s face, just after scoring Italy’s second goal in the 3-1 World Cup final triumph over West Germany in 1982, is one of the competition’s most enduring images - like 17-year-old Pele crying after winning the trophy in 1958, or the Cruyff turn in 1974. It illustrates the ecstasy, the unmatchable joy of scoring in the biggest football match of all.

Seconds after seeing his ferocious 20-yard drive beat Harold Schumacher, Tardelli picked himself off the floor, began shaking his head and waving his fists before bursting into tears as he rushed to embrace his compatriots on the substitutes’ bench. It was fitting that the hard-tackling Juventus midfielder should score in the final. He was Italy’s man of the match that balmy July night in Madrid.

His goal against the Germans - one of six he scored for the Azzurri - rounded off a marvellous tournament for Tardelli who emerged as one of the stars of Espana’82. There, on the hard, sun-soaked pitches of Spain, he demonstrated the qualities that would earn him 81 appearances for Italy and make him a lynchpin of the Juventus midfield for a decade.

Born in Capanne di Careggine, near the Tuscan town of Lucca, Tardelli began his career in 1972, as a full-back with Serie C club Pisa before moving to Como in Serie B two years later. After just one year in Lombardy, Juventus took him to Turin and during his time with the Bianconeri he won all three European trophies - the UEFA Cup in 1977, the Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1984 and the European Cup in 1985. As well as those triumphs in Europe he won five League titles and two Italian Cups - all with Juve.

Many believe Italy has never properly replaced Tardelli, whose last appearance for the Azzurri came in September 1985, in a 2-1 home defeat against Norway. It was a sad way to end his international career. He was a complete midfield player, Italy’s answer to Johannes Neeskens, the midfielder who epitomised Holland’s ‘Total Football’ during the 1970s.

Tardelli - at his peak one of the hardest men in European football - was a midfield workhouse renowned for his ferocious tackling. His commitment could not be questioned and he boasted a competitive streak second to none. But the man from Lucca frequently lent himself to the attack and had an uncanny knack of steaming into the opponent’s penalty area from midfield to score, as England found to their cost in a European Championship match in 1980 which Italy won 1-0.

Another important Tardelli strike came three years earlier in the UEFA Cup final of 1977 where Juve met Athletico Bilbao. It ended 2-2 with Juve winning on away goals, Tardelli scoring the first-leg winner in Turin. His sudden bursts forward earned him the nickname ‘Schizzo’ - which means spurt. He was also a tremendously versatile player and Juventus Coach Giovanni Trapattoni, who converted him to a midfielder, used him in various positions.

Tardelli’s rise was nothing short of meteoric. One year after leaving Pisa in the Third Division he was playing for the reigning champions of Italy and in his very first season with the Bianconeri he made the national team. Azzurri Coach Enzo Bearzot, rebuilding after the disaster of the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, was looking for new blood and was impressed by the 21-year-old’s displays in the Stadio Comunale. So on April 7, 1976 Tardelli played in the friendly against Portugal, fittingly in Turin. The Azzurri won 3-1 and since that day ‘Schizzo’ became one of Bearzot’s figli prediletti - favourite sons. He travelled to Argentina for the 1978 World Cup and played in six of Italy’s seven matches as the inexperienced Azzurri defied the pessimists to finish fourth.

The midfield hard-man, with his cold, brown eyes and wiry frame, was one of Italy’s best performers and in the first match, against France in Mar del Plata, he marked French midfield maestro Michel Platini out of the game. After the promise shown in South America, Tardelli and his teammates were expected to win the European Championships of 1980 which were staged in Italy. Tardelli was one of the few Italian players to perform as they finished a disappointing fourth.

But it was in Spain where Tardelli confirmed his greatness. Italy’s emergence in the second round coincided with his growing influence. In the 2-1 victory over Argentina in Barcelona, the game that really launched the Azzurri’s challenge for the trophy, Tardelli scored Italy’s brilliant second goal. Breaking through the middle of the pitch, he overlapped Paolo Rossi who slipped him the ball. Tardelli then beat Fillol with a low, hard shot with his right foot from the edge of the area.

Along with Franco Baresi and Giuseppe Bergomi, who also played 81 times for the Azzurri, Tardelli is the fourth most-capped Italian player of all time. Only Paolo Maldini, Dino Zoff and Giacinto Facchetti have played more games. After 10 years at Juventus and after the tragic Heysel Stadium disaster where 39 people lost their lives, he joined Inter in 1985.

Approaching his 31st birthday ‘Schizzo’ was past his best. In his two years at the San Siro he notched up 43 appearances but could not help the Nerazzurri win a trophy. He ended his playing career in Switzerland, with San Gallo, where he spent one season. In 1988 he finally hung up his boots before turning his hand to management.

He took his coaching badge at Coverciano in 1988-89 and was appointed assistant to Italian Under-21 Coach Cesare Maldini. He had an indifferent time at club level with Cesena and Como and returned to the Under-21 set-up with Maldini. In 1998 he was appointed Coach of the Azzurrini and masterminded the 2000 European Championship triumph. It came as no surprise to see Tardelli mentioned as a likely successor to Dino Zoff when he quit as Coach of the Azzurri after Euro 2000. He is currently assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland international team, beside Giovanni Trapattoni.

Juventus Legend Number 8

Claudio Gentile "Gheddafi", "Gento"



Position: Defender
Nationality: Italian
Born: 27th September 1953 in Tripoli, Libya
Italy Caps: 71 Goals: 1
Teams: Arona, Varese, Juventus, Fiorentina, Piacenza
Juventus appearances: 414
Juventus goals: 10
Serie A debut: 1972 at Varese
Height: 1.82m (6'0")
Weight: 78kg

Honours:
6 Scudetti (1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984)
2 Coppe Italia (1979, 1983)
1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1984)
1 UEFA Cup (1977)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)
1 UEFA U21 Championship (2004) (as coach)

Probably the greatest man marker ever to make his way on to a football pitch, there was little escape from his attentions. Gentile proved a formidable partner for Gaetano Scirea at the heart of the Juventus and Italy defence throughout the 1970s and into the World Cup in 1982. His finest hour came when winning the 1982 World Cup against the likes of Maradona and Zico, but he also picked up six domestic League titles, two Italian Cups, the European Cup-Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Cup with the Bianconeri. He played 71 times for Italy and at the end of his career he moved to Fiorentina for three seasons before finishing off with Piacenza in Serie B. - Football Italia

Gentile started his career as a full back but soon switched to the role of central defence after signing for Juventus FC in 1973. In over a decade in Turin, Gentile won two major european club competitions, six scudettos, and two italian cups. During this time he also earned 71 caps for Italy. In 1984 he moved to Fiorentina where he spent three further years in Serie A, before retiring from football in 1988 after one further season for Serie B side Piacenza.

Gentile's finest hour came on July 11, 1982 when he produced an immaculate defensive display alongside fellow defender Gaetano Scirea, as Italy defeated West Germany 3-1 to lift the 82 World Cup in Spain. Gentile came to international in the 2nd phase match against holders Argentina, when he man-marked Diego Maradona out of the game by kicking and flooring him constantly throughout the game. In Italy's next match against favourites Brazil he first performed a violent tackle from behind on Zico and later ripped the Brazilian's shirt in half during a tussle.

There are many humorous stories involving Gentile within the footballing world. One is that during the Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year) awards ceremony in the late 1970s English centre forward Kevin Keegan was announced as the winner. As Keegan walked towards the host to collect his award he passed the seat where Gentile was sitting. As Keegan walked past Gentile is reported to have stuck out his foot and tripped up Keegan. As Keegan was getting to his feet Gentile reputedly whispered into his ear, "You wouldn't have won any award if i had been marking you".

Gentile currently coaches the Italy Under-21 National Team, a position he has held since October 2000. He had a well-publicised falling out with Antonio Cassano whilst the Real Madrid player was eligible to play for his team. However his stint has been a successful one and his coaching career appears to be heading in the same direction as his playing career once did. – Wikipedia

Without a shadow of a doubt, the former defender will be remembered for his brilliant marking of Maradona in the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain ™, which Italy duly won in style. – FIFA.com

They don’t build defenders like this anymore. Uncompromising stopper who became a regular for the Bianconeri in his second season in Turin. Signed from Varese, Gentile made man marking an art form. Like Cuccureddu won six Serie A titles. Gentile played a starring role in the 1982 World Cup triumph. - Football Italia

Juventus Legend Number 9

Giampiero Boniperti "Boni", "Il Ragazzo D'Oro"



Position: Winger
Nationality: Italian
Born: 4th July 1928 in Barengo-Novara, Italy
Italy Caps: Goals:
Teams: Momo, Juventus
Juventus appearances: 460
Juventus goals: 179
Serie A debut: 02-03-1947 JUVENTUS-Milan 1-2
Height: 1.75m (5'9")
Weight: 76kg

Honours:
5 Scudetti (1950, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1961)
2 Coppe Italia (1959, 1960)
Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (1991)


Words: Giancarlo Rinaldi

June 10, 1961, was no ordinary day in the history of Juventus. They had just sewn up another Scudetto thanks to a pantomime 9-1 victory over Inter’s youth team. Mixed with the sound of their celebration, however, was the ominous echo of famous footsteps leaving the playing surface of the Stadio Comunale in Turin for the final time. Club legend Giampiero Boniperti handed his boots to one of the Bianconero backroom staff. “Put these away,” he said. “I won’t be playing again.” He was only 32-years-old.

It was not the proper way to end such a glorious career. The Nerazzurri had fielded their youngsters – including a fresh-faced Sandro Mazzola – in protest at events earlier in the season. When the tie with Juve had originally been played there had been crowd security issues and the match was awarded to Inter, giving them a chance of snatching the title. When that decision was overturned and it was ordered that the game be replayed, it was met with dismay by the Milanese giants. Psychologically they slumped and, by the time the match was played again, the title already belonged to Juventus.

Despite the anti-climactic ending, ‘Boni’ left behind some outstanding memories of more than 400 Serie A appearances in the black and white shirt he helped to make famous. Along the way he struck 178 goals in the top flight and won five League titles, a couple of Coppa Italias and the top scorer’s crown in 1948. Following the premature death of Il Grande Torino’s Valentino Mazzola in the Superga disaster, he became a figurehead of the Italian game. He was simultaneously its greatest ambassador and its most recognisable face on the world stage.

His name was linked with the Turin giants from the outset. Born in Barengo, a provincial town about 50 miles north-east of Turin in 1928, he moved from amateur outfit Momo to Juventus in 1946 and never played anywhere else. Initially as a striker, but later as a playmaker, he quickly became the heart and soul of a new Bianconero breed.

“Joining Juventus was a dream come true,” he said. “Growing up, I used to wear a Juve badge on my lapel and at that time my only wish was to play a Serie A game for the Bianconeri. I am sure I would have been happy if I had only played one match. Instead, I did a little better, I managed 444.”

He made his debut as a teenager against Milan playing, in his own words, a “so-so” game. He appeared in just six games in that first campaign but found the net five times. A year later, in the 1947-48 season, he was ready to announce his arrival as a player of note.

“It was my best season,” recalled Boni. “I scored 27 goals – two more than Valentino Mazzola, one of the greatest, a true champion. I can remember a derby with Torino when I took a shot at goal and he popped up out of nowhere to block it on the line. I was still wondering how I missed when I turned round and saw that Mazzola had run up the pitch, played a couple of one-twos, and scored against us.”

In time Boniperti would become a legend of the Italian game himself. A first League title came his way in 1950, by which time he had established himself as one of the star players of his generation. Such was his importance that he was selected in a European side to take on England at Wembley in 1953 as part of the Football Association’s 90th anniversary celebrations. It proved to be one of his most memorable games.

“The match finished 4-4 and I scored two unforgettable goals at the home of football,” he recalled. “England were 3-1 down and they would never have got a draw without the Welsh referee gifting them a penalty in the closing stages. For me, as the only Italian in the European side, it was the most emotional day of my playing career.”

Back in the Bianconero fold he was busy writing himself even more clearly into history. In 1957 Juventus had brought in a big Welsh hitman from Leeds United in the shape of John Charles. At the same time they snapped up Argentine Omar Sivori from River Plate. They became a trio which helped the Bianconeri graduate from being a big club to becoming one of the giants of the Italian game.

“Each one had something that the other lacked,” explained Boniperti. “In our play we represented the obsessions of the nation – we had imagination, strength and discipline. If Omar had been less Argentine and more German – by that I mean less temperamental and more rational – we wouldn’t have won three Scudetti together, it would have been double that. He was the Diego Maradona of his day.”

The trio played a part in making Juventus a major force in the game. There is little doubt that Boniperti was the brains of the operation. His absence from the field of play left a huge hole in a side which had captured the imagination of the whole country.

“The loss of Boniperti, from a technical point of view, harmed the very foundations of this side,” admitted Charles in one interview. “We had lost our ‘brain’, the heart of our midfield, the man who directed and co-ordinated the efforts of his teammates. He was indispensable for a team that hoped to play modern football at both domestic and international level.”

Still, a man who had come to symbolise the club was unlikely to stay away too long. Within a decade of his retirement as a player he was named President of Juventus. Just as he had as a player, he presided over an era of intense success. Nine Scudetti, three Italian Cups, three UEFA Cups, the European Cup, Cup-Winners Cup, World Club Cup and European Super Cup were all secured during his reign. His name became synonymous with the ‘Stile Juve’ – Juventus style. Infuriating to its enemies, there was an aloofness and air of nobility about the club – but one which it was able to back up with a huge haul of trophies.

When he left the Presidential role in the 1990s Boniperti enjoyed a spell in politics but his footballing fame surged once more late in 2005. As Alessandro Del Piero closed in on his club record for goals, there was rarely a week went by when he was not interviewed about the prospect of seeing his target surpassed. “This head-to-head has made me more famous with young people than I was before,” he admitted. “They knew me as the Juventus President not as a player and certainly not as a great scorer.”

It is something which fans of Italian football in general and Juve in particular would do well to remember. Even at a club which has seen countless great figures, there are few who stand comparison with Boniperti. He is an essential element in the story of a club which has written huge chapters of Serie A’s history. And both as player and President he had an impeccable sense of when the time was right to go out at the top.

Juventus Legend Number 10

Antonio Cabrini "Bell'Antonio"



Position: Left back
Nationality: Italian
Born: 8th October 1957 in Cremona, Italy
Italy Caps: 73 Goals: 9
Teams: Cremonese, Atalanta, Juventus, Bologna
Serie A debut: 1976 at Juventus
Juventus appearances: 440
Juventus goals: 48
Height: 1.78m (5'10")
Weight: 72 kgs

Honours:
6 Scudetti (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986)
2 Coppe Italia (1979, 1983)
1 UEFA Cup (1977)
1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1984)
1 UEFA Champions League (1985)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1984)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1985)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)


Even before Paolo Maldini there was once a great Italian left back. One who graced the field and later became world champion for both club and country.

Antonio Cabrini was a silky defender who was brought up in the Cremonese youth team before going on to play in Bergamo with Atalanta. One year later, in 1976, he was signed by Juventus in a love affair that lasted until 1989.

It was while playing for the Bianconeri that Cabrini established himself as one of the world’s best. His personal honours list reads like a what’s what of football competitions. An Intercontinental crown, a Champions’ Cup, a European Super Cup, six Italian championships and two Italian Cups.

He played 297 games, scoring 33 times for the Turin side before joining Bologna. For the national side he appeared 73 times, hitting nine goals including a strike in the triumphant 1982 World Cup finals.

