Thursday, November 29, 2018

AC Milan Foreign Players All-Time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Kaká, Clarence Seedorf, Andriy Shevchenko & Cafu 

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
AC Milan All-Time Team Under Silvio Berlusconi
AC Milan Brazilian Best XI
AC Milan All-Time Team
AC Milan All-Time Italian Team
AC Milan All-Time Foreign Player Team


This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for AC Milan's foreign players.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Nicknamed "I Rossoneri", AC Milan is the second most successful club after Real Madrid in Europe.  At the time of writing, they have won the Euorpean Cup/Champions' league 7 times.  They have a strong team in the 1960's, winning the 1963 and 1969.  After many years of failure in the 1970's and early 1980's, Silvio Berlusconi bought the club in 1986. He turned the club into a dynasty.  The Dutch trio of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard was credited for the successes of that era.  Later, Dejan Savicevic  and Kaka helped the club to win the European Cup/Champions' League.  Other notable foreign influence on the club incliuded the "Gre-No-Li" line consisted that consisted of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm.  
Gre-No-Li
Team
GK: Dida (Brazil)
Didi was mainly remembered for his 8 seasons with AC Milan.  He was the hero of the 2003 Champions' League Final when he helped Milan to win the penalty shootout against Juventus.  He became the first Brazilian keeper to be nominated for Ballon d' Or that year.  He went to three World Cup Finals and started in 2006 for the Seleção.

GK Zeljko Kalac (Australia)
Kalac made his name with Sydney United.  He moved to Europe in 1995.  He played in England, holland and Italy.  He was the backup keeper for AC Milan as they won the Champions' League in 2006-2007. He spent most of his career between Bosnich and Schwarzer, but still earned 54 caps for Socceroos.  He played against Croata at the WC Finals in 2006.

GK: Diego Lopez (Spain)
Lopez started from Real Madrid, but made his name first with Villareal and Sevilla.  In January, 2013, he rejoined Real Madrid after Iker Casillas suffered a serious injury.  He quickly established as the starter.  He maintained his starting status the following year, despite the return of Casillas.  He won Copa Del Rey that season as the starter while backing up Casillas in the Champions' League as Real Madrid won it.  Capped once in 2009.

RB: Cafu (Brazil
Cafu is the all-time cap record holder for Brazil with 142 caps.  He is the only man to play in three WC finals, winning it in 1994 and 2002.  He was the captain of the 2002 team.  With Sao Paulo, he won two Copa Libertadores: 1992, 1993.  In Europe, he won a Cup Winners Cup with Real Zaragoza, and he also won a singe Champions League with AC Milan in 2006. He was South American Player of the Year in 1994.  
Cafu

RB: Thomas Helveg (Denmark)
The most prominent period of his career was his five years with  AC Milan, with whom he won the 1999 Serie A championship and 2003 UEFA Champions League tournament. He was named 1994 Danish Player of the Year.  He has participated in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championship and the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also played for Udinese, Inter Milan, Norwich City and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

CB: Thiago Silva (Brazil)
Thiago Silva became the most expensive defender in history when he moved from Milan to Paris St. Germain.  In Brazil, he played for Juventude and Fluminense, helping Fluminense to the Final of Copa Libertadores in 2008.  For the national team, he was the captain of Brazil ill-fated team in World Cup 2014, but did not play against Germany in the semifinal. He was an unused sub at the WC Finals in 2010.

CB/DM:  Marcel Desailly (France)
Marcel Desailly was considered to be one of the greatest defensive players during the 1990's.  He played 116 times for France, winning the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.  He was the first player to win the European Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs, when he won it with Marseille in 1993 and AC Milan the following year.

CB: Herbert Kilpin (England)
Killeen came to Italy from England in 1891 to work for Edoardo Bosio, an Italian-Swiss textile merchant. Bosio founded Internazionale Torino, believed to be the first Italian football club. Kilpin played for the team, becoming the first-ever Englishman to play football abroad. In 1898, he moved to Milan and became one of the founding members of AC Milan.  Her spent 9 seasons with the club as a player,w inning 3 national titles.

CB/LB: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (West Germany)
In his prime, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was considered one of the best leftbacks in the world.  He participated in 4 World Cup Finals, unfortunaitely sandwiched between West Germany's two World Cup winning tournaments.  He was remembered one of the first German to star in Italy's Serie A.  He had a remarkable stint with AC Milan and AS Roma.  He won the European Cup in 1969 with AC Milan. At home, he played with Koln.
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger 
LB: Kakha Kaladze (Georgia)
Kakha Kaladze started with Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia.  He was also a part of Dynmamo Kyiv that dominated the domestic league and reached the semifinal of the Champions' league in the 1990's with Andriy Shevchenko.  He also played for AC Milan, where he won two Champions' League in 2003 and 2007.  He was Georgian Player of the Year for 5 times.  He played 83 timed for Georgia.