In the World Cup finals in Argentina '78 Cabrini didnt have a single cap beforehand and had only played 15 times for Juve that season, but made his debut against the host nation and went on to become a fixture in the Nazionale as well as for Juventus. Often regarded as second only to Maldini in his position in Italy's history, he was better as an attacking full back than the Milan man and got forward when the opportunity arose.

Cabrini now joins an accomplished list of former Juventus greats who currently Coach in Italian football including Giovanni Trapattoni, Marco Tardelli, Claudio Prandelli, Claudio Gentile and Giuseppe Galderisi.

Juventus Legend Number 11

Pietro Anastasi "Petruzzo", "Petru u turcu"



Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Born: 7th April 1948 in Catania, Sicily
Italy Caps: 25 Goals: 8
Teams: Massiminiana, Varese, Juventus, Inter, Ascoli (1964-81)
Serie A debut: 24-09-1967 - Fiorentina-Varese 3-1
Juventus appearances: 399
Juventus goals: 131
Height: 1.72 m (5'8")
Weight: 70kg

Honours:
3 Scudetti (1972, 1973, 1975)
1 UEFA European Championship (1968)


In 1968 Juventus caused a stir when they signed the Varese forward Pietro Anastasi for a massive £500,000. This proved to be a great signing for the bianconeri as Anastasi went on to become a legend in Juventus folklore. His greatest moment came in the European Championship final in Rome in 1968 against Yugoslavia where he scored one of the two goals in Italys win over the Yugoslavs.

In his first two seasons in Turin he went on to score over 30 goals and by the time the World Cup 1974 Germany came around he was at the peak of his game. Anastasi scored goals, often off the bench as coach Valcareggi preferred the duo of Chinaglia/Riva, which was no mean feat in itself. During his time as a Juventino, Anastasi won 3 Scudetti in the early to mid-70's. A technically excellent striker with an eye for goal, many Juventini recall the days when 'Petruzzo' strolled the pitch at the Comunale.

He began his career very young in Serie D with Massiminiana of Catania, earning on his second championship, in 1965-66, scoring 18 goals.

From there he was purchased by Varese of Serie B, joining a team who won promotion to the top division, scoring 6 goals in 37 matches. His Serie A debut came on September 24, 1967 against Fiorentina, he was not yet twenty. In his first season in the Italian top flight he scored 11 goals, three of them in the 5-0 victory against Juventus on 4 February 1968, which earned him his first call up to the Azzurri.

Then he moved to Juventus in the summer just after, he became a major player throughout the first half of the seventies, giving a large contribution to the titles won in 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75.

In the summer of 1976, after being left out of the team following a misunderstanding with the then coach Carlo Parola, he was sold to Inter in the transfer that brought Roberto Boninsegna to Turin, but at Inter he showed signs of premature aging, no longer able to score as frequently as before. However, at Inter he did manag to win a Coppa Italia in 1978.

He was subsequently transferred to Ascoli in 1979, where he played in Serie A for another 3 seasons. Although the period of greatest glory was already finished for him, in the three years in the province he managed to add 9 more marks to his tally accrued with Varese, Juventus and Inter, and to have the satisfaction, with a total 105 goals in Serie A, entering among the great scorers of all time. In the 1981/82 season he played in Lugano in Switzerland.

After appearances in the National Under-21 and B teams, made his debut with the senior national team on June 8, 1968 in the European Cup final against Yugoslavia, which ended in a draw. In the replay he scored in the 2-0 victory, making the Azzurri European champions.

In 1970 he was included in the squad of players who played the World Cup in Mexico, but because of a silly joke with a masseuse who struck him with a wet towel to his genitals, was forced to have an operate on his testicles, and had to miss the World Cup. In his place were called two others strikers, Boninsegna and Pierino Prati, also resulting in the exclusion of midfielder Giovanni Lodetti.

Juventus Legend Number 12

Gianpiero Combi "Uomo di Gomma"



Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Italian
Born: 20th November 1902 in Torino, Italy
Italy Caps: 47 Goals: 0
Teams: Juventus (1921-34)
Serie A debut: 1921 at Juventus
Juventus appearances: 348
Juventus goals: 0
Height: 1.74m (5'9")
Weight: 72kg
Died: 12th August 1956 in Imperia, Italy aged 53

Honours:
5 Scudetti (1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935)
1 Coppa Italia (1938)
1 FIFA World Cup (1938)

Born in Turin on 20 November 1902 and playing for Juventus' youth side, he debuted in the Italian Serie A on February 5, 1922 in a match against Milan. Combi played for Juventus FC his entire career, he played 351 games in Serie A, winning five titles - in 1926 (having conceded only 18 goals during the season), 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1934 as part of the first golden age of the club with a record of five championship victories in a row, a feat known as Il Quinquennio d'Oro (The Golden Quinquennium).

Along with Virginio Rosetta and Umberto Caligaris, Combi formed a formidable defensive wall (known in Italy as the Trio Combi-Rosetta-Caligaris for both Juventus and the Italian national team. He played his last match in Serie A on April 15 1934, in a 2-1 win over Brescia. In total Combi played for 13 seasons with Juventus, totaling 348 Serie A matches and another 16 games in the Central European Cup, an international competition for clubs where Juventus played four consecutive semi-finals from 1932 to 1935 to claim the record for most appearances by a goalkeeper for the club, a record he held for more than 40 years until Dino Zoff in the 1970s (476 matches) and Stefano Tacconi in the 1980s (377 matches).

Combi's first match for the Italian national team was in Budapest, at the age of 21, on April 6 1924 in a 7-1 loss against Hungary. He returned in Azzurro a year and seven games later when the Technical Commission, made up of Rangone, Giuseppe Milano and Baccani selected him to play against France in Turin on the 22 March 1925. This match was played in Corso Marsiglia Stadium and this time the large score was in favor of the Azzurri, a victory of 7-0. After this match Combi never looked back and for the next ten years it was extremely rare to see another goalkeeper defending the Italian posts.

The 1928 Olympic Games were held in Amsterdam and this time Combi formed part of the squad and defended the Italian squad for the rest of the tournament: Quarter Final against Spain 1-1 after extra time, Quarter Final Replay against Spain 7-1, Semi Final against Uruguay 2-3 and 3rd Place Final against Egypt 11-3. With this result on June 10 1928 in the Olympisch Stadion of Amsterdam, the Azzurri won their first honour: the Bronze Medal of the 9th edition of the Olympic games.

Other triumphs followed, the next being the winning of the inauguralCentral European International Cup, a predecessor cup of the European Nations Cup held between the National teams of Central Europe. In these matches Italy lost against Matěj Šindelář's Austria 0-3 in Vienna but won all the others, against Switzerland 3-2 in Zurich, against Czechoslovakia 4-2 in Bologna and the last match against Hungary on 11 May 1930

Combi made his debut as the Italian captain in his 33rd game on November 15 1931.

Around the beginning of 1934, 31-year-old Gianpiero Combi was preparing to retire from football. In this season he was on the way to winning his fifth Italian championship (a record fourth in a row) with Juventus and he had played more than 40 games for the national team. A new promising young goalkeeper was emerging: Carlo Ceresoli, who played for Inter. On his debut Ceresoli had helped the national team to qualify for the 1934 World Cup which was held in Italy that summer, by eliminating Greece in Milano by a 4-0 win. But the National Coach Vittorio Pozzo included Combi in the Italian squad - he was also one of the Nazio-Juve members - and was asked by Pozzo to postpone his retirement until the end of the tournament as his experience might be a great help. During a training session a few weeks before the beginning of the tournament, a shot by Pietro Arcari broke one of Ceresoli's forearms. This forced him to miss the World Cup and Combi again found himself the top goalkeeper in Italy, with the responsibility of leading the Azzurri to their debut in football's premier competition.

The first match was on May 27 1934 when Italy played the first round of the World Cup in the Stadio Nazionale of the P.N.F. in Rome against the United States. The Azzurri beat their opponents 7-1, a victory provided by a hat trick from Angelo Schiavio, a double from Raimundo Orsi and a goal each from Giovanni Ferrari and Meazza. In the Quarter finals the Italians met Spain, who were led by another great goalkeeper of the time, Ricardo Zamora. The game was played on May 31 1934 in the Stadio Comunale "Giovanni Berta" of Florence. The game against the Spanish team was a very difficult one, dominated by the speed and force used by both teams and finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time. A replay had to be played the next day, in which Italy changed four players and Spain seven. Italy won 1-0 with a goal by Meazza.

Their semi-final opponents were the Austrian Wunderteam, the squad who had beaten the Italians 4-2 in Turin four months earlier. The match was played in Milano's Stadio Calcistico San Siro on 3 June and the Azzurri won 1-0 with a goal by Enrico Guaita. Combi was also decisive when he made two miraculous saves to keep the score in favor of Italy until the end. The final was held in Rome on June 10 1934 against Czechoslovakia. The first half finished without a goal but in the 71st minute, against all odds, Antonin Puč managed to beat the Italian goalkeeper. Ten minutes later Orsi equalized and the game went to extra-time. With the help of a noisy support, so great that the rival coach Pozzo had to continually run along the pitch so that the players could hear his instructions, Italy won the match through a goal by Schiavio and the Italian team were crowned World Champions. Gianpiero Combi, who played 510 minutes and conceded three goals as captain of the squad, received the Jules Rimet trophy from the Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini.

A year later, in November 1935, Combi played only five of the eight matches in the International Cup and in his absence the Italian team won the trophy. He totalled 47 caps for the Italian team, 5 of which were as captain.

Although he had stopped playing football, his passion for the sport remained all his life and he still held a number of unofficial positions with Juventus. He offered advice to the technical staff and also served as a scout. In 1951 the Italian Football Federation offered him the job of technical commissioner for the Italian national team with Carlino Beretta and Toni Busini. They led the National Team for seven months, from 8 April to 25 November 1951 in which time the Italian squad played 5 games without any losses. They won 4-1 against Portugal and France, and drew against Yugoslavia (0-0), Sweden (1-1) and Switzerland (1-1) - the only competitive game of the five.

He died in Imperia in August 1956, aged 54.

Juventus Legend Number 13

Roberto Baggio "Il Divino Codino"



Position: Forward
Nationality: Italian
Born: 18th February 1967 in Caldogno
Italy Caps: 56 Goals: 27
Teams: Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Bologna, Inter, Brescia
Serie A debut: Fiorentina - Sampdoria : 2-0 21/09/1986
Juventus appearances: 200
Juventus goals: 115
Height: 1.74m (5'9")
Weight: 73kg

Honours:
2 Scudetti (Juventus 1994-95, 1995-96)
1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1990-91)
1 UEFA Cup (1992-93)
1 Coppa Italia (1994-95)
1 Ballon D'Or, European Football of the Year (1993)
1 FIFA World Player of the Year (1993)
1 U-23 Footballer of the Year (1990)
1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup top scorer (1990-91)
1 FIFA World Cup Silver Ball (1994)
1 FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe (1994)
1 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1994)
1 FIFA Dream Team of All-Time (2002)
Azzurri Team of The Century (2000)
FIFA 100 (2004)
Planète Foot's 50 Meilleurs Joueurs du Monde
Premio World Peace Award (2010)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (1991)


Misunderstood by coaches, distrusted by team-mates in a career plagued by injury, the light of Roberto Baggio has shone through it all to be recognised as one of Italy’s all-time greats. One of the greatest players of the last 25 years, who combined exquisite footballing ability with a magical aura born from an angelic look and the ability to strike at the most crucial moments, to defeat all the demons that stood in his way and be hailed by millions of adoring fans the world over.

Baggio’s is not one of your average contemporary footballer’s tales. It is one of sacrifice and pain in a 20-year struggle to overcome injury handicaps and exploit the genius ability he was born with. Blessed with chiselled cheekbones and handsome features, but also a relatively small stature and frail physique in an era of the game when athletes were favoured over artists, the Italian needed all the steely determination beneath those captivating blue eyes in order to succeed. Baggio would wage this battle of beauty over brawn for two decades, capturing the attention of an Italian and global public enamoured by a unique footballer whose touch, talent and creation many thought had been lost to the Azzurri.

Born the sixth of eight children in a small town called Caldogno near Vicenza in 1967, Roberto was 15 when he made his debut for the local team in Serie C1. Three years later he was playing in Serie A with Fiorentina but he suffered the first of three separate career-threatening knee injuries. The introverted Italian converted to Buddhism. “I needed something deeper than the Catholic religion. Buddhism helps me control my mind better,” he explained, though he took three months to tell his mother.

It was a major turning-point. He rejected the stereotypical footballer’s lifestyle, married his childhood sweetheart from Caldogno and though his choice of religion and solitary, pre-match meditative practices naturally alienated his team-mates, it gave the 20-year-old Baggio the inner strength to perform in spite of the pain. Although not an out-and-out striker, he was soon carving out goals for his new club and winning the hearts of Florentines already spoiled by the everyday sight of fabulous craftsmanship.

When Baggio was sold to Juventus for a world record $13m before the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™, those adorers rioted for two days. If the world did not know why, they soon found out when the Italian dribbled past half the Czechoslovakian team to score the goal of the finals in his first start and Italy’s final group game. It was not enough. Coach Azeglio Vicini left the new “golden boy” out of the semi-final, which Italy would lose to Argentina on penalties, a decision by a coach that would, not for the last time, rankle with Italy’s fanatical football-loving public. “He said I looked tired,” said the disappointed player, who had been brought on in the second half, converting one of Italy’s penalties. “I was 23! I would have eaten grass to play.”

Greatness had arrived and most people knew it. The problem was the game was evolving and the Milan school of pressure football engineered by Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello had no room for “individualists” like Baggio. Even Juventus’ French hero Michel Platini could not make his number. “Baggio is still a 9 and a half, that is an attacker that operates from deep. But in a game which is increasingly uniform he is one of the few who can tip the balance,” he said in 1993, the year the player had truly confirmed his earlier promise and helped the “Old Lady” to a UEFA Cup triumph, claiming the FIFA World Player of the Year award and European Golden Ball to boot.

Baggio, 27, was at his peak with his divine ponytail poetry in motion and another world finals beckoning. With Italy down to ten men after 22 minutes of their second match at USA 94 (they had lost 1-0 to Republic of Ireland in the opener), Sacchi shocked a watching world and dumbfounded “Il Divino Codino” by bringing Italy’s number 10 off. The tactical change worked, Italy won and later qualified but it was Baggio who in the knockout stages saved Italy by snatching late goals against Nigeria and Spain and two in the semi-final against Bulgaria to push Italy through to the World Cup Final against Brazil.

The pain of the physical sacrifice told though and the five-goal hero was advised by doctors not to play. In the days leading up to the world’s most popular sporting match, millions the world over prayed while hundreds outside a Bangladeshi Buddhist temple, for which Baggio’s money had helped restore, chanted for his health.

Such was the fervour, Sacchi had little choice in the matter. “I received a shot and broke my tooth,” described an adrenalin-fuelled Baggio of the injection. “Unfortunately we Italians eat pasta al dente.”

Football was not the winner that day and more than 120 minutes later, Baggio was the last man to limp to the penalty spot but not the first to send the ball up to the heavens. “I was there in body and spirit, my concentration was good. Normally I side-foot them but I had so little energy left that I just tried to blast it.”

Many believe his 5 years in Turin were his best seasons and he is regarded by many Juventus fans as their greatest ever forward.

Juventus Legend Number 14

Salvatore Schillaci "Totò"



Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Born: 1st December 1964 in Palermo, Sicily
Italy Caps: 16 Goals: 7
Teams: AMAT Palermo, Messina, Juventus, Inter, Jubilo Iwata
Serie A debut: August 27th 1989 with Juventus
Juventus appearances: 108
Juventus goals: 36
Height: 1.75m (5'9")
Weight: 72kg

Honours:
1 Coppa Italia (1989-90)
1 UEFA Cup (1989-90)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (1991)


Salvatore Schillaci seemingly came from nowhere. But the 1990 World Cup made Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci a world star. His six goals in the tournament saw him net the Golden Boot and become Italy’s overnight scoring sensation, leaving the more acclaimed Gianluca Vialli in the shadows.

Born and bred in the streets of Palermo, Schillaci learned his trade on the roadsides of Sicily. "He was born to score goals," says Angelo Chianello - the scout who spotted him. "He was like Santa Rosalina to the people of Sicily. He was ours. But above all he was mine because I saw him grow up."

Schillaci used to play on one street corner in particular and had a reputation in the neighbourhood as a real talent. So much so that people would often look out of their windows and balconies to see the youngster play.

He arrived at Juventus in the season prior to the Finals from Serie B and earned a place in the squad with 15 goals in 30 games. His six goals were key to Italy’s third place finish as his strikes and bulging eyes caught the public’s imagination.

However, post World Cup Schillaci would struggle to be the same player. He was closely man-marked and eventually dropped from the national side. A move to Inter followed but regular goals were never to be his again until a move to Jubilo Iwata in Japan. Now living in Palermo, he runs a football school for kids.

No-one who witnessed him score can forget the spirited eyes he made so famous during his celebrations. In 16 matches for Italy, Schillaci notched 7 goals altogether.

Juventus Legend Number 15

Omar Enrique Sivori "El Cabazon"



Position: Forward
Nationality: Argentinian/Italian
Born: 2nd October 1935 in San Nicola, Argentina
Argentina Caps: 18 Goals: 4
Italy Caps: 9 Goals: 9
Teams: River Plate, Juventus, Napoli
Serie A debut: 1957 at Juventus
Juventus appearances: 215
Juventus goals: 134
Height: 1.70m (5'8")
Weight: 70kg

Honours:
2 Argentinean Championship (1955, 1956)
3 Scudetti (1957-58, 1959-60, 1960-61)
3 Coppe Italia (1958-59, 1959-60, 1964-65)
2 Copa America (Argentina) (1955, 1957)
1 Serie A Capocannoniere (1960, 28 goals)
1 Ballon D'Or, European Footballer of the Year (1961)


Omar Sívori is known for his time with the successful Juventus side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate and Napoli.

On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team, winning the Copa América. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina, including the national side.

Sívori's footballing talent was acclaimed and he won the coveted European Footballer of the Year in 1961.

Encyclopædia Britannica describe his playing style as "audacious and brilliant". Sívori utilized his dribbling skills and favourite move of the nutmeg (playing the ball between an opposition players legs) to defeat defenders. Primarily a left footed player, Sívori had the ability to score with his left, his right and despite his relatively short stature his head; this would sometimes see him receiving kicks to the face.

Especially while with Juventus, he was able to utilise his vision and passing skills, working in unison with Charles and Boniperti. Because of his playing style, country of birth and at times rebellious nature on and off the field, Sívori is retroactively compared to a player who emerged after him; Diego Maradona, with some parts of the media dubbing him "the Maradona of the Sixties".

Sívori was born in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, a town which falls within the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina. As a youngster Sívori became heavily interested in the game of football and by the time he reached his teens he was signed up to a side from his home province; River Plate. The teenage Sívori was given a chance to break through into a squad which included players like the famed forwards Ángel Labruna and Félix Loustau who established themselves in the era of the maquina, one of the foremost formations in football history. He soon earned the nickname El Cabezón (bighead) from the fans, due to his playing style.

River were able to win the Primera División Argentina in 1955, the title was confirmed when River beat hated local rivals Boca Juniors 2–1 at La Bombonera, in Buenos Aires, with just one game remaining. The same season River won the Copa Río de La Plata by beating Nacional from Uruguay. The following season he had similar success when River won the Argentine league title on the final day of the season; beating Rosario Central 4–0, with Sívori scoring the final goal.[8] Sívori would play his final game for River against the same team on 5 May 1957.

During the 1957–58 season, the 21 year old Sívori was signed by Italian club Juventus after being spotted by Renato Cesarini. Juventus paid 10 million pesos (the equivalent of £91,000) for the transfer, which was a world-record transfer fee for the time. Sívori's move would prove bad for River's league fortunes, in the 18 years after 1957 they were unable to win the league in Argentina. However, they were able to complete their El Monumental stadium (previously nicknamed the horseshoe) by adding a fourth stand baring his name, with the money from the deal.

The same season two other prominent Argentines moved to the Italian league; Antonio Angelillo (Inter) and Humberto Maschio (Bologna). The three were nicknamed the "Angels with Dirty Faces" by the media on account of their typically South American colour and flair, and also "The Trio of Death" on account of their fearless playing style and clinical finishing.

Prior to the arrival of Sívori and Welshman John Charles, Juventus had been going through somewhat of a slump. However, the duo along with experienced Juventini Giampiero Boniperti put together a formidable force and won Serie A during 1957-58. The good form continues and Sívori won two more scudetto titles (1959–60 and 1960–61) as well as two Coppa Italia's (1958–59 and 1959–60). Omar Sívori's hard work had paid off and he was named European Footballer of the Year (also known as Ballon d'or) in 1961.

The same year as his personal achievement however, "the Magical Trio" as they were known, had broken up with Boniperti's retirement and the following season John Charles moved back to Leeds United. Sívori stayed on with the Old Lady, notably scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid, making Juventus the first Italian side ever to win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Sívori did not win anymore championships or trophies with Juventus, and left after the 1964-65 season, because of a disagreement with new coach Heriberto Herrera.

With Juventus, Sívori scored 167 goals in 253 appearances in all competitions, remaining Juventus' fourth highest goalscorer ever as of 2007. He also holds the record for most Juventus goals in a single league game; during the 9-1 victory against Inter Milan on 10 June 1961 he scored six goals, this is also the joint record for any Serie A team shared with Silvio Piola of Pro Vercelli.

In 1965 he signed with Napoli helping them to a third place finish in the first season at the club, they also won the Coppa delle Alpi. During the 1967-68 season, Napoli's squad boasted talents along with Sívori such as Dino Zoff and José Altafini, the club took A.C. Milan all the way in the battle for the Serie A championship; Napoli eventually finished as second. Ironically, Sívori's last ever game was against Juventus, he was given a red card for kicking Erminio Favalli and was suspended for six matches.

He represented Argentina eighteen times and registered nine goals. The Argentina side of the time had a formidable attack with Sívori, Omar Oreste Corbatta, Osvaldo Cruz, Humberto Maschio and Antonio Angelillo. They were nicknamed the "caras sucias" which literally means "dirty faces" in Spanish; in reference to the way they played the game, like fun, dirty faced, mischievous children.

He helped the team win the 1957 South American Championship held in Lima, Peru. Argentina dominated in every game during that year's Copa América, wins included an 8-2 victory against Colombia and a 3-0 victory against close rivals Brazil.

Following his move to Italy in 1957, Sívori was barred from playing for the Argentine national side by the country's government. Sívori himself was of Italian ancestry, hence his surname, and in April 1961 he made his debut for the Italy national football team. In total Omar earned nine caps and scored eight goals while playing for the Azzurri.

Juventus Legend Number 16

Raimundo Bibiani Orsi "Mumo"



Position: Forward/Winger
Nationality: Argentinian (naturalized Italian)
Born: 2nd December 1901, in Avellaneda, Argentina
Died: 6th April 1986 in Argentina
Teams: Independiente, Penarol, Juventus, Penarol, Flamengo
Serie A debut: 6th December 1929 JUVENTUS 2-0 Napoli
Juventus appearances: 176
Juventus goals: 77
Height: 1.69m (5'7")
Weight: 68 kgs

Honours:
5 Scudetti (1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35)
1 FIFA World Cup (1934)
3 Argentinian Asociación Amateurs de Football (1922, 1924, 1925)
1 Copa América (1927)
2 Central European International Cups (1927-30, 1933-35)


In the 1928 Olympic Games in Holland, the Italian national team is beaten in the semifinals by Argentina (3-2). The latter is then overcome in the final by the Uruguayan team, title holders and futures World Champions. Despite this defeat, there was an Argentinean player that unanimously was the best player of the tournament: we are talking of Raimundo Orsi. A winger of such grace, pace and dribbling ability he illuminated the whole competition. Italians Juventus are the first ones to engage the player, nicknamed "the Amsterdam Star" after his performances in the Olympic Games. The club Directors did everything in their power to attain his services. Orsi was offered a dazzling salary for the era (8000 lire) and a Fiat with his personal driver for good measure. He accepted.

Despite signing a contract in 1928, Orsi was not authorized to to play with the bianconeri during the 1928/1929 season. Since 1927, only foreign players having an Italian descent (called "oriundi") could participate in the Italian Championship. Once his oriundo background was established, Orsi could begin playing the following season (1929/1930). The Argentinean attacker quickly made everyone forget the delay. As early as Juventus' second game in the championship the crowd get to admire his phenomenal dribbling. He registered his 15th goal at the end of his first Italian season and is voted the clubs best player. The following seasons he would only confirm his immense class as they took the crown away from Inter: again voted the team's best player in 1931 and 1932. He mesmerized the Italian public with his extraordinary technique that among other things allowed him to score directly from corner kicks. Not since the Hungarian Hirzer (1925-1927) had Juve had such gifted offensive player. His play alongside the talented Ferrari, Vecchina and Borel II which tore defenses apart. They were unstoppable. Thanks to this incomparable offense, Juve remained irreproachable in the championship between 1930 and 1935 as they won 5 consecutive titles.

Orsis talent was so immense that the Italian National team coach Pozzo called upon him to play with Italy (as an oriundo, Orsi could play for Italy despite his Argentinan nationality). The Argentinian winger continued his success with Italy as they build up for their participation in the 1934 World Cup. As hosts, Italy end up winning the tournament after Orsi equalised the Czechoslovakian lead in the Final and then helped create the winner for Schiavio in extra time. Orsi had a great tournament, scoring three goals in five games while also creating goals for his teammates. He left Juve in 1935 after seven seasons, and returned to play in South America. The Bianconeri supporters will have to wait more then 20 years and the arrival of another Argentinian artist, Omar Sivori, to see a player as gifted as Orsi.

Juventus Legend Number 17

Luis del Monti "Doble Ancho", "Luisito"



Position: Defensive midfielder/Central defender
Nationality: Argentinian (naturalized Italian)
Born: 15th January 1901 in , Argentina
Teams: Huracan, San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors, Juventus.
Argentina Caps: 16 Goals: 5
Italy Caps: 18 Goals: 1
Serie A debut: 20 September 1931 Pro Patria-Juventus 1-1
Juventus appearances: 225
Juventus goals: 19
Height: 1.72m
Weight: 76kg
Died: in 9th September 1983 aged 82.

Honours
5 Scudetti (1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935).
1 Coppa Italia (1938)
1 Copa America (1927)
1 Olympic silver medal (Argentina) (1928)
2 FIFA World Cups (Italy) (1930, 1934)


Luisito Monti is the only footballer to have played two World Cup finals for different countries. The first was with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay. The second was for Italy as one of their "Oriundi" in 1934. This time Monti was on the winning side in a 2-1 victory over Czechoslovakia.

"Doble Ancho" (double wide), as Monti was nicknamed after his ability to cover a wide zone of the field. He was a rugged and ruthless player, but had good technical skills to go with his strong tackling. He played as an attacking centre half in the old-fashioned Metodo system: a position roughly equivalent to the defensive central midfield position today. As such he would mark the opposing centre forward when his team were defending, but would be the main midfield playmaker when his team were on the attack. He was big, tough, uncompromising, and he spread the ball to the wings.

Monti played his club football for Boca Juniors and was first called up to represent his country in 1924. He won the Copa America in 1927, and the Silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics. At the time of the inaugural World Cup, in 1930, Luis Monti was already considered one of the best centerhalf of South America. He was also their captain. Argentina cruised to the World Cup final in 1930, defeating France, Mexico, Chile, and the USA, Monti scoring two goals along the way, and literally crippling opponents with his brutal tackling. So notorious did his aggression become that some controversy arose regarding his inclusion in the team contesting the final. Some sources speculate that Monti was carrying an injury, but whatever the truth, he had a quiet game as Uruguay triumphed 4-2. He was blamed by the Argentinian fans for the defeat.

In 1931 Monti moved to Italy, brought to Juventus by Renato Cesarini. However he was overweight and out of condition. A month's solitary training and Monti was back to top form helping Juve to four consecutive League Championship titles (1932-35) and an Italian Cup in 1938. He was also called up within a year to play for the Italy national team.

Vittorio Pozzo, the coach of Italy, thought that Luisito was the perfect link between the talented forward Meazza and the defender Monziglio. As a young man, Pozzo studied in Engalnd and had always waned a centre half such as Manchester United attacking centre half, Charlie Roberts who was capable of feeding his attack with long passes to the wings. Therefore Monti received an invitation to participate in the 1934 World Cup. At that time, the rules permitted a player to represent more than one country in the World Cup and the "Oriundi", which is the italian term for a foreign player of italian descent, were very popular in their clubs, the idea of having "oriundi" players in the National Team was well accepted by the fans. Raimundo Orsi, Enrique Guaita and Luis Monti, all born in Argentina proved to be decisive elements in the 1934 World Cup. In the semifinal against Austria, Luis Monti was given a man-marking job on Matthias Sindelar, one of the most talented players of the decade, a task that Monti completed with a lot of success. In the final, Italy won 2-1 against Czechoslovakia and Luis Monti added a winner's medal to the runners-up award with Argentina four years earlier, becoming the first man to win successive World Cup medals with different nations.

Luis Monti ended his career playing for Juventus in 1939 after 225 games in the Italian Serie A and became a coach after his retirement. He passed away in 1983, aged 82.

The Battle of Highbury is a legendary match that took place between Italy and England on November 14, 1934 at the Highbury ground of Arsenal FC. Monti was playing centre half for Italy, but as early as the second minute he broke a bone in his foot after a clash with England centre forward Ted Drake. Enraged by Monti's treatment, the visitors repeatedly retaliated against their English opponents. Down to 10 men, in the days before substitutes, Italy succumbed 2-3 in a tempestuous match. Monti was only to play twice more for Italy.

Juventus Legend Number 18

Giuseppe Furino "Furia"



Position: Defensive midfielder
Nationality: Italian
Born: 05/07/46 in Palermo, Sicily
Teams: Savona, Palermo, Napoli, Juventus (1969-1984)
Italy Caps: 3 Goals: 0
Serie A debut: 14/09/1969 (Juventus-Palermo 4-1)
Juventus appearances: 528
Juventus goals: 19
Height: 1.72m
Weight: 69kg

Honours:
8 Scudetti (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984)
2 Coppe Italia (1979, 1983)
1 UEFA Cup (1977)
1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1984)


Giuseppe Furino, one of the most successful players ever, the holder of the most illustrious haul of trophies of any player in Italy, a true winner with a capital W.
Furino wasn’t the one of the sexiest players in front of media, after all he played as defensive midfielder, he wasn’t specially talented with the ball and he wasn’t mentionably handsome. His playing style certainly didn’t offer such elegance or mastery visible to the larger audience, unlike many of his team mates. His talents were lying somewhere else than in the technical department, the most vicious could even claim that they didn’t exist, at least not on the football pitch.