CM: Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands)
Frank Rijkaard was one of Netherlands' most important player. Capped 73 times.  He won the 1988 European Championship in West Germany. He notably played for Ajax and AC Milan. He spent 5 seasons with AC Milan when Milan was considered the greatest club team in the world, winning two European Cup. In 1995, he led a young Ajax team to their famous Champions' League victory.  That team is also considered one of the greatest club sides ever.

AM/CM: Zvonimir Boban (Croatia)
Zvonimir Boban was the captain of the national team that finished third at the World Cup in 1998.  He was also an important player of the highly talented Yugoslavia under-20 team that won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was also remembered for his career with AC Milan with whom he won four Serie A and one UEFA Champions League titles. He also played Bari and Celta Vigo at the club level.

CM/LM: Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands)
Seedorf is the first player to win three Champion League titles with 3 different clubs. He was a member of the Golden Generation from Ajax that won Champions League in 1995.  In 1996, he moved to Real Madrid, where he quickly established himself as a star.  He would win two Champions League title there.  He later played for both AC Milan and Inter Milan.  He was a key player for the Dutch national team.
Clarence Seedorf
AM: Dejan Savicevic (Montenegro)
Dejan Savicevic was a part of the Red Star Belgrade team that won the 1990–91 European Cup before joining A.C. Milan in 1992. With Milan, he won three Serie A titles and the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League. His international career was limited due to sanction placed on his country.  He did not play in a major tournaments at the peak of his career.  However, he represented Yugoslavia at the 1990 and 1998 World Cups.  He had over 50 caps.

AM: Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
Gullit was the iconic captain of Netherlands 1988.  In 1987,  he moved from PSV Eindhoven to A.C. Milan for a world record transfer fee.  He was an important player for AC Milan during the 1980's where they won two straight European Cups. He was the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.  He spent one season with Sampdoria winning the Italian Cup in 1994.

AM: Rui Costa (Portugal)
Rui Costa was one of the best players in the 1990's Portugal's Golden Generation. He was a part of the team that won the 1991 U-20 World Cup.  He starred for Benfica, Florentina and AC Milan. He won a Champions' League title with AC Milan in the 2003-2004 season.  He earned 94 caps fpr Portugal.  He represented the country in three UEFA European Championships and one World Cup. He led Portugal to the Final of European Championship at home, scoring a screamer against England.

AM/CM: Kaka (Brazil)
Kaka started his career with Sao Paulo in Brazil before moving to AC Milan in 2003.  He was the star player who helped Milan to win the Champions' League in 2007 and he himself won he Ballon d'or the same year.  In 2009, he left Milan for Real Madrid.  For Brazil, he was capped 92 times between 2002 and 2016.  He was a young and seldom used player at the World Cup Finals in 2002.  He was a key player after the World Cup Finals in 2002.
Kaka
AM: Nils Liedholm (Sweden)
Nicknamed Il Barone (The Baron), Nils Liedholm is probably one of  Sweden's greatest players.  He played for AC Milan between 1949 and 1961. He also won the Latin Cup in 1951 and 1956 and was captain of Milan in the 1958 European Cup Final that lost against Real Madrid. He was a part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" line for both club and country.  He won a Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics and helped Sweden to finish second at the World Cup Finals in 1958. 

SS: Juan Schiaffino (Uruguay)
At international level, Juan Schiaffino won the 1950 FIFA World Cup with the Uruguayan national team, and also took part at the 1954 FIFA World Cup; he later also represented the Italy national football team. He was considered one of the greatest Uruguayan players in history.  For club level, he played in Uruguay for Penarol and in Italy with Milan and Roma.  

FWGeorge Weah (Liberia) 
In terms of individual awards, no African player wins more awards than him.  He was was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or in 1995.  He won African Footballer of the Year: 1989, 1994, 1995.  He was voted African Player of the Century in 1996.  He had great careers with AC Milan where he won two Serie A titles. He also played for Monaco, PSG, Chelsea, etc. In 2017, Weah was elected as the President of Liberia.

FW: Gunnar Gren  (Sweden)
Gunnar Gren was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at AC Milan and the Swedish national team during the 1950's.  He won a Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics and helped Sweden to finish second at the World Cup finals in 1958. He is considered one of the greatest footballers for both Sweden and AC Milan. In Sweden, he played for IFK Gothenburg, AC Fiorentina, Genoa, and  Örgryte IS.