Born after WWII in Palermo in the summer of 1946, Furino already started to play for Juve’s junior teams as kid. Despite his start with Juve, his professional career started for Savona, a small town near Genova on the coast of the Mediterranean. He played there in the minor leagues for two seasons, and then became the time for his big break, the debut in Serie A. This, however, required moving to Napoli. A season with the southerners was an immense success, a start on the journey home. In the summer of ’69, Giuseppe travelled back home North to play for the Italian royals.

With Juventus, Furino showed that he might be a minor by his looks (he was only 172 centimetres tall), but on the field he was a real giant of a man. The little boy had grown into a major player, and in his debut season with Juve he played all of the games throughout the season, a feat he repeated most years until his retirement from football.

How on Earth could such an unskillful boy do such things? Furino had an unbeatable talent above anyone; he had been blessed with guts that would be enough even for a whole village. His determination and willpower just needed to be harnessed properly, and luckily Juve’s coaches understood Beppe’s functioning ability as midfield anchorman. His tactical understanding of the beautiful game and his unselfishness were irreplaceable for Juventus who were already full of brilliant attacking minded players, and naturally someone had to make space for Scirea’s famous advances from the back. Furino’s unyieldingness on the pitch made him an important part of the team.

Quite naturally the fans of other teams literally hated Furino. After all he often played hard and never give up even an inch. Furino certainly made life difficult for the players that dared to ambush his territory. In particular, his clashes with Gianni Rivera are still remembered. His nickname that grew from his playing style probably tells it all. “Furia” (which literally means fury in English). The fact that he carried the captain’s armband between the the years of 1976-82 says much of his enormous will power. He was the captain of Juve that were already full of natural born leaders, all the way from Zoff and Scirea to Cabrini, Tardelli and many others. Along with their charismatic captain Juve won a game, and after that could instantly concentrate to their next target, winning even more. He’s probably the best symbol for the culture of winning, the purest and finest example of spirito Juve that you have to respect, all though very much against their will by other teams’ fans.

Furino proved along his long career (15 seasons with Juve) that a footballer can become exceptionally successful even if he didn’t have the most special talents with the ball. I don’t think that nowadays for example guys like Tacchinardi or Roy Keane protest that claim. After his glorious career Furino quite naturally decided to carry on at a club he loves, this time as a scout. The word on the street is that even as scout Furino preferred more hard-working, modest players that were crucial for the sake of team spirit rather than often egoistic, virtuosic ball-lovers.

Outside Juve, Italy and pretty much the rest of the world dismissed Furino as too limited a player technically, so he wore the blue shirt of the Azzurri only three times, one of which was in the World Cup of 1970. On the other hand, who really cares? Furino still has a nice bunch of achievements to comfort himself. When he finally ended his career in the summer of 1984, he had won pretty much everything. The record of 8 scudetti, 2 Coppa Italia in the domestic competitions and the trophies of Uefa Cup and Cup Winners' Cup brought from Europe pretty much sums it up. Not to forget that he remains the second most capped player for Juve with his 528 official matches (which is only 24 less than Scirea’s record!) Not a bad for a “limited and talentless” guy.

Juventus Legend Number 19

Zbigniew Boniek "Zibi", "Bello di notte"



Position: Attacking midfielder
Nationality: Polish
Born: 03/03/56 in Bydgoszcz, Poland
Teams: Zawisza Bydgoszcz, Widzew Lódz, Juventus, Roma
Poland Caps: 80 Goals: 24
Serie A debut: 1982
Juventus appearances: 81
Juventus goals: 13
Height: 1.80m
Weight: 76kg

Honours:
Scudetto (1984)
2 Coppa Italia (1983 - Juventus, 1986 - Roma)
1 UEFA Champions League (1984-85)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1984)
1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1984)
1 FIFA World Cup bronze medal, 3rd place (1982)
2 Serie A Player of the year (1978, 1982)
Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (1997)


Zbigniew “Zibi” Boniek, born in Bydgoszcz, is one of the greatest Eastern European players ever and the greatest player in Poland's history. He started his career in his birthtown club Zawisza before moving to one of the great Polish clubs, Widzew Lodz. Boniek was included in Poland’s 1978 World Cup squad as a 22-year-old and impressed many with his tireless running and commitment. Poland reached the second phase before being knocked out by Brazil and eventual winners Argentina.

Four years later in Spain, Poland had a better team and Boniek was excellent as his country won bronzemedals. Arguably his best performance of his career for Poland came in a second phase match against Belgium where he scored a magnificent hat-trick. One of the best hat-tricks in World Cup history. Unfortunately he was suspended in the semifinal against Italy, but he was back at his best when Poland beat France in the bronzematch. Zibi was definitely one of the greatest stars in the tournament and appeared on many “Dreamteams” in papers and magazines in the wake of the World Cup.

Boniek took the big step to the Italian Serie A before the start of the 1982/83 season. Along with fellow newcomer Michel Platini and World Cup winning hero Paolo Rossi, Zibi formed a deadly attack in Juventus which would conquer Italian, European and world soccer. The team won the league and cup in Italy plus the Cupwinner’s Cup (1984), European Supercup (1984) and European Cup in the tragic Heysel final in 1985, all in the space of three seasons. President Agnelli nicknamed him “Bello di Notte” (Night Beauty) as he always seemed to play his best during evening matches.

Zibi left Juve a year before the 1986 World Cup and joined AS Roma where he won another Italian Cup winner’s medal. He now operated deeper and played as a sweeper for the Polish team in the Mexico World Cup. Poland, not anywhere near the force they were in 82 or 74, reached the second round, but lost heavily to Brazil. Today Zbigniew Boniek works as a commentator for a TV channel in Poland.

Juventus Legend Number 20

Sandro Salvadore "Capitan Billy"



Position: Central defender
Nationality: Italian
Born: 4th January 1930 in Milan, Italy
Died: 4th January 2007 in Asti, Italy
Teams: Milan, Juventus
Italy Caps: 36 Goals: 0
Serie A debut: 1958/59
Juventus appearances: 450
Juventus goals: 15
Height: 1.82m (6'0")
Weight: 75kg

Honours:
5 Scudetti (1958-59, 1961-62, 1966-67, 1971-72, 1972-73)
1 Coppa Italia (1964-65)


Born in Milan, Lombardy, Sandro Salvadore was picked up by AC Milan’s scouts when he was 15, and played in their junior team until he made his debut in Serie A in the 1958/59 season. While wearing AC Milan’s number 6 jersey he won 2 League titles (1958/59 and 1961/62). He left Milan after 72 league matches.

In 1962 Salvadore was purchased by Juventus and became soon a pillar of their defence. After only a few games he fully established himself as a first choice central defender, winning three more League titles (1966/67, 1971/72 and 1972/73) and one Italy’s Cup (1964/65). He retired in 1974 and was replaced by Gaetano Scirea.

From 1960 to 1970 Salvadore won 36 Italy’s full caps. He was part of the team that played both the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cups. He also was part of the team that won the Third European Championship in 1968. He though missed the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico because of two unfortunate own goals scored in a single match in Madrid, Spain (21 February 1970, Spain - Italy 2-2). Italian national team’s manager Ferruccio Valcareggi judged him no longer reliable and dropped him. That was the last of Salvadore's Italy caps.

After the retirement Salvadore spent a small period as trainer of a Juventus's youth squad, but left soon and established a small farm in Asti. His last public appearance was the 1st November 2006, invited by Juventus to the celebrations of the club’s 109th anniversary. In that occasion Salvadore received the jersey number six with his name printed.

Sandro Salvadore died of a heart attack on January 4, 2007, aged 67, in Asti, Italy.

Reknowned as one of Juventus' greatest ever defenders, Capitan Billy was very fond of Juve and his recent death was one which brought great sadness to the club. However he will always be remembered as a crucial player in the history of the bianconeri who matched and often bettered the role as marshall of the backline set by those other great defenders before and after him.

Juventus Legend Number 21

Zinedine Zidane "Zizou"



Position: Attacking midfield
Nationality: French
Born: 23rd July 1972 in Marseille, France
Teams: Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid
France Caps: 103 Goals: 31
Serie A debut: 1996-97
Juventus appearances: 172
Juventus goals: 29
Height: 1.85m (6'1")
Weight: 80kg

Honours:
1 FIFA World Cup (1998)
1 UEFA European Championship (2000)
2 Scudetti (1997, 1998)
2 Primera Liga (2001, 2003)
1 UEFA Champions League (2001-02)
3 FIFA World Player of the Year (1998, 2000, 2003)
1 Ballon D'Or (1998)
3 Onze D'Or (1998, 2000, 2001)
1 UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll - Best European football player of the past 50 years (2004)
1 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (2006)
1 Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year (1994)
1 Ligue 1 Player of the Year (1996)
2 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1998, 2006)
2 French Player of the Year (1998, 2002)
1 L'Équipe Champion of Champions (1998)
1 UEFA Euro Player of the Tournament (2000)
2 UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament (2000, 2004)
2 Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year (1997, 2001)
1 Serie A Footballer of the Year (2001)
3 UEFA Team of the Year inclusions (2001, 2002, 2003)
1 UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match (2002)
1 Best Foreign Player in La Liga (2002)
1 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2002)
2 FIFPro World XI All-Star Team (2005, 2006)
1 UNFP Honorary Award (2007)
1 FIFA World Cup Dream Team
FIFA 100 Greatest Living Footballers
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (1998)
Officier de la Légion d'honneur (2009)

Zinedine Yazid Zidane popularly nicknamed Zizou, is a French former football midfielder who played for four European clubs, including Juventus FC and Real Madrid, and was a member and later captain of the French national team for which he participated in two World Cup finals, winning one in 1998, and in three European Championship tournaments, winning in 2000.

Having gained fame in Europe as a playmaker for Juventus, Zidane attracted worldwide attention in the 1998 World Cup final with two headed goals against Brazil which won his country's first FIFA World Cup. He also contributed to France's victory in the Euro 2000, and at the club level went on to win domestic championships in Italy and Spain with Juventus and Real Madrid respectively, and the 2001-02 UEFA Champions League with the latter, scoring the winning goal in that tournament's final. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he played an inspiring role in his team's advancement to the final and was named "Most Outstanding Player" of the tournament, receiving the Golden Ball. However, Zidane's career ended in disgrace as he was ejected in the extra-time of the 2006 Final for headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi. The red card he received in the 2006 World Cup Final brought him to equal two negative disciplinary records: most cautions for a player in World Cup games (six), and most sending-offs (two).

Zidane was elected FIFA World Player of the Year a record-equalling three times (1998, 2000, 2003), finished in the top-three an additional three times (1997, 2002, 2006), and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1998. The world-record fee of €66 million ($87 million) for his transfer to Real Madrid in 2001 remains unequalled as of 2007. In 2004, he topped the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll as the "Best European football player of the past 50 years", and was included in the FIFA 100, Pelé's list of the 125 greatest living footballers.

As originally announced on 25 April 2006, Zidane retired from professional football after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Zidane was the outstanding player during Juventus' hugely successful period of the mid-late 1990's where he established himself as the world's greatest footballer. Simply the most talented player of his generation, his wonderful technique in both dribbling and shooting as well as his strength on the ball made him so successful, his only negative being his sometimes suspect temperament which cost Juventus in Champions League campaigns as well as potentially France's defeat to Italy in the World Cup final of 2006.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yyqV6Cp9fs

Juventus Legend Number 22

Franco Causio "Il Barone"



Position: Attacking midfield
Nationality: Italian
Born: 1st February 1949 in Lecce, Italy
Teams: Lecce, Sambenedettese, Juventus, Reggina, Palermo, Juventus, Udinese, Inter, Lecce, Triestina.
Italy Caps: 63 Goals: 6
Serie A debut: 1964-65
Juventus appearances: 305
Juventus goals: 49
Height: 1.70m (5'7")
Weight: 68kg

Honours:
6 Scudetti (1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981)
1 Coppa Italia (1979)
1 UEFA Cup (1977)
1 FIFA World Cup (1982)


Franco Causio (born on February 1, 1949) is an Italian former footballer who played for Juventus for many years in the 1970s and 1980s. He is considered one of the most talented Italian players of all time.

Causio was born in Lecce (Puglia), and moved to Juventus when he was just 17.

After some years on loan in Serie B (playing in Reggina and Palermo), he returned to Juventus in during 1970. For 11 years he wore number 7 for Juventus, and played with other famous players like Roberto Bettega, Marco Tardelli, Dino Zoff and Beppe Furino, winning 6 scudettos and a UEFA cup.

In this period his popularity reached its peak: Causio became the main idol of the southern Italians who supported Juventus.

In 1981 he moved to Udinese where he played for 3 years, teaming up with Brazilian superstar Zico. Then he played in his city football team, Lecce, in its debut in Serie A (1985/86). Subsequently he signed for Inter. He finished his career playing for Serie B team Triestina at the age of 39.

He made his debut with Italian national football team on April 29, 1972 (Italy-Belgium). He was in the Italian squad at the WC 1974, WC 1978 and WC 1982, which was won by Italy.

His nickname is "The Baron", because of his stylish moves on the pitch and his well educated and fair attitude in life.

Causio's ability was such he was the first Juventus player to have his hair long and sport a moustauche, Juventus owners' traditionally insisted players kept their hair short and smart.

Juventus Legend Number 23

Pietro Rava "Pierone"



Position: Left back
Nationality: Italian
Born: 21st January 1916 in Cassine, Italy
Died: 5th November 2006 in Torino, Italy
Teams: Alessandria, Juventus, Novara.
Italy Caps: 30 Goals: 0
Serie A debut: 1934-35
Juventus appearances: 330
Juventus goals: 15
Height: 1.75m (5'9")
Weight: 73kg

Honours:
1 Scudetto (1949-50)
2 Coppe Italia (1937-38, 1941-42)
1 Olympic gold medal (1936)
1 FIFA World Cup (1938)
1 FIFA World Cup Best XI inclusion (1938)
Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (2003)


Pietro Rava was an Italian football defender and coach. He won the 1936 Summer Olympics and at the 1938 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team.

Rava, born in Cassine, Province of Alessandria, played for the clubs U.S. Alessandria (1934-1935, 1946-47), Juventus F.C. (1935-46 and 1947-50) and Novara Calcio (1950-51). He won two Italian Cups in the 1937/38 and 1941/42 seasons, and the scudetto 1949/50. He was Juventus' captain from 1947 to 1950. In total, he played in 352 Serie A matches (including 303 for Juventus), scoring 19 goals.

For the Italy national team, he appeared in 30 international matches from 1936 to 1946, becoming the captain in 1940. He won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics, and won the 1938 FIFA World Cup. He was selected to the "Best XI" of the 1938 World Cup. Along with Alfredo Foni, Sergio Bertoni, and Ugo Locatelli, Rava is one of only four Italian players ever to win both the Olympic tournament and the World Cup.

As a coach, he managed the clubs Sampdoria, Palermo, Padova, Monza, Alessandria, Novara, Carrarese, and A.C. Cuneo.

On November 5, 2006, Rava, the last surviving member of the 1938 World Cup champion squad, died in Torino after having had surgery on his right femur due to a fracture days before. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years. Juventus announced that the following day, for a Serie B match against Napoli, the players would wear mourning armbands in his memory.

Juventus Legend Number 24

Felice Placido Borel II "Farfallino"



Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Born: 5th April 1914 in Nice, France
Died: 21st January 1993 in Torino, Italy
Teams: Juventus, Torino, Juventus, Alessandria, Napoli
Italy Caps: 3 Goals: 1
Serie A debut: 1932
Juventus appearances: 242
Juventus goals: 161
Height: 1.76m (5'9")
Weight: 71kg

Honours:
4 Scudetti (1932, 1933, 1934, 1935)
2 Coppa Italia (1938, 1942)
1 FIFA World Cup (1934)


Felice Placido Borel was a great goalscoring striker from the golden 1930's Juventus team. As the brother of Aldo Borel, he is sometimes known by football sources as Borel II.

Borel was born in Nice, France. During his career, he played for Juventus and Torino in Serie A and, in Serie B, for Alessandria, and finally for S.S.C. Napoli, where he finished his career.

During the 1958–59 season, he was technical director of Catania.

He was part of the 1934 FIFA World Cup winning Italian national team. However he was criminally underused and selected at Azzurri level, even in the days of far fewer games his total of three caps for his entire Azzurri career, even if it was cut short by World War II is pretty astonishing.

He scored 161 goals for Juventus, and is currently Juve's fifth highest goal scorer.

Juventus Legend Number 25

Renato Cesarini "Cè"



Position: Central midfielder
Nationality: Italian-Argentinian
Born: 11th April 1906 in Senegallia, Italy
Died: 24th March 1969 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Teams: Borgata Palermo, Chacarita Juniors, Alvear, Club Ferrocarril Midland, Chacarita Juniors, Juventus, River Plate.
Argentina Caps: 2 Goals: 1
Italy Caps: 11 Goals: 3
Serie A debut: 23rd March 1930 v Napoli
Juventus appearances: 147
Juventus goals: 54
Height: 1.80m (5'11")
Weight: 74kg

Honours:

As player
5 Scudetti (1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35)
2 Argentine Primera Liga (1936, 1937)

As coach
2 Scudetti (1959-60, 1960-61)
1 Coppa Italia (1959-60)


Cesarini was an Italo-Argentine football player and coach, who played most notably for Juventus. He also played for the Italian national football team eleven different times.

He was born in Italy in Senigallia, Marche but when he was only a few months old Cesarini's family emigrated to Buenos Aires in Argentina. After playing in Argentina for several clubs around the Buenos Aires area, he was signed by Italian giants Juventus in 1929, he made his debut against S.S.C. Napoli on 23 March 1930; the game ended in a 2-2 draw.

The Italian phrase Zona Cesarini (The Cesarini Zone), still today used principally in that country, was originated by Renato Cesarini, who have scored some goals at the last minutes of the matches (e.g. the Italy 3-2 Hungary match of 13 December 1931 at Stadio Filadelfia of Turin).

A rebellious person by nature, who enjoyed the nightlife, fancy clothes, a great dancer and attractor of women. At the time he was certainly the most non-conforming player in the history of Juventus, at a club where players were under a strict code of behaviour and image. Nevertheless he was a pillar in the great Juventus side of the 1930's, and as such was almost forgiven for his liberal approach. A central midfielder with an attacking edge and eye for goal, he captured his first scudetto with Juventus in the 1930-31 season and went on to be a key part of the side who claimed another four straight scudetti.

After his time at Juventus he went back to Argentina to play out his career, and in the 1950's he was actually coach at his last club, River Plate, at the time a certain other Juventus legend was discovered - Omar Sivori.

Juventus Legend Number 26

John Angelo Hansen "John il lungo"



Position: Left inside forward
Nationality: Danish
Born: 24th June 1924 in Copenhagen, Denmark
Died: 12th January 1990 in Copenhagen, Denmark
Teams: Boldklubben Frem, Juventus, SS Lazio, Boldklubben Frem
Denmark Caps: 8 Goals: 10
Serie A debut: 12th November 1948 v Bari
Juventus appearances: 187
Juventus goals: 124
Height: 1.78m (5'10")
Weight: 72kg

Honours:
2 Scudetti (1950, 1952)
1 Serie A Top Scorer (1952)
1 Danish 1st Division (1944)
1 Danish 1st Division Top Scorer (1948)
1 Olympic Bronze Medal (London 1948)
1 Olympic football top scorer (1948)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (1984)


John Angelo Valdemar Østergaard Hansen played professionally for seven years in Italy. He scored 124 goals in 187 matches for Juventus FC, and won two Serie A championships with the club, finishing as Capocannoniere top-goal scorer in the 1950 Serie A season . He also played for Italian club SS Lazio, and won the 1944 Danish championship with childhood club BK Frem. Hansen scored 10 goals in eight games for the Denmark national football team in 1948, and won a bronze medal with Denmark at the 1948 Summer Olympics. In 1984, Hansen received the Italian order of chivalry.

He was the son of Danish national team player Niels Peder Hansen and the father of Henning Hansen, who played for BK Frem in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Born in Frederiksberg, Hansen started his career with Copenhagen club BK Frem, with whom he won the 1944 Danish championship. He played as an left inside wing, and was a world-class header of the ball. He was the top goal-scorer of the 1948 Danish championship.

Hansen made his debut for the Danish national team in June 1948. He was not well-known outside Scandinavia until he played at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, which made his name well-known across Europe. Hansen scored seven goals in four games at the tournament, including four goals in Denmark's 5-3 win against Italy, as Denmark won bronze medals. He drew the attention of several Italian teams, and signed a professional contract in 1948, which spelled the end of his career at the amateur-only Danish national team.

Hansen was almost sold to Italian club AC Torino, but arch rival Torino club Juventus FC eventually secured Hansen's signature. BK Frem's president got a call from a director at Nordisk FIAT Copenhagen, referred by FIAT and Juventus owner Gianni Agnelli, who desperately wanted him to sign Hansen for his club. Hansen promptly signed a three-year contract with them on 16 November 1948 and made his debut three days later against A.S. Bari. His first season didn't start well for a tall and strong man not used to work on defense, and after 12 games the Italian national team coach was called just to verify that he was the same player who had scored the four goals against them at the Olympics. Hansen ended his first season with 15 goals in 24 games.

In his second season, Jesse Carver replaced fellow Englishman William Chalmers as head coach of Juventus, and a less rigid and physically demanding training schedule paid off for Hansen. In the 1949-50 Juventus team, Hansen had an irreplaceable partner in another Danish player from the 1948 Olympics team, Karl Aage Præst. Præst was a left winger with electric dribbling skills who scattered opponents through the field and produced precise crosses to Hansen, who netted them thanks to his violent and precise header. Juventus won the 1949-50 Serie A championship with Hansen scoring 28 goals in 37 games.

In 1950, they were joined by another Dane, captain of the 1948 Olympic team Karl Aage Hansen, who came from Serie A league rivals Atalanta Bergamo. The great level of understanding of those three great Danes made John Hansen feel as if he could play with his eyes closed, showing all of his skills. Not the kind of player to be present at every moment during a game, he was a very prolific goal scorer. Though he was not fast by Serie A standard, he was smart at the moment of getting unmarked and losing his defender, and had an incredible feeling for being at the right spot on the right moment. In the 1951-52 season, Hansen scored 30 goals, earning him the "Capocannoniere" Serie A top goal-scorer title, as he won his second Serie A championship with Juventus. He spent six seasons at Juventus where he scored 124 goals in 187 games in the Serie A.

He moved to league rivals SS Lazio in 1954, where he played for one season and scored 15 goals in 27 games. He ended his Italian adventure in 1955 and moved back to play amateur football in Denmark. As a former professional, he received a two-year quarantine by the Danish Football Association, which he spent coaching BK Frem alongside Erling Sørensen. He played for BK Frem from 1957 to 1960, before ending his playing career.

Hansen was a part of the committee which selected the players for the Danish national team. While serving in the committee, he was interim manager of the national team in 1969, starting from February 1969. He managed Denmark to five victories, one draw, and three defeats in nine games. When Rudi Strittich was named national team coach in 1970, Hansen went back to only serving in the committee, which was ultimately disbanded in 1979.

Juventus Legend Number 27

Ciro Ferrara




Position: Central defender
Nationality: Italian
Born: 11th February 1967 in Napoli, Italy
Italy Caps: 49 Goals: 0
Teams: Napoli, Juventus
Serie A debut: NAPOLI-Juventus 05/05/1985
Juventus appearances: 307
Juventus goals: 15
Height: 1.85m (6'1")
Weight: 80kg

Honours:
7 Scudetti (1987, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003)
2 Coppe Italia (1987, 1995)
5 SuperCoppa Italiana (1990, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003)
1 UEFA Champions League (1996)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1996)
1 UEFA Cup (1989)
1 UEFA Intertoto Cup (1999)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (1991)
Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (2000)


In the modern game you always hear stories of players being prima donnas or trying to get a bigger contract or making a move to a big club just for the money, but Ciro Ferrara was a player who was none of those things. Ferrara was a model professional, a consistent performer, and even if he wasn’t world renowned during his playing career he is simply one of the best defenders Italy has ever produced.

Born in Napoli in 1967, Ferrara grew up in the youth system of his hometown team. A promising youngster, Ferrara made his first team debut at the age of 18 in May of 1985 vs. Juventus (the team he would play for later in his career). He was immediately a regular starter the following season and enjoyed the successes of the Maradona era in Napoli. Ferrara was in fact very good friends with El Pibe during his time in Napoli. Ferrara won his first Scudetto in the 1986/87 season, and then won the UEFA Cup in 1988/89. In the final second leg vs Stuttgart, Ferrara scored a memorable goal on a volley from a Maradona assist that helped Napoli win their first European trophy 5-4 on aggregate.

Ferrara won his second scudetto in 1989/1990 and then continued to lead the Napoli defense throughout the post-Maradona era. It was at Napoli where he first had Marcello Lippi as a manager and the duo instantly clicked. When Lippi left for Juventus in 1994, the first thing he did was bring Ferrara along with him. Ferrara ended his Napoli career with 323 games and 15 goals for the Partenopei. He left his spot in central defense for an up and coming youngster named Fabio Cannavaro (who’s idol happened to be Ciro Ferrara).

At Juventus Ferrara immediately became the leader of the defense and started to win many trophies as the Bianconeri won trophies in Italy, in Europe, and in the World (Intercontinental Cup). Upon his arrival at Juventus in 1994 he immediately won another scudetto. The following season, Juventus won the Champions League for the second time in their history, defeating Ajax on penalty kicks. Ferrara took a penalty in the shoot-out and scored. The following year Juventus bought Uruguayan hardman Paolo Montero, who would form an excellent partnership with Ferrara and the duo led the Juventus backline for years. As he got older, Ferrara played less of a role and was on the bench most of the time, but any time he was called upon he put in a quality performance. Before retiring in 2005, Ferrara won another 4 scudetti with the Bianconeri, taking his tally to 7 scudetti in total as a professional player, one Coppa Italia, and four Italian SuperCups. He retired playing exactly 500 games in Serie A and scoring 15 goals. Upon retirement he went to get his coaching license.

The one thing we can say about Ciro Ferrara’s career is that he was unlucky with the national team. He made his debut for Italy in June of 1987, and was part of the squad in Euro ‘88 without playing a game and played in the Olympics that summer as well, finishing 4th place. He was part of Azeglio Vicini’s squad for the 1990 World Cup, but he only played one game: the 3rd place match where Italy triumphed over England. After the 1990 World Cup Sacchi didn’t take Ferrara into consideration (and there were so many options at the back) and so Ciro missed out on USA ‘94. After the World Cup Sacchi called up Ferrara on a regular basis for Euro ‘96 qualifying and Italy qualified for the tournament, but Ferrara was ruled out due to injury. After the Euros he was a starter on Cesare Maldini’s squad throughout World Cup ‘98 qualifying, and just as it seemed he would get his chance to shine in a major tournament, a leg injury ruled him out. After World Cup 1998 Dino Zoff also called up Ferrara on a regular basis and he was named to Italy’s Euro 2000 squad. He played only the final group game vs. Sweden as Italy were runners-up to France. After the Euro and with less and less playing time at Juve Giovanni Trapattoni didn’t call up Ferrara at all. The game vs. Sweden was his last in an Azzurri jersey. Ferrara ended his national team career with 49 caps and 0 goals.

Ferrara held a farewell game at the Stadio San Paolo in Napoli between former and present stars of Juventus and Napoli. Ferrara played for each team for a half, and Diego Maradona returned to Napoli after a 14 year absence just to see his good friend’s farewell game. Ferrara’s mentor Marcello Lippi was now the coach of the national team, and Lippi gave Ferrara a job on his coaching staff. Ferrara worked mainly with the defense and was excellent for the locker room atmosphere. Even though he didn’t get any success with the national team as a player, Ferrara had the satisfaction of winning the World Cup as being part of the coaching staff.

After the World Cup Lippi resigned and therefore Ferrara was not a part of the coaching staff anymore. He became the director of the youth program at Juventus in the summer of 2006 and held that job until this summer, when Marcello Lippi was appointed Italy manager for the second time and Ciro Ferrara was once again summoned to be a part of the staff, this time in the bigger role of assistant coach.

Ferrara is also known to be a genuinely nice person and also had a good sense of humor. He once said “Soccer made me famous, it made me rich, it made me successful, but the one thing it didn’t make me was handsome.”

Ferrara is noted to have an excellent singing voice and showed off his talent in Juventus’ version of Lucio Battisti’s hit “Il Mio Canto Libero”.

Ferrara was appointed head coach of Juventus in June 2009. He is currently the Italy U21 coach.

Juventus Legend Number 28

Pavel Nedvěd "La Furia Ceca"




Position: Attacking midfielder
Nationality: Czech
Born: 30th August 1972 in Cheb, Czechoslovakia
Czech Republic Caps: 91 Goals: 18
Teams: Dukla Prague, Sparta Prague, Lazio, Juventus
Serie A debut: Lazio 0-1 Bologna, 07/09/1996
Juventus appearances: 323
Juventus goals: 65
Height: 1.77m (5'10")
Weight: 70kg

Honours:
5 Scudetti (1999-00, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06)
2 Coppa Italia (1997-98, 1999-00)
4 SuperCoppa Italiana (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003)
1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1999)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1999)
1 Serie B "Cadetti" (2007)
1 Czechoslovak League (1992-93)
2 Gambrinus Liga (1993-94, 1994-95)
1 Czech Cup (1996)
1 Ballon D'Or (2003)
1 Serie A Footballer Of The Year (2003)
1 Serie A Foreign Footballer Of The Year (2003)
1 Champions League Best Midfielder (2003)
1 Sportske Novosti award (2003)
1 Czech Player Of The Decade (2003)
6 Czech Player Of The Year Golden Ball (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008)
1 Golden Foot (2004)
3 UEFA Team Of The Year (2003, 2004, 2005)
1 Silver medal UEFA European Championship (1996)
FIFA 100 Greatest Living Footballers


Pavel Nedvěd is one of the most successful Czech players to have played in a top European league, winning numerous accolades with Lazio and Juventus. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the modern era, he was the recipient of the prestigious Ballon d'Or, the first Czech player since the break up of Czechoslovakia, in 2003 while at Juventus. He is known for his energy and tireless runs as well as his goal scoring ability.

Nedvěd retired after the 2008–09 season after 19 years as a professional.