ST: Jose Altafini (Brazil)
In Brazil, Jose Altafini was known as Mazzola because of his resemblance with  Italian attacking midfielder Valentino Mazzola.  He started to use his real name Jose Altafini after he joined AC Milan in 1958.  In the 1963 European Cup Final, he scored two goals to secure Milan's first European triumph He is the current 4th top-scorer in Italy's Serie A history. For the national team, he was the original starter on the 1958 World Cup team, but was replaced in the semifinal and the Final.
 Jose Altafini (R)
ST: Gunnar Nordahl (Sweden)
He is probably one of both Sweden and AC Milan's greatest players.  He is played with Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm to form the renowned Gre-No-Li line at AC Milan.  He was Serie A top scorer for 5 times.  He is the all-time leading scorer at Milan.  He won the Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics, but was not selected for the WC in 1950.  He played two years with Roma before retiring.  His brother Bertil and Knut also played for Sweden.

ST: Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine)
He is considered one of the greatest Ukrainian player in history.  He won the Ballon D'Or in 2004 and came 3rd on the World Player of the Year.  He started his career with Dynamo Kyiv. He was best remembered for his stint with AC Milan, winning the Champions' League in 2003.  He won 111 caps and scored 48 goals for the Ukraine.  He led Ukraine to qualify for the World Cup Finals in 2006.

ST:  Marco Van Basten  (Netherlands)
Marco Van Basten was probably the second best Dutch player and among the best striker in football's history.  He won the Ballon d'Or three times.  He led Oranje to the victory at the European Championship 1988 scoring 5 goals at the tournament. It was Netherlands' first victory in a major tournament. His goal in the Final is considered one of the best in history of the tournament. He started his career with Ajax.  He also won two European Cups with AC Milan, a club side that was considered the best ever.  
The Three Dutchmen

Honorable Mention 
Leonardo, Serginho, Marek Jankulovski, Oliver Bierhoff, Ray Wilkins, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Zlatan Ibrahimović', Cristián Zapata.

Squad Explanation
-- Thirteen players on this team are also on my AC Milan all-time team.  Almost all of them are offensive players.  Only Cafu and Karl-Heinz Schnellinger were defensive players.  The thirteen players are Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Kaka, Marcel Desailly, Dejan Savicevic, Jose Altafini, Juan Schiaffino, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. 
-- AC Milan has two group of iconic trios.  They are obvious choices. The "Gre-No-Li" line consisted of three Swedes:  Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm.  In the late 1980's, the three Dutchmen Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard played for AC Milan.    
-- Not many foreign goalkeepers ever played for AC Milan. Dida was the only foreign goalkeeper who became a long-time starting goalkeeper. Zeljko Kalac and Jen Lehmann only played a few games. Diego Lopez actually started for them. Hoberlin Hood of England was their first ever goalkeeper.  In the end, I took Zeljko Kalac because he was a long time backup for the team. 
-- Tiago Silva and Marcel Desailly were obvious choices for centerbacks.  Herbert Kilpin was one of AC Milan's founders and an important player at the beginning of the club.  He was selected for his historical roles for the club.  Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was also a sweeper.  He became my fourth centerback.
-- Cristián Zapata could have became my last defender. Because of the fact that Schnellinger and Rijkaard could play in the center, I decided to take one less defender.  Instead, I selected the best remaining player. It was between Rui Costa and Leonardo. Although the team had too many attacking midfielders, I still took Rui Costa.  He contributed to one of their Champions League victories.  
-- Since Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was also a leftback, I only selected 7 defenders.  Kakha Kaladze was my backup leftback.  Leonardo, Serginho and Marek Jankulovski are also very strong candidates too. Then, I took Tomas Helveg (Denmark) as Cafu's backup.
-- Almost every offensive players from my AC Milan All-Time team are foreigners. Nevertheless, I still have rooms to add more offensive players to this team. The new offensive players are Gunnar Gren, George Weah, Clarence Seedorf and Rui Costa. 
-- The team lacked a left-side midfielder.  Clarence Seedorf can also play in on the left side as well as dropping deep. 
-- Due to Yugoslavia's international ban, Dejan Savicevic and Zvonimir Boban did not have much chance to play international football in their prime. Dejan Savicevic made a statement at the 1994 European Cup Final as AC Milan destroyed Johan Cruyff's Dream Team.  Yugoslavia was unable to participate in the 1994 World Cup Finals.  
-- Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and David Beckham played over here at the end of their careers.  They were never seriously considered. 
-- Zlatan Ibrahimović's stay was very brief here.  He is up against Van Basten, Shevchenko and Jose Altafini for a spot.
-- Jose Altafini was the first foreign star player for AC Milan.  In Brazil, he was also known as "Mazzola" because he resembled the Italian legend Valentino Mazzola.  Valentino Mazzola's son Sandro was playing with Inter Milan when Jose Altafini was playing with AC Milan.
-- Gunnar Gren was left off my AC Milan All-Time team.  So I have to select him over here.