Nedvěd began his career in his native Czech Republic but made his name in Italy. His performances at UEFA Euro 1996 did not go unnoticed; despite having a verbal agreement with PSV, Nedvěd decided to move from Sparta Prague to Lazio in the Serie A in 1996.

At Lazio, Nedvěd won the Coppa Italia in 1997–98, and the last international Cup Winners' Cup tournament in 1999 against RCD Mallorca, where he scored the last ever goal of the tournament in a 2–1 win for Lazio.

Nedvěd eventually moved to Juventus in 2001 for a fee of €41 million as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane, who had transferred to Spain's Real Madrid the same summer. He proved to be one of the few midfielders capable of assuming the playmaking role of his French predecessor. Nedvěd played frequently in Juventus' Scudetto-winning teams of 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, and 2005–06.

Nedvěd was instrumental in leading Juventus into the 2003 Champions League final against Milan, but he was forced to sit out the final because of accumulation of yellow cards, after being booked in the semi-final for tackling Real Madrid midfielder Steve McManaman. At the end of the year, he won the European Footballer of the Year award.

Following the 2005–06 season, and Juventus' relegation from Serie A due to the Calciopoli scandal, Nedvěd's future as a Juventus player was heavily discussed. After the World Cup, he dispelled those rumours by restating his desire to help Juventus regain promotion to the Serie A. However, the season was somewhat tumultuous for the Czech international. With only a one-year contract, he hinted he might retire from football altogether at the end of the season. He repeated this threat after a 5-game ban stemming from a red card on 1 December. Nedvěd persisted, and Juventus won the Serie B title, securing promotion to Serie A.

During the 2007–08 season, Nedvěd played frequently for the Bianconeri, providing contributions while being Juve's first-choice left winger. However, he has not been free from controversy. Nedvěd came under negative spotlight recently for his tackle on Internazionale midfielder Luís Figo, which resulted in a broken fibula for the Portuguese player.

Nedvěd had a fair season during Juve's return, but only scored twice. During Serie A 2007–08, Nedvěd acquired a slight concussion that kept him off of the pitch for about a month. He was linked with a move to Japanese side Jubilo Iwata during the 2008–09 summer transfer window, but the rumours were quickly scotched when he committed his future to Juventus for another year after signing a new one year contract extension which would secure his services until June 2009.

Nedvěd scored Juventus' first league goal of the 2008–09 season in a 1-1 away draw with Fiorentina. He also netted twice against Bologna (2–1) in a match he captained Juve. On 26 February 2009, Nedvěd announced that he would retire at the end of 2008–09 season.[3] On 10 March 2009, Nedved was substituted due to injury in the first half of the UEFA Champions League second round game against Chelsea, which due to his impending retirement, turned out to be his last European game for Juventus (who lost 3–2 on aggregate). He retired at the end of the season, captaining the final match against former team Lazio and set up Vincenzo Iaquinta's goal; Juventus eventually won 2–0. He was substituted before the final whistle and was given a standing ovation by both sets of supporters. After the match ended, the other Juventus players formed a guard of honour and Nedvěd did a lap of honour to thank the fans. Later, captain Alessandro Del Piero presented him with a commemorative shirt.

Nedvěd stated that he did not retire for "economic reasons" but so that he could spend more time with his family. The Juventus management has offered him a job in the backroom staff under coach and former teammate Ciro Ferrara, but he has yet to respond to the offer.

Nedvěd debuted for the newly reformed Czech national team in June 1994 in a 3–1 win over the Republic of Ireland. His big break came at the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament, where he was the driving force behind the Czechs' run to the final. He continued to be a regular in midfield and captained the Czech Republic from 2000 onwards. He initially retired in September 2004, but came out of retirement after much persuasion from the coach and teammates, in qualifying for their first ever World Cup since the break-up of Czechoslovakia. Although the Czechs won their opening game against the United States, they lost their next two group matches and finished third in their group. He had several attempts at goal against Italy but they were saved by Juve teammate Gianluigi Buffon. Nedvěd announced his retirement permanently after the tournament and has refused to reverse his decision despite calls from teammates and the coach at that time Karel Brückner.

Nedved married his girlfriend Ivana when he was 21, and the couple have two children who carry their same names: Ivana and Pavel. He holds a qualified surveyor diploma. He was contracted to Uhlsport, but changed his sportswear favourite to Adidas.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ScardanelliSca.../71/dIc7PDoA7HQ
http://www.youtube.com/user/ScardanelliSca.../70/dx8Pmc-kSM8

Juventus Legend Number 29

Gianluca Vialli "Lucagol", "Re Leone"




Position: Striker
Nationality: Italian
Born: 9th July 1964 in Cremona, Italy
Italy Caps: 59 Goals: 16
Teams: Pizzighettone, Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus, Chelsea
Serie A debut: Sampdoria - 1984
Juventus appearances: 102
Juventus goals: 38
Height: 1.80m (5'11")
Weight: 70kg

Honours:

2 Scudetti (1990-91, 1994-95)
4 Coppe Italia (1984-85, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1994-95)
1 SuperCoppa Italiana (1995)
1 Champions League (1995-96)
1 UEFA Cup (1992-93)
2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1989-90, 1997-98)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1998)
1 FA Cup (1997)
1 League Cup (1998)
1 Community Shield (2000)
Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (1991)


Vialli started his career at Cremonese in 1980 in his native Italy where he made 105 league appearances scoring 23 goals. His performances impressed Sampdoria who signed him in 1984. During which time he scored 85 league goals, won 3 Italian cups, the Seria A and the European Cup Winners Cup. Vialli transferred to Juventus for a World record £12.5 million in 1992. During this time he won the Italian Cup, the Seria A, Italian Supercup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. In 1996 Vialli joined Chelsea and became Chelsea player manager the following season. In England he won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He is one of the most successful players of all time and one of only nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions.

Vialli's career started in 1980 when, signing for local club Cremonese. After scoring ten goals for the club in the 1983-84 season, he was transferred to Sampdoria. At Sampdoria he formed a prolific strike partnership with team mate and childhood friend Roberto Mancini, earning the nickname The Goal Twins. With Vialli at his best, Sampdoria had the most successful era in its history. They won their first ever Serie A championship in the 1990-91 season, in which Vialli was league top scorer with 19 goals, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1990) - where he scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Anderlecht in the final - and three Italian Cups (in 1985, 1988 and 1989). They also reached the European Cup final in 1992, losing to Spain's Barcelona.

While at Sampdoria, Vialli made his debut for Italy in a friendly match against Poland in 1985. He scored his first ever national goal in a Euro 88 qualification match against Malta in 1986. He was included in the squad for the 1986 World Cup. He also played at Euro 88 (scoring the winner in Italy's 1-0 win over Spain) and was part of the squad which finished 3rd at Italia '90. Vialli was largely expected to have a huge impact on the tournament and started Italy's first two games. He set up a goal in Italy's opening game with Austria and in the following game he hit the post from a penalty against the USA. His poor form and injury saw him dropped in favour of Roberto Baggio and Toto Schillaci, but he did make a surprise return in the semi-final in place of Baggio. He was substituted in favour of Baggio during the match. In a recent interview with Irish radio station Newstalk Vialli claimed he had also been suffering with a chest infection in the early part of the tournament.[citation needed] He moved to Juventus shortly after the European Cup final loss for a world record fee of £12.5million. Vialli won the UEFA Cup in his first season with Juventus. Coincidentally, he had his last international cap in 1992 also against Malta in a 1994 World Cup qualification match where he also scored, but was left out of the squad for the World Cup finals following a dispute with coach Arrigo Sacchi, after which Vialli declared he would be supporting Brazil. He won another Scudetto and Italian Cup with Juve in 1995, scoring 16 goals during the season, but Juve were denied a treble after defeat in the UEFA Cup final to Parma, despite Vialli scoring a spectacular second leg goal. He ended his time in Turin by captaining the side to a Champions League final win over Ajax Amsterdam in 1996.

Juventus squad 1897



Juventus squad 1905 - 1st Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1925-26 - 2nd Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1933-34 - 6th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1949-50 - 8th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1959-60 - 11th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1971-72 - 14th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1976-77 - 17th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1980-81 - 19th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1985-86 - 22nd Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 1996-97 - 24th Scudetto winners



Juventus squad 2001-02 - 26th Scudetto winners

Juventus Legend Number 30

Umberto Caligaris "Berto"




Position: Left back
Nationality: Italian
Born: 26th June 1901 in Casale Monferrato, Italy
Italy Caps: 59 Goals: 0
Teams: Casale, Juventus, Brescia
Serie A debut: 12th October 1919, Casale 3-1 Valenzana
Juventus appearances: 178
Juventus goals: 0
Height: 1.75m (5'9")
Weight: 68kg

Honours:

5 Scudetti (1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35)
1 FIFA World Cup (1934)
1 Olympic Bronze medal (Amsterdam 1928)
1 Coppa Internazionale (1927-1930)


Caligaris was an Italian international footballer who usually played at left back, for A.S. Casale and Juventus. His 59 caps for the Italian national team stood as a record for many years.

Born in Casale Monferrato (Piedmont), Caligaris spent the first nine years of his career with the local team, A.S. Casale. He made his debut for them on October 12, 1919 in a match against local rivals Valenzana Calcio which Casale won 3–1. Casale was then in the Italian First division (the predecessor to Serie A) and had won the championship in 1914. However they were never to repeat that success and although during Caligaris’ career with the club they twice qualified for the inter-regional semi-final of North Italy, they were unable to get further.

The Italian national team, however, did provide scope for his talents. He received his first cap in 1922 against Austria, selected in place of Virginio Rosetta as right back flanking the great Genoese left back Renzo De Vecchi (“Son of God” to the fans), who had been playing for Italy since 1910. From then until De Vecchi’s retirement from international football in March 1925, Rosetta and Caligaris were in competition for the right back position. He played for Italy in the 1924 Olympics, the match against Spain being the first in which he played alongside Rosetta.

After winning a bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics, Caligaris left Casale to join Rosetta at Juventus. Here the two full backs, backed by Italian international goalkeeper Giampiero Combi, formed a formidable defensive combination. Juventus won five scudetti in a row during the years 1930–35.

Caligaris’s final game for Italy, on 11 February 1934 was, like his first, against Austria. (Although a member of the Italian squad, he did not play in any of the 1934 World Cup matches). His record of 59 caps for Italy was only surpassed in 1971 by Giacinto Facchetti.

Caligaris coached Juventus from 1939 until his death in Turin in October of the following year.

I hadn't realized that Tarcisio Burgnich played for Juve... I normally just associate him with Inter. And a guy with a name like that could only be from Friuli.

Cool pictures, and some names I haven't seen in a long time. What happened to Padovano? He did very well for Juve for a couple years in the mid-nineties and then kind of just fell off the radar... And Trappatoni's Juve of the mid-eighties and Lippi's Juve of the mid-nineties were just insanely great teams. The only thing I don't like about Lippi is that he refused to play Baggio at both Juve and Inter.

John Charles held aloft by fans after the Coppa Italia win in 1958



Pietro Anastasi celebrating a goal



Juventus lift the UEFA Cup, and coach Giovanni Trappatoni, in 1993



Juventus celebrate the 1996 Champions League final success



Alessandro Del Piero lifts the European Super Cup in 1996, flanked by Attilio Lombardo and Angelo Di Livio

Juventus Legend Number 31

Carlo Parola "Signor Rovesciata"




Position: Central defender
Nationality: Italian
Born: 20th September 1920 in Torino, Italy
Died: 22nd March 2000 in Torino, Italy
Italy Caps: 10 Goals: 0
Teams: Juventus, Lazio, Midland
Serie A debut: Juventus 1939
Juventus appearances: 334
Juventus goals: 10
Height: 1.82m (6'0")
Weight: 72kg

Honours:

As player
2 Scudetti (1949-50, 1951-52)
1 Coppa Italia (1941-42)

As coach
1 Scudetto (1974-75)


He devoted himself to football after a short period cycling; he was eighteen when he debuted in Serie A with Juventus in the late thirties. The modern football terminology defines him as a stopper, partly free, more but central.
He is famous for being the cover star of the Panini sticker albums.

With Juventus, to where he came from OND Fiat, he won an Italian Cup (1941-42) and two league titles (1949-50 and 1951-52), collecting around 334 caps. Ten times he donned the national team colours and in 1954 he was sold to Lazio, with whom he finished his footballing career after playing seven games, and took up a career as a manager, as the sporting director.

He was the only Italian in Glasgow, May 10, 1946, who took part in the contest between Great Britain and Rest of Europe, organized for the membership in FIFA Confederations of the island nation. Despite the heavy defeat (1-6), his performance pleased the British, who unsuccessfully tried to sign him up.

He was nicknamed "Sr. Rovesciata" (Mr. Bicycle-kick), and the reversal was an extraordinary skill, a technical gesture then rarely used, which was performed so perfectly in style. It was January 15, 1950, the eightieth minute of play in the Fiorentina-Juventus fixture, where the famous photo of Parola was born, as described by the words of Corrado Banchi, a freelance journalist, author of the memorable photo:
"A battle between Maglia and Pandolfini. It breaks between them and for Carlo Parola there is only one action, the striker feels he can reach it but the defender does not give him the time to act. Commanding an escape, flying in the sky, a unique style. An ovation accompanies the overhead kick."

The bicycle kick of Parola has been published in more than 200 million copies of Panini with captions in Greek and Cyrillic, Arabic and Japanese and is regularly revived each year on the album "players" of Panini stickers.

After three years experience as a technician with Anconitana he arrived at Juventus in 1961. In 1963 he also managed Livorno and thereafter for five years, Novara in the 1969-70 season, getting a promotion from Serie C and being awarded the Golden Coach award for Serie C. In 1974 he returned to Juventus, called by former team mate Giampiero Boniperti, who became president of the bianconeri. He replaced Cestmir Vycpálek and again won a championship. At Juventus he stayed one more season before giving way to Giovanni Trapattoni.

For several years he was still an avid attendant of Juventus games. He died in Turin in 2000, aged 78, after a long illness.

Juventus Legend Number 32

Antonio Conte "Il Capitano"




Position: Central midfielder
Nationality: Italian
Born: 31st July 1969 in Lecce, Italy
Italy Caps: 20 Goals: 2
Teams: Lecce, Juventus
Serie A debut: Lecce 1985
Juventus appearances: 295
Juventus goals: 29
Height: 1.76m (5'9")
Weight: 71kg

Honours:

5 Scudetti (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03)
1 Coppa Italia (1994-95)
4 SuperCoppe Italiana (1995, 1997, 2001, 2003)
1 UEFA Champions League (1995-96)
1 UEFA Cup (1992-93)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1996)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)
1 Intertoto Cup (1999)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (2000)


Antonio Conte was a brilliant all round central midfielder for Juventus. He was excellent all across the midfield and was technically adept in both attacking and defensive situations, leading the team throughout an illustrious career having joined the club from hometown side Lecce. Conte is still remembered in Turin as 'Il Capitano', such was his influence on the teams he played in and his attachment to the club.

He began to play football in this city, within the U.S. Lecce youth team, before making his Serie A debut with the first squad in 1985. He was signed by Juventus in 1992, being later made captain before the promotion of Alessandro Del Piero to this role. During the 1998-1999 season when Del Piero suffered a horrendous leg injury, Conte returned with the captaincy and led Juventus to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. He retained the captaincy until the 2001/02 when he started to play less games as his career drew to a close.

In 2002-2003, Conte was part of the Juventus team which reached the UEFA Champions League final only to lose on penalties to AC Milan, with Conte himself coming closest to winning the game for Juventus in normal time when he crashed a header off the crossbar early in the second half.

Conte became one of the most decorated and influential players of Juventus F.C. history.

He played for the Italy national football team twenty times, scoring two goals, and was a participant at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 UEFA European Championships where Italy finished as runners up on both occasions.

Conte has had spells as coach of Arezzo, Bari and Atalanta, and is the current coach of Serie B promotion hopefuls Siena (Ocotber 2010).

Juventus Legend Number 33

Luis Del Sol "Postino"




Position: Central midfielder
Nationality: Spanish
Born: 6th April 1935 in Arcos de Jalón, Spain
Spain Caps: 16 Goals: 3
Teams: Betis, Real Madrid, Juventus, Roma, Betis
Serie A debut: Genoa 0-0 Juventus, 16/09/1962
Juventus appearances: 228
Juventus goals: 20
Height: 1.69m (5'6")
Weight: 70kg

Honours:

2 La Liga (1960-61, 1961-62)
1 Scudetto (1966-67)
1 Coppa Italia (1964-65)
1 UEFA Champions League (1959-60)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1960)
1 European Championship (1964)

Luis Del Sol was born in Soria, but grew up in Seville. He trained as a player at Ferroviarios and from there made the step into the youth team of Real Betis Balompié. He arrived at Betis in 1953 and, after a short period at Utrera, made the first team in the 1955-1956 season. He stayed at the Biancoverde for seven seasons, helping them to promotion to Segunda División in 1954 and subsequently promotion to the Primera División in 1958. His qualities attracted the attention of the durectors of Real Madrid team, who he moved to in 1960.

He stayed at Real Madrid for two years, where he had the opportunity to play alongside some mythical figures in football, helping them to victory in the Champions League and Intercontinental Cup, the two most important titles in his career.

Then began a long period in Italian football, signing for Juventus in the 1962-1963 season. He made his debut in Serie A September 16, 1962 against Genoa and he remained in Turin for eight seasons, winning a Scudetto and an Italian Cup. In 1970 he went to Rome for two seasons, then returned to his original club Real Betis, retiring in 1973 at the age of 38.

He gained 16 appearances for the Spanish national team with 3 goals scored. He made his debut on May 15, 1960 as Spain beat England 3-0, and during his time with La Furia Roja he won the European Championship in 1964. He played his last game for Spain July 15, 1966, in a game between Spain and Switzerland which finished 2-1.

After retiring as a player he held the position of Betis coach and currently works in the organisational team at the verdiblanco club.

Juventus Legend Number 34

Didier Deschamps "Didi"




Position: Defensive midfielder
Nationality: French
Born: 15th October 1968 in Bayonne, France
France Caps: 16 Goals: 3
Teams: Nantes, Marseille, Bordeaux, Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea, Valencia
Serie A debut:
Juventus appearances: 124
Juventus goals: 4
Height: 1.74m (5'8")
Weight: 72kg

Honours:

As player
3 Scudetti (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98)
2 Ligue 1 (1989-90, 1991-92)
1 Coppa Italia (1994-95)
2 UEFA Champions League (1992-93, 1995-96)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1996)
1 FIFA World Cup (1998)
1 UEFA European Championship (2000)
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (1998)

As coach
1 Ligue 1 (2009-10, Marseille)
2 French League Cupa (2002-03, Monaco - 2009-10, Marseillle)
1 Serie B (2006-07, Juventus)

After a short passage at rugby in the Biarritz Olympique Deschamps started his football career at an amateur club, Aviron Bayonnais whilst still at school. His potential was spotted by scouts from Nantes, for whom he signed in April 1983. Deschamps made his league debut on 27 September 1985.

Transferred to Marseille in 1989, Deschamps spent a season with Bordeaux in 1990 before returning to Marseille. In this second spell with Marseille Deschamps gained his first honours. As well as winning two French league titles in 1991 and 1992, Deschamps was part of the Marseille team which became the first (and so far only) French winners of the Champions League in 1993. He is the youngest captain ever to lead his team to the Champions League title which also made club and national teammate Fabien Barthez the youngest goalkeeper to win.

In 1994, Deschamps joined Juventus, with whom he won three Serie A titles, one Italian Cup, two Italian Supercups, his second Champions League title, and an Intercontinental Cup.

After Juventus, Deschamps spent a season in England with Chelsea, winning the FA Cup, and scoring once against Hertha Berlin in the Champions League. He finished his playing career in Spain, spending a season with Valencia, helping them to the 2001 UEFA Champions League Final, but he remained on the bench as they lost to Bayern Munich. He then retired in summer 2001, when he was only 32 years old.

Receiving his first international call-up from Michel Platini in 1989 (on April 29 against Yugoslavia), Deschamps started his international career in what was a dark time for the French team as they failed to qualify for the World Cup in both 1990 and 1994.

When new team coach Aimé Jacquet began to rebuild the team for Euro 1996, he initially selected Eric Cantona as captain. After Cantona earned a year-long suspension in January 1995, the make-up of the team changed dramatically, with veterans Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin, and David Ginola being dropped in favour of younger players such as Zinedine Zidane. Deschamps, as one of the few remaining veterans, was chosen to lead what would later be called the "Golden Generation". He first captained France in 1996 in a friendly match against Germany as a warmup for Euro 96. During that tournament, held in England, he led them all the way to the semi-finals, their best finish in an international tournament since the 1986 World Cup.

In 1998, Deschamps captained France as they won 1998 World Cup on home soil in Paris, holding an integral role in the team. Propelled by the momentum of this triumph, Deschamps also captained France as they won Euro 2000, giving them the distinction of being the first national team to hold both the World Cup and Euro titles since West Germany did so in 1974. France held the top position in the FIFA World Rankings system from 2001–02.

Following the tournament Deschamps announced his retirement from international football, making his second last appearance in a ceremonial match against a FIFA XI in August 2000, which resulted in 5–1 victory. His final appearance was against England. At the time of his retirement Deschamps held the record for the most appearances for France, though this has since been surpassed by Marcel Desailly, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry. In total, Deschamps earned 103 caps and scored four goals. Deschamps was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Deschamps was once—derisively—described by Cantona as "the water-carrier" by which Cantona meant that Deschamps only existed to pass the ball to "more talented" players.

After retiring as a player, he went into football management. He was the head coach of Monaco in France's Ligue 1, leading Monaco to the French League Cup title in 2002–03 and to its first UEFA Champions League final in 2004. He resigned on 19 September 2005 after a poor start to the season, and disagreement with club's president.

On 10 July 2006, Deschamps was named head coach of Juventus. The club had just been relegated to Serie B after the 2006 Italian football scandal.

Deschamps' first game in charge of Juventus was highly successful when Juventus beat Alessandria 8–0. But poor results followed after Juventus was knocked out in the 3rd round of the Coppa Italia and the 1–1 draw at Rimini on the first day of the league season. But the following 3 games in which Juventus beat Vicenza 2–1, Crotone 0–3, and Modena 4–0 made it look like Deschamps had everything under control. Also, Deschamps helped Juventus to win their first competition since being relegated (due to the match fixing scandal) which was the Birra Moretti Cup in which Juventus beat Internazionale 1–0 and Napoli in a penalty shoot out. He led Juventus to its return to Serie A, which was confirmed on 19 May 2007 with a 5–1 away win at Arezzo. On 26 May, several media announced Deschamps had resigned as Juventus manager, following several clashes with the club management. This was however denied by Juventus itself a few hours later. Later that evening after the game against Mantova which confirmed Juve as Serie B champions, Deschamps confirmed to the media that he had indeed resigned. The news was then made official by Juventus a few hours later.

On 5 May 2009, it was announced that Deschamps would be named manager of Marseille to the upcoming season which began on 1 July 2009. In his first season, he managed them to their first Ligue 1 title in 18 years. His success had seen the Marseille Manager linked to a return to Juventus F.C where former president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli urged the club to bring back Deschamps to replace Ciro Ferrara. Ferrara was eventually replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni.

On the 29th June 2010 Deschamps signed a contract extension that will keep him at Marseille until June 2012.

Juventus Legend Number 35

Romeo Benetti "Panzer"




Position: Winger
Nationality: Italian
Born: 20th October 1945 in Verona, Italy
Italy Caps: 55 Goals: 2
Teams: Bolzano, Siena, Taranto, Palermo, Juventus, Samdporia, Milan, Juventus, Roma
Serie A debut: 1968-69 Juventus
Juventus appearances: 126
Juventus goals: 18
Height: 1.82m (6'0")
Weight: 76kg

Honours:

2 Scudetti (1976-77, 1977-78)
5 Coppa Italia (1971-72, 1972-73, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81)
1 UEFA Cup (1976-77)
1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup (1972-73)


The wide midfielder made his first steps into the football world as a player with Bolzano in Serie D, followed by a long apprenticeship in Serie B and C with Taranto, Palermo and Siena, before starting his career in Serie A in 1968 with Juventus. However, he joined Sampdoria on loan for one season. His breakthrough came in the 1970/1971 Serie A season, when he joined A.C. Milan and he began to make his mark as a player with the Rossoneri, winning three cups. In 1971 he made his debut for Italy.

In 1976 he returned to Juventus and won the 1977 and 1978 Scudetti. As his career came to an end he transferred to Roma in 1979, before finally bowing out with the Nazionale in 1980. He won a total of 55 caps with the Azzurri, scoring 2 goals.

Benetti was a pioneer of the Italian midfielder who also took his defensive duties very seriously. He was very much an attacking winger with a hard tackle and stamina.

In 2007 he was voted in at number 30 in a list of footballs 50 greatest hardmen by Times Online.

He won 55 caps and was member of the Italian squads in FIFA World Cup 1974 and FIFA World Cup 1978. He was voted into Italy's all time world cup team by website PlanetWorldCup.com and its members.

Juventus Legend Number 36

Moreno Torricelli "Cenerentolo", "Geppetto"




Position: Right back
Nationality: Italian
Born: 23rd January 1970 in Erba, Italy
Italy Caps: 10 Goals: 0
Teams: Oggiono, Caratese, Juventus, Fiorentina, Espanyol, Arezzo
Serie A debut: 13th September 1992 Juventus 4-1 Atalanta
Juventus appearances: 153
Juventus goals: 1
Height: 1.84m (6'0½")
Weight: 82kg

Honours:

3 Scudetti (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98)
2 Coppa Italia (1994-95, 2000-01)
2 Super Coppa Italiana (1995, 1997)
1 UEFA Champions League (1995-96)
1 UEFA Cup (1992-93)
1 UEFA European Supercup (1996)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)


Torricelli, born in Erba (Province of Como), started playing football when he was around 8 in the town he was living in, Verano Brianza (Province of Milan). When he was 13 years old he was asked by Como Calcio to attend with them a youth regional championship (Allievi Regionali) but at the end of the loan he had to get back to his former amateur team U.S. Folgore of Verano Brianza.

At U.S. Folgore he played in the main team too, up to 18 years old, then got transferred to A.S. Oggiono, who were just promoted to the top regional league "Promozione" at the end of 1987-88 season. In "Promozione" Moreno played 49 matches in two seasons without scoring any goals.

In 1990 U.S. Caratese bought him from A.S. Oggiono, he was given work in a factory and played football on a part-time basis because U.S. Caratese was a high level team attending to the top national amateur league "Interregionale".

In July 1992, Caratese played against Serie A giants Juventus in a pre-season friendly. Torricelli's performance in this match impressed then-Juventus coach Giovanni Trapattoni so much that he was purchased by the giants for 80 million lire shortly afterwards.

Torricelli made his debut in Serie A on 13 September 1992 in a 4-1 win for Juventus against Atalanta. He quickly became a permanent starter in his first season and went on to play in the UEFA Cup-winning side that beat Borussia Dortmund in 1993. A player with a lot of heart and determination, he was able to command all roles in the Juventus defence but his favourite role was at right-back.

In 1998, Torricelli left Juventus to join Fiorentina where he played for another four seasons. He moved to Spain's RCD Espanyol in January 2003 after Fiorentina's relegation and financial troubles led to them releasing nearly all of their players. He retired in 2005 after a final season with A.C. Arezzo.

At international level, Torricelli won 10 caps for the Italian national team, and was a member of the Italian squad for Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup.

On February 2009, Torricelli took his first managing role in football, being appointed as head coach of Tuscan Lega Pro Prima Divisione side Pistoiese. He took the team at the bottom of the league, and managed to guide it up to 16th place, being defeated, however, by Foligno in the relegation playoffs.

On June 23, 2009 he was announced as new head coach of Figline for the 2009–10 Lega Pro Prima Divisione campaign, the first in the Italian third tier for the small Tuscan club.

Juventus Legend Number 37

Sergio Brio "Acciaio"




Position: Central defender
Nationality: Italian
Born: 19th August 1956 in Lecce, Italy
Italy Caps: 0 Goals: 0
Teams: Lecce, Juventus, Pistoiese, Juventus
Serie A debut: 18th March 1979 Juventus 1-0 Napoli
Juventus appearances: 379
Juventus goals: 24
Height: 1.90m (6'3")
Weight: 84kg

Honours:

4 Scudetti (1980-81, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1985-86)
3 Coppe Italia (1978-79, 1982-83, 1989-90)
1 UEFA Champions League (1984-85)
1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1983-84)
1 UEFA Cup (1989-90)
1 UEFA European Supercup (1984)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1985)


Sergio Brio was a tall and steel-tough centre back (hence his nickname) who played for Juventus F.C. in the late 1970's and the 1980's, and was part of their European Cup victory in 1985.

Brio was born in Lecce, Apulia. In total he played 379 games for Juventus and scored 24 goals during the club's most successful period. His first season was in 1978-79 and he played until 1989-90. He made his debut on the 18th of March 1979 when Juventus beat Napoli 1-0. He captained Juventus F.C. from 1988 to 1990 when he retired.

Brio is one of only five players in European football history - with Antonio Cabrini, Gaetano Scirea, Stefano Tacconi and Danny Blind - to have won all international club competitions.

Brio was capped at U21 level for the Azzurri but amazingly for a player who was so successful at the highest club level he was never capped for the Nazionale. Brio played during an era of several great Italian central defenders (Scirea, Gentile, Baresi, Bergomi, Collovati, Vierchowod) and so never had the chance to impress his physical game on the international scene.

Juventus Legend Number 38

Alessio Tacchinardi "Takky"




Position: Central midfielder
Nationality: Italian
Born: 23rd July 1975 in Crema, Italy
Italy Caps: 13 Goals: 0
Teams: Atalanta, Juventus, Villarreal, Brescia
Serie A debut: Atalanta 1992-93
Juventus appearances: 261
Juventus goals: 9
Height: 1.87m (6'1½")
Weight: 80kg

Honours:

6 Scudetti (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05)
1 Coppa Italia (1994-95)
4 Supercoppe Italiana (1995, 1997, 2002, 2003)
1 UEFA Champions League (1995-96)
1 UEFA European Supercup (1996)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)
1 Intertoto Cup (1999)


Tacchinardi started his professional career in 1992 with Atalanta B.C.. He spent two full seasons with the Bergamo based club, where he made 9 league appearances, including his Serie A debut. After performing extremely well, he caught the eye of then Juventus director Luciano Moggi and was transferred to Juventus in July 1994.