Formation
Ruud Gullit has played on the right side earlier in his career. So he needed to adjust his game (he is very versatile).  Kaka also played on the right side for Brazil, but I started him in the middle. Liedholm also played on the left side, but the role and formation was different in his in era.
 


Tuesday, November 20, 2018

AC Milan All-Time Greatest Team for Italian players


Gianni Rivera, the Maldini's and Baresi

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
AC Milan All-Time Team Under Silvio Berlusconi
AC Milan Brazilian Best XI
AC Milan All-Time Foreign Player Team
AC Milan

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for AC Milan s Italian players.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.


Nicknamed "I Rossoneri", AC Milan is the second most successful club after Real Madrid in Europe.  At the time of writing, they have won the Euorpean Cup/Champions' league 7 times.  They have a strong team in the 1960's, winning the 1963 and 1969.  After many years of failure in the 1970's and early 1980's, Silvio Berlusconi bought the club in 1986. He turned the club into a dynasty.  The Dutch trio of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard combined with the backbone of the Italian national team to form one of the greatest club sides in history. The team was still full of Italian players such as Franc Baresi, Paulo Maldini,  Sebastiano Rossi, Mauro Tassotti, etc.  
Di Bartolomei, Baresi, Donadoni and Evani 
Team
GK: Lorenzo Buffon
Lorenzo Buffon was one of the best keepers in the 1950's and early 1960's.  He helped AC Milan to reach the Final of the 1958 European Cup Final.  He also played for Genoa C.F.C. (1959–60), F.C. Internazionale Milano (1960–63), and ACF Fiorentina (1963–64). His cousin is Gianluigi Buffon's Grandfather.  He had 15 caps and went to the 1962 World Cup Finals. He is also remembered for his marriage to the late Italian actress and television personality Edy Campagnoli.
Lorenzo Buffon
GK: Sebastiano Rossi  
During a 21-year professional career, Rossi appeared in 346 Serie A games, most notably representing A.C. Milan (12 seasons) with which he won 12 major titles, including the 1994 Champions League.   Rossi held the record for the longest streak without conceding a goal in Serie A history. In an 11-match span, he kept a clean sheet for 929 consecutive minutes.  He was never capped by Italy. 

GK: Fabio Cudicini 
Cudicini played Udinese, Roma, AC Milan and Brescia.  He was remembered for his two stints with AC Milan.  Between 1967 and 1972, he played for AC Milan. He helped Milan to win the 1969 European Cup.  Before Milan, he won the Inter-Cities Fair Cup with Roma.  His son is Carlo Cudicini. He was uncapped because he was playing the same generation with Dino Zoff, Lozenzo Buffon and Enrico Albertosi 

RB: Mauro Tassotti 
After making his Serie A debut with Lazio, he went on to play with Milan for 17 years. He won 17 major titles with Milan, including five Serie A championships and three UEFA Champions League tournaments, reaching five finals in total.  He was a part of both Arrigo Sacchi's and Fabio Capello's AC Milan.  He also went to the WC in 1994, where Italy came second.

RB: Angelo Anquilletti 
Anquiletti started his career with Solbiatese during the 1964–65 season. He later played with Atalanta. From 1966 to 1977 played for A.C. Milan, where he achieved notable success, forming an impressive defensive unit nicknamed the Maginot Line. He was notably part of their European Cup victory in 1969. He ended his career with Monza. He played twice for Italy in 1969. He was part of Italy's UEFA Euro 1968 squad that won the tournament on home soil. 
Angelo Anquilletti 
RB/SW: Cesare Maldini  
Cesare Maldini spent 12 seasons with AC Milan.  He was the captain of the 1963 European Cup winning team.  He also played for Torino. He also played for Triestina and Torino. He picked up 14 caps for Italy between 1960 and 1963. He went to the 1962 World Cup Finals. After retirement, he became a successful coach. His son is Paolo Maldini.

CB: Alessandro Nesta 
Nesta is considered one of the best defender of his generation.  He was the Serie A defender of the Year for 4 times. He started his career with Lazio.  Later, he played with AC Milan where he won two Champions' league.  He earned 78 caps.   He played on the 2006 World Cup winning team, but injured in the third game of the tournament.  He also went to 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals as well as the European Championship in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

CB: Alessandro Costacurta 
Alessandro Costacurta was Baresi's partner at central defense for both club and country. He was a part of 5 Champions' League winning team for AC Milan.  However, he only played 59 times for Italy because largely of injuries. He went to two World Cup Finals (in 1994 and 1998), as well as a European Championship in 1996. With Italy, he managed to reach the 1994 World Cup Final, which was lost against Brazil on penalties.

SW: Franco Baresi 
Franco Baresi was considered Italy's greatest libero.  He was capped 82 times.  He led the Azzurri to the semifinal of the WC in 1990 and then, the Final in 1994.  However, he missed most of the tournament in 1994.  He was a part of the 1982 World Cup winning team, but he did not play a single match.  He was the captain of AC Milan for 15 years, where he won three European Cups and 6 Serie A titles. 
Franco Baresi 
CB/LB: Paolo Maldini 
Maldini was considered the greatest leftback of all-time.  He won 26 trophies in his 25 year career with AC Milan, including 5 Champions' league trophies. With Italy, Maldini took part in three European Championships, and four World Cups. Although he did not win a tournament with Italy, he reached the finals of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000, and the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988. He was capped 126 times for Italy.  

CB/LB: Renzo De Vecchi 
De Vecchi was probably the first star player in Italian football.  His nickname was "The Son of God".  He started his career with Milan.  He later moved to Genoa in 1913, winning three Italian League titles with the club. Between 1927 and 1929, he worked as a player-manager for them. He was the youngest ever national team player for Italy, representing Italy at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympic Games.  In total, he had 43 caps for Italy between 1910 and 1925. 

DM/CM: Massimo Ambrosini 
At club level, he is mostly known for his successful time at A.C. Milan, where he spent eighteen years of his career, winning several titles, and even captained the side from 2009 to 2013, following the retirement of Paolo Maldini. Ambrosini retired from professional football in 2014, after a season with Fiorentina. At international level, he represented Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and in two UEFA European Championships, winning a runners-up medal at UEFA Euro 2000.

DM: Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso was a highly regarded destroyer in his prime. He spent 13 years with AC Milan, forming a famous partnership with Andreas Pirlo. At the club level, he also played for Rangers, Perugia and Sion. He won two Champions' League with the club.  For the Azzurri, he earned 73 caps between 2000 and 2010.  He went to three World Cup Finals, winning the 2006 World Cup Finals, playing along side Pirlo again.
Gennaro Gattuso
CM: Demetrio Albertini 
Demetrio Albertini was the deep-lying playmaker of the great AC Milan team of the 1990's.  He won 5 league titles in the 1990's and the Champions' League title in 1994. At the end of his career, he played for Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Barcelona. At the international level, he played for his country 79 times.  He went to the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, Euro 96, and Euro 2000. He was voted into the team of tournament at Euro 2000.

CM: Carlo Ancelotti 
Carlo Ancelotti began his career with Parma, but he made his name with AS Roma. He won the Serie A title in 1982-1983 and 4 Italian Cup's.  In 1987, he joined the great AC Milan and became a part of the team that won two European Cup.  He was capped 26 times between 1981 and 1991.  He narrowly missed the World Cup Finals in 1982, but went to the World Cup Finals in 1986 and 1990.

CM: Andrea Pirlo 
Pirlo started as an attack midfielder with Inter Milan without success before becoming a regista.  He redefined the regista role in the modern game.  He had 116 caps.  He won the World Cup in 2006 and took Italy to the Final of Euro 2012.  For his club career, he was known for his career with AC Milan.  He played over 280 matches for them, winning two Champions' League titles.  He switched to Juventus late in his career.  

RW: Pietro Arcari
Pietro Arcari played in the 1930s for A.C. Milan, and Genoa. A prolific goalscorer, known for his speed and ability in the air, he played 256 matches in Serie A, scoring 80 goals. He never played for Italy, but was selected to the 1934 World Cup Finals, where Italy won the Cup on home soil.  He never appeared in any match.  He is one of only four players in Italy's history to become World champion while never being capped

LW: Roberto Donadoni 
Roberto Donadoni was one of Italy's greatest wingers.  He was a vital part of AC Milan's squad under both Sacchi and Capello, winning six Serie A titles, three European Cups, four Italian Supercups, three European Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups during his time at Milan. He went to the World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1994. At the end of his career, he played briefly in MLS and Saudi Arabia.
Roberto Donadoni 
FW/RW: Renzo Burini
Burini played for 12 seasons (330 games, 123 goals) in the Italian Serie A for A.C. Milan and S.S. Lazio. He is remembered by Lazio fans for his contribution to winning the first major trophy for the club, the Coppa Italia in 1958. He made his debut for Italy in 1951 against Portugal and scored on his debut. He was a member of the team which took part at the 1948 Summer Olympics.