Tacchinardi joined the team in pre-season training and performed well from the start. In his first season with the club, Tacchinardi made an immediate impact, making 25 league appearances, and also appearing in the Coppa Italia and the European Cup. He continued his impressive form throughout his time with Juventus, holding down a starting position in the center of midfield and was a key attribute to their league and European dominance from the late 1990s until 2005, before Calciopoli struck the Torino based giants. He formed impressive partnerships in midfield throughout his time with Juventus, with the likes of Antonio Conte, Didier Deschamps, Angelo Di Livio, Edgar Davids, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mauro Camoranesi, Pavel Nedved, and Enzo Maresca. His partnership with Edgar Davids was the most notable of his career, as the duo formed one of the most fierce center midfield partnerships between 1996 and 2004. During his time with the northern giants, Tacchinardi was also noted for his long range shooting skills, something he was highly skilled at doing and often scored from long range. Since the break-up of Davids, Tacchinardi, Nedved, Camoranesi, and Zambrotta in 2004, it has been argued that Juventus have never had a stronger midfield quartet, despite the transfers of Ferreira Emerson, Patrick Viera, Mohammed Sissoko, Felipe Melo, and Diego Ribas da Cunha since then. Arguably, Alessio Tacchinardi's peak season was the 2002-2003 campaign, where he scored two goals in 27 appearances in the Serie A, while scoring two more goals in 13 UEFA Champions League appearances, a run in which Juventus reached the UEFA Champions League finals, only to lose to fellow Italians, AC Milan, in part due to the absence of the suspended Pavel Nedved. Tacchinardi has had occasional injury problems, but this did not put a major dent in his career, but it is believed that the player would've been considered one of the best midfielders of his generation, despite the fact that he was overly underrated. After nearly 14 years with Juventus, Tacchinardi made well over 300 total appearances, scoring nearly 20 goals, he was also a fan favorite, and is still considered a club legend.

In July 2005, Tacchinardi was transferred to Villarreal CF who signed him on one-year loan from Juventus, following the appointment of Fabio Capello, who took over the managerial position from Marcello Lippi, and also due in part to the purchases of Patrick Viera and Federico Balzaretti. It was a sad farewell for many Juventus faithful, who did not want the departure of their iconic midfielder. He became an integral part of the starting XI for the club, helping the team to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. He returned to Juventus on June 30, 2006, but following the Calciopoli troubles he extended his loan for one more year, in July 2006. His loan finished at the end of the 2006-2007 season, in which he appeared for the club in more than 50 official matches, scoring 3 goals. He returned to Juventus again in the summer of 2007, and it was believed that he would remain at the club, following the appointment of Claudio Ranieri and the club's new start, however his contract was mutually terminated in August 2007, following certain unspecified disagreements with the club's new board of directors.

After terminating his contract with longtime club, Juventus, Tacchinardi signed a 2-year deal with Brescia Calcio on August 9, 2007, and was a key attribute to the Serie B club's first team, appearing in all but 8 seasonal games, scoring 11 goals.

At the conclusion of the 2007-2008 Serie B season, Tacchinardi did not re-new his contract with Brescia Calcio, and was reportedly on the verge of joining Sicilian giants Calcio Catania in the Serie A, or returning to Juventus in a farewell season with teammate Pavel Nedved. Neither of these options eventually prospered and after spending the first portion of the year as a free agent, the Juventus legend hung up the boots and called it quits on a very repectable career. He has been contacted to become a midfield coach at the Torino based club, but has yet to take a post.

Tacchinardi also represented his nation at an international level. He made his Italy debut in 1995. Tacchinardi was capped 13 official times for Italy with his last cap coming in 2003. Tacchinardi was not a regular player for the Squadra Azzurra, never playing in the final stages of a major tournament, in several cases due to injury, but also because this was a period of many high quality Italian internationals. It is believed that Tacchinardi would have also been a key part of the national setup had it not been for several injuries.

Juventus Legend Number 39

Virginio Rosetta "Viri"




Position: Right back
Nationality: Italian
Born: 25th February 1902 in Vercelli, Italy
Died: 31st March 1975 in Torino, Italy
Italy Caps: 52 Goals: 0
Teams: Pro Vercelli, Juventus
Serie A debut: Pro Vercelli 1919-20
Juventus appearances: 338
Juventus goals: 15
Height: 1.78m (5'10")
Weight: 76kg

Honours:

8 Scudetti (1920-21, 1921-22, 1925-26, 1930-31, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35)
1 FIFA World Cup (1934)
1 Serie B "Cadetti" (1947-48) (as coach)


Rosetta was born in Vercelli, Piedmont, where he debuted for Pro Vercelli in the Italian First Division (Serie A's predecessor) in the 1919-20 season, as a striker. He later turned into an effective defender who was a very good passer of the ball.

Pro Vercelli was then one of the major Italian football teams, and Rosetta won two scudetti in 1921 and 1922. He debuted for Italy at the 1920 Summer Olympics, forming a partnership with Renzo De Vecchi.

In 1923 he moved to Juventus, where he was paid as a footballer for the first time. He won his first title in 1926, and was an integral part of the team which won five consecutive scudetti during the 1930s.

He was a member of the Italian football team, which placed fifth at the 1924 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics.

He won a total of eight national championships, with the final five being Serie A titles. Only two players, Giovanni Ferrari and Giuseppe Furino, have also won eight titles in the Italian leagues.

For Italy, Rosetta received a total of 52 caps, and he was a member of the 1934 FIFA World Cup winning squad. He was captain in Italy's first game at the tournament against the United States, but it proved to be his last international appearance and he did not play in the final itself. He retired in 1936.

He died in Turin in 1975.

Juventus Legend Number 40

Angelo Di Livio "Soldatino"




Position: Right midfielder
Nationality: Italian
Born: 26th July 1966 in Rome, Italy
Italy Caps: 40 Goals: 0
Teams: Roma, Reggiana, Nocerina, Perugia, Padova, Juventus, Fiorentina
Serie A debut: Roma 2-1 JUVENTUS 05/09/1993
Juventus appearances: 186
Juventus goals: 3
Height: 1.73m (5'8")
Weight: 73kg

Honours:

3 Scudetti (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98)
2 Coppe Italia (1994-95, 2000-01)
2 Suppercoppe Italiana (1995, 1997)
1 UEFA Champions League (1995-96)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1996)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (2000)


Angelo di Livio was given the nickname il soldatino (the little soldier) during his playing career due to his characteristic way of running up and down the flank.

Di Livio played for Reggiana (1985–86), Nocerina (1986–87), Perugia (1987–89), Padova (1989–93), Juventus (1993–99), and Fiorentina (1999–2005). His tireless running and quality crossing of the ball made him an important element in the starting XI of Juventus FC from 1993 to 1999. With Juventus, he won three scudetti (Italian A League) and one Champions League title. In 2002, when AC Fiorentina went bankrupt and was reborn as Florentia Viola in Serie C2, Di Livio showed his dedication by being the only player to stay with the team, as he played through the depths of Italian football on the climb back to Serie A in 2004.

Di Livio was capped 40 times for Italy but never scored. He played for his country at Euro 96, the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000, and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. His first cap came on September 6, 1995 against Slovenia; his last on June 18, 2002 against South Korea. For Italy, he was often used as a holding player to shut down games when the team was ahead, thus sealing the win.

He is currently the coach of a youth team of AS Roma (Allievi "Coppa Lazio")[1], and his son also plays for the giallorossi youth system.

Juventus Legend Number 41

Lucidio Sentimenti IV "Cochi"




Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Italian
Born: 1st July 1920 in Bomporto, Italy
Italy Caps: 9 Goals: 0
Teams: Modena, Juventus, Lazio, Vicenza, Torino
Serie A debut: Modena 1938
Juventus appearances: 169
Juventus goals: 1
Height: 1.70m (5'8")
Weight: 70kg

Honours:

1 Serie B "Cadetti" (1954-55)


Sentimenti IV was a strong goalkeeper who played for Juventus during a leaner spell in their history, serving the club with distinction. Nicknamed "Cochi" he is the fourth of five brothers who played in Serie A teams: Ennio (I), Arnold (II), Victor (III), Lucidio (IV) and Primo (V).

Not tall, but very strong athletically, he was bought by Juventus from Lazio in 1949. He is one of the most significant players of the postwar period whre at Lazio he made 170 league appearances. Cochi has an eclectic period in black and white, due to a broken finger, he is also used as a right winger in the league of war 1943-44 (also scores a double at Casale and a goal at Asti for Varese). With age and success sees a downturn when moving to Lazio. In the capital (also joined by brothers Victor and Primo) however, he ends up being a leader.

As a goalkeeper he is not flashy, between the posts he has agility and ability to read the intentions of opponents, he rushed out with courage on and puts his body on the line, also strong at tackling with his feet, which will go down in the history of football. Another feature of Sentimenti IV was to be an strong penalty taker, he scored three in his spell with Lazio. He even kicked one when wearing the shirt of Modena, his brother Arnaldo was the goalkeeper against Napoli at home on May 17, 1942.

He left Lazio in 1954 to go to Lanerossi Vicenza, reluctantly accepting a transfer from the biancoceleste leadership who released the goalkeeper on the last day before the season. He wore the red and white shirt between 1954 and 1957, making 82 appearances.

During his career, Cochi also collected nine appearances for the Italian national team, including that of 11 May 1947, Italy 3-2 Hungary in which he was the only "outsider", deployed by coach Vittorio Pozzo not from the block of Grande Torino players. With Ferruccio Novo, however, he attended the World Cup in 1950. He is currently the oldest living among the Italian players who played in a World Cup.

Juventus Legend Number 42

Gianluca Pessotto "Gazza", "Professore"



Position: Full back
Nationality: Italian
Born: 11th August 1970 in Latisana, Italy
Italy Caps: 22 Goals: 1
Teams: Varese, Massese, Bologna, Verona, Torino, Juventus
Serie A debut: TORINO-Inter 04/09/1994
Juventus appearances: 243
Juventus goals: 2
Height: 1.73m (5'8")
Weight: 72kg

Honours:

6 Scudetti (1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06)
1 Coppa Italia (1994-95)
4 Supercoppe Italiana (1995, 1997, 2002, 2003)
1 UEFA Champions League (1995-96)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1996)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1996)
1 UEFA Intertoto Cup (1999)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (2000)


Born in Latisana, in the province of Udine, Pessotto started his career in the A.C. Milan youth system. However, he was instantly sold to A.S. Varese 1910 in 1989. He never made a professional appearance for Milan.

After joining Varese in 1989, Pessotto officially began his professional career. In two full season s with the club, he tallied an impressive 64 appearances, also finding the back of the net on a solo occasion.

In August 1991, Pessotto transferred to U.S. Massese 1919, although he only remained at the club for one season. in his lone season, he appeared 22 times in the league, netting one goal.

Following impressive spells with both A.S. Varese 1910 and U.S. Massese 1919, he transferred to, then, Serie B club Bologna F.C. 1909 in the summer of 1992. Despite being a highly anticipated transfer, Pessotto made just 21 league appearances, and was sold at the conclusion of the season. He also scored one goal for the Bolognese club.

After a season with Bologna in Serie B, Pessotto transferred to fellow Serie B club, Hellas Verona F.C. in 1993. Pessotto was an undisputed starter for much of the season, impressing greatly. He made 34 league appearances with a seasonal career high of 3 goals.

After impressing in the second division of Italian football, Pessotto transferred to Torino F.C. in 1994. In his first season in the Serie A, Pessotto racked up a starting position along with 32 league appearances and his first Serie A goal. After greatly impressing in his debut Serie A season, Pessotto moved to city rivals and European giants Juventus FC, in 1995, in what was a very highly regarded transfer.

After joining Juventus in 1995, he instantly became a key part of the first team and help Juventus form what was considered as the best defence in the world at this time, and teams strongly regretted ever going down a goal to the club, as they knew how hard it would be to score one back for themselves. Pessotto formed impressive defensive partnerships with the likes of Ciro Ferrara, Moreno Torricelli, Paolo Montero, Mark Iuliano, Lilian Thuram, Alessandro Birindelli, Igor Tudor, Gianluca Zambrotta, Nicola Legrottaglie, Fabio Cannavaro, Jonathan Zebina, and Giorgio Chiellini during his lengthy 12 year tenure with the club. He was one of many experienced players who had been at Juventus for a lengthy period of time. Injuries and other issues in the closing stages of his career limited his first-team opportunities to mainly being used a substitute to Jonathan Zebina or Lilian Thuram. Pessotto retired at the end of the 2005–2006 Serie A season, after back to back Scudetti. With Juventus he managed well over 250 total appearances scoring 2 league goals in the process. Among his achievements as a Juventus player, Pessotto won the UEFA Champions League in 1996, playing in 4 Champions League Finals, the UEFA Super Cup in 1996, the Intercontinental Cup in 1996, 1 UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000, 6 Scudetti (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) 4 Italian Super Cups (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003), and 1 Coppa Italia in 1995.

For Italy, Pessotto was capped 22 times. He played for his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000. In Euro 2000, Pessotto scored a penalty in the shootout win over Holland which sent Italy into the final. However, he only picked up a runners-up medal, as Italy lost after conceding a last minute equaliser, and then conceded a David Trézéguet golden goal. Trézéguet ironically became his Juventus teammate the following season.

Juventus Legend Number 43

Stefano Tacconi "Tarzan"



Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Italian
Born: 13th May 1957 in Perugia, Italy
Italy Caps: 7 Goals: -2
Teams: Inter, Spoleto, Pro Patria, Livorno, Sambenedettese, Avellino, Juventus, Genoa, Arquata
Serie A debut: Avellino 1980
Juventus appearances: 254
Juventus goals: -231
Height: 1.88m (6'3")
Weight: 86kg

Honours:

2 Scudetti (1983-84, 1985-86)
1 Coppa Italia (1989-90)
1 UEFA Champions League (1984-85)
1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1983-84)
1 UEFA Cup (1989-90)
1 UEFA Super Cup (1984)
1 FIFA Intercontinental Cup (1985)
Cavaliere Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana (1991)


Stefano Tacconi is the only goalkeeper to have won all international club competitions.

Tacconi got his first significant experience at Spoleto football club. Following this, having already attracted the interest of Inter Milan, he had his first brief stint as a professional with Pro Patria and Livorno before joining Sambenedettese. He then reached Serie A with Avellino in the 1980/1981 season; he remained there for three years before joining the Italian club Juventus FC in 1983.

With Giovanni Trapattoni's Juventus club, Tacconi won 2 scudetti in 1984 and 1986, the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1985 and the Intercontinental Cup the same year against Argentinos Juniors on penalties. In 1990 Tacconi and Juventus went on to win a UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia. He was Walter Zenga's reserve at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.

After a ten-year working relationship with Juventus FC (during the 1985/1986 season he was kept on the bench), Tacconi transferred to Genoa C.F.C. in 1994. Unfortunately, Genoa was relegated to Serie B at the end of season.

After quitting professional football, Tacconi had several disappointing experiences in politics. In 1999 he was on Alleanza Nazionale's lists for the European parliamentary elections, but failed to earn a seat. In 2005 he tried to stand for president of Lombardy as a candidate for Nuovo MSI, an extreme right-wing party, but could not garner enough votes to validate his candidacy. In 2006, he put in for a city councilman position in Milan again within Alleanza Nazionale, supporting winner Letizia Moratti for mayor, but gained only 57 personal preferences (votes) and was not elected to the office.

On August 2008, at the age of 51, he accepted an offer from FC Arquata, a Seconda Categoria amateur club based in Arquata del Tronto, Marche, to make a return into active football as a goalkeeper.