AM: Gianni Rivera 
Gianni Rivera was Italy's "Golden Boy"of the 1960's and perhaps their best player in his generation.  He won the Ballon d'Or in 1969.  He led AC Milan to win two European Cups in 1963 and 1969. He was capped 63 times, scoring 15 goals, at four World Cup Finals (1962, 1966, 1970, and 1974). Rivera is remembered for scoring the decisive goal in Italy's extra-time win over West Germany in the semi-final of Mexico 1970.
Gianni Rivera 
AM: Roberto Baggio 
Robert Baggio was the icon of the 1990's.  He was the World Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or winner and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1993.  He led Italy to reach the semifinal at 1990 World Cup Finals in Italy and then, to a second place four years later in the USA.  For club football, he started his career with Fiorentina.  He became the most expensive player in the world when he joined Juventus.  He also played for AC Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan and Brescia.
Roberto Baggio 
ST: Giuseppe Santagostino
Giuseppe Santagostino was born in 1901 in Milan. From 1921 to 1933, he played over 200 games for AC Milan. He ranks eighth in A.C. Milan's all-time goalscorers list. He also scored the first ever goal in the San Siro in a derby against Inter Milan in 1926. He was never capped by Italy. After Milan, he played for Catanzaro and Atalanta.

ST/SS/FW: Pierino Prati
Also known as "Pierino the pest",  Prati is mostly remembered for his successful stint with AC Milan, forming an excellent partnership with Gianni Rivera. He was also notably part of their European Cup victory in 1969. He is the last man to have scored a hat-trick in the Champions League/European Cup Final.  Capped 14 times.  He won the 1968 European Championship on home soil. He also went to the 1970 World Cup.

ST: Aldo Boffi
Aldo Boffi played club football with Seregno, A.C. Milan and Atalanta. During the 1938–39 season, he was joint-capcannonieri (top scorer) in Serie A, along with Ettore Puricelli of Bologna, with 19 goals; he managed the same feat in the 1939–40 and 1941–42 Serie A seasons, with 24 and 22 goals respectively. He was capped twice for Italy.

ST: Filippo Inzaghi 
Inzaghi is one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time, fifth in Italy, with 313 goals scored in official matches. He is currently the fourth-highest goal scorer in European club competitions with 70 goals.  With AC Milan, he won  two UEFA Champions League titles (2003, 2007).  he made his national team debut in 1997.  He went to all major tournaments from 1998 to 2006.  He won the World Cup in 2006, but only played in one match.
Filippo Inzaghi 
Honorable Mention
Carlo Galli, Filippo Galli, Giovanni Galli, Christian Abbiati, Enrico Albertosi, Roberto Rosato, Pietro Lana, Aldo Cevenini, Alberigo Evani, Giovanni Lodetti, Marco Sala, Giuseppe Antonini, Daniele Massaro, Alberto Bigon, Renzo Burini, Carlo Annovazzi, Angelo Sormani and Marco Simeone.

Squad Explanation
-- Twelve players on this team also belonged to my all-time team for AC Milan.   That included all three goalkeepers, namely Fabio Cudicini, Sebastiano Rossi and Lorenzo Buffon.  Only two of my defenders (both fullbacks) are not on that team.  The defenders on the AC Milan All-Time team are Franco Baresi, Paulo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta, Cesare Maldini and Mauro Tassotti.
-- However, only three attackers (Andreas Pirlo, Gianni Rivera and Roberto Donadoni) were selected onto that team.
-- Lorenzo Buffon is often listed as AC Milan's greatest goalkeeper. Please do not confuse him with Gianluigi Buffon.  The two Buffons are actually related.  Gianluigi's grandfather is a cousin of Lorenzo.
-- Albertosi Enrico was old when he joined Milan.  His best years were behind him.   I am also watching Gianluigi Donnarumma closely.
-- Angelo Anquilletti edged out Marco Sala, Filippo Galli and Christian Panucci for the rightback position. Panucci is more famous than Anquilletti because he was a relatively current player, but he only played briefly with Milan.  Angelo Anquilletti spent 11 seasons in Milan.
-- Renzo De Vecchi made his debut with AC Milan as a 15 years old. He was given the nickname "Il Figlio di Dio" (The Son of God) by the Milan fans,  but was best remembered with his career in Genoa.  Nevertheless, I still took him.  He was one of the first star player on the team.
-- I selected Cesare Maldini because he was the the captain who brought home their first European Cup.
-- Mauro Tassotti had a long service to the club. Besides, he was a key players for two great Milan teams. 
-- I have too many midfielders.  I have no space for Romeo Benetti, Giovanni Trapattoni, Omero Tognon, Giovanni Lodetti and Giuseppe Antonini. I opted for the younger players who have more name recognition.
-- Massimo Ambrosini also spent 18 years with the club. He was also their captain at one point.  I selected him because of his longevity. 
-- Andreas Pirlo is one of the most underrated players in history.  He was critical to the successes of AC Milan.  His departure to Juventus hurt the team.  Gennaro Gattuso edged out Romeo Benetti.  His partnership with Pirlo is a factor why I selected him. 
-- I needed an offensive midfielder to backup Gianni Rivera.  Although Roberto Baggio's career with AC Milan was uneventful, I selected him because he was simply Baggio. Alberto Bigon was my alternative.
-- José Altafini played for Brazil and Juan Alberto Schiaffino for Uruguay before they played for Italy.  I considered them "foreigners".
-- I added Roberto Donadoni because I need a left winger.  Besides, he was a major contributor to AC Milan's greatest era in history. 
-- The wide position on the right is a concern. Pietro Arcari was the first player I selected.  I chose one player from the following: Renzo Burini, Carlo Annovazzi, Angelo Sormani and Marco Simeone.
-- I do not know much about Pietro Lana and Aldo Cevenini. So I went for strikers with the better stats.
-- Filippo Inzaghi scored many goals for the club.  He is the All time Milan's Top goal scorer in Europe.
-- Daniele Massaro probably should belong to this team. He had a decorated career with the club, but his career was overshadowed by foreign attackers.  I only put him on honourable mention.
-- Giuseppe Santagostino ranks eighth in AC Milan's all-time goalscorers list while Aldo Boffi is fifth.  Pierino Prati is also on the top ten.  Filippo Inzaghi and Gianni Rivera are the only two Italians ahead of them.

Formation
I opted for a formation sisimilar to the Christrmas tree formation used by Carlos Ancelotti. 




Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Bayern Munich All-time Greatest Team for German players

D.Hoeness, Rummenigge, Breitner and Augenthaler 
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Bayern Munich All-Time Team
Bayern Munich All-Time Team for Foreign Players
Germany All-Time Team Without Bayern Munich Players

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Bayern Munich's German Players only. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Bayern Munich is the most successful, German clubs.  They won more European Cups and Bundesliga than any other German teams.  However, they were not a big club until the 1960's when Bundesliga became a professional league.  Their successes began around the time Franz Beckenbauer joined them in 1965.  They won three, straight European Cup from 1974 to 1976.  After twenty-five years of successes in the domestic competitions and near misses at the European Cup, they won the European Cup (Champions' league) again in 2001 and in 2013.  They won the title 5 times, making them one of the most successful clubs in Europe.
Gerd Muller, Maier and Beckenbauer
Team
GK: Sepp Maier 
Nicknamed "The cat from Anzing", Maier was considered one of the greatest goalkeeper ever in the 1970's. He had 95 caps for West Germany, winning the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup at home in 1974. For club football, he played his entire career with Bayern Munich. He also won three straight European Cups for Bayern Munich.  He was German Footballer of the Year: 1975, 1977, 1978.

GK: Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn is one of the most successful German players in recent history.  For Bayern Munich, he won eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals, the UEFA Cup in 1996, the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, both achieved in 2001. For Germany, his heroic performance helped Germany to finish 2nd at the 2002 World Cup Finals in Korea/Japan.  He was the Gold Ball winner in that World Cup Finals.  He played 86 times for Germany from 1995 to 2006.

GK: Manuel Neuer
Neuer established as Germany's number 1 before the World Cup Finals in 2010.  Since then, he has been considered one of the best keeper in the world. He helped Germany winning their 4th World Cup in 2014. In 2014, Neuer finished third in the voting, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award.  He started with Schalke 04, but moved to rival Bayern Munich in 2010. He is the second most expensive keeper of all-time.

RB/LB/DM: Philipp Lahm 
Philipp Lahm was the captain of the 2014 World Cup winning team. He had 113 caps for Germany from 2004 to 2014.  He was included in the World Cup team of the tournament in 2006 and 2010.  For club football, he played his entire career with Bayern Munich, except for a two year loan spell with VfB Stuttgart. He also won the treble in 2013 when Bayern Munich won the Champions' League, the German Cup and the Bundesliga on the same year.  He is a member of Bayern Munich's Hall of Fame.
Philipp Lahm 
RB/CM/CB: Herbert Erhardt 
Erhardt is considered one of the greatest Bayern players. . The DFB German Football Association (German FA) list him in the top 20 best German defenders of all time. He earned 50 caps for the West-German national football team, and was a member of the German team which won the 1954 FIFA World Cup. He also participated in two other World Cups, in 1958 and 1962. He played for SpVgg Greuther Fürth for mots of his career.  He also played for Bayern Munich.

CB: Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck
Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck was the center-back for both West Germany and Bayern Munich during the 1970's.  Between 1971 and 1978, he played 44 times for West Germany.  He won the European Championship in 1972 and the World Cup in 1974.  He was a one club man for Bayern Munich, where he won three straight European Cup.

DM/CB: Ludwig Goldbrunner 
Ludwig Goldbrunner played 39 times for Germany.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 1938 and the Summer Olympics in 1936 for them.  He became known in 1937 as one of the "Breslau-Elf" (Breslau Eleven) players, after Germany thrashed Denmark with an 8:0 score.  He spent his entire career with Bayern Munich, winning the German title in 1932.  He was considered to be one of Bayern's greatest players. 
Ludwig Goldbrunner 
SW: Klaus Augenthaler 
Klaus Augenthaler played his entire club career with with FC Bayern Munich from 1983 to 1990. He won seven Bundesliga titles.   He was voted as one of greatest players in Bayern Munich's history.  With 27 caps, he was the starting sweeper for West Germany at World Cup in 1990, where West Germany won their 3rd title.  He also went to the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico.

CB: Jérôme Boateng 
Jérôme Boateng started his career with Hertha Berlin and SV Hamburger.  He played a single season with Manchester City before joining Bayern Munich.  Since the World Cuo  Finals of 2010, he is a major player for the national team.  In 2010, they became the first siblings to play against each other in a World Cup match.  He is the half-brother of Kevin-Prince Boateng who played for Ghana.

SW/CM: Franz Beckenbauer 
Franz Beckenbauer was one of the best ever player in history.  Known as Der Kaiser, he was credited with revolutionizing the sweeper position.  He was twice selected European Footballer of the Year. Beckenbauer appeared 103 times for West Germany and played in three FIFA World Cups, winning the World Cup in 1974 and the European Championship in 1972.  At the club level, he won three straight European Cup with Bayern Munich in 1974, 1975 and 1976. He also played for Hamburger and NY Cosmos.
Franz Beckenbauer 
LB: Konrad Heidkamp 
With Bayern Muinch, Heidkamp captained the 1932 German championship-winning team, Bayern's first title. He also played for He was credited for saving Bayern's trophies during the Second World War by hiding them from the Nazi Party.  He also played for Fortuna Düsseldorf. Between 1927 and 1930, he won 9 caps with the German national football team, scoring 1 goal. He is a member of Bayern Munich Hall of Fame.

LB/CM: Paul Breitner 
Breitner was the first player to score a goal at two different WC Final match.  He had 48 caps for West Germany. He won the Euro 1972 and then, the World Cup in 1974. He spent most of his career with Bayern Muinch and then, went to play for Real Madrid in Spain.  During his club career, Breitner won seven National Championships with Bayern Munich (1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981) and Real Madrid (1975, 1976), the Champions' Cup (1974) as well as the German (1971, 1982) and Spanish Cups (1975). 

DM/RB: Wolfgang Dremmler
At the club leve, Wolfgang Dremmler started with Eintracht Braunschweig. From 1979 to 1986, he played for Bayern Munich, where he won three Bundesliga titles.  From 1981 to 1984, he was capped 27 times. Dremmler was part of the West Germany team that reached the 1982 World Cup final against Italy.   That season, he also played in the losing side at the 1982 European Cup Final.

DM: Franz Roth
Franz Roth was nicknamed the "Bull". He was known for scoring important goals for Bayern Munich.  He scored three times in three different club Finals in Europe for Bayern Munich, namely the 1967 Cup Winners' Cup, and both 1975 and 1976 European Cup Final. He spent nearly his entire career with the club.  He was the part of the team that won three straight European Cup.

CM: Michael Ballack 
Born in East Germany, Michael Ballack was the best German player of his generation. first made his name with Bayer Leverkusen, helping them to the Final of the Champions' League in 2002. On the same summer, he helped Germany reaching the Final of the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan/Korea.  He moved to Bayern Munich after the World Cup Finals.  He also played for Chelsea before his retirement.
Michael Ballack 
CM: Bastian Schweinsteiger 
Bastian Schweinsteiger was an important player for both club and country.  He was capped 121 times. He went to three European Championships and as many World Cups, including their victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. At the club level, Schweinsteiger is a youth product of Bayern Munich.  He won the 2013 Champions' league title with Bayern Munich. Late in his career, he played for Manchester United and Chicago Fire.

CM: Stefan Effenberg 
Stefan Effenberg started his career with Borussia Moncehngladbach before moving to Bayern Munich in 1990 and then, in Fiorentina in 1992.  His most successful club career came during his second stint with Bayern Munich. He helped the club to reach the Final of the Champions' League twice, winning in 2001.  For Germany, he was only capped 35 times.  His international career was cut short after the "giving a finger" incident during the World Cup Finals in 1994.

CM: Lothar Matthaus 
Matthaus captained the West German team in winning the World Cup in 1990.  He was the European Player of the Year and the first ever World Player of the year in 1990. He played in five  World Cups, a record for an outfield player, and holds the record for the most World Cup matches played by a single player (25 games). He played in 4 European Championships,winning the 1980 edition. At the club lebel, he played for Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Lothar Matthaus 
AM: Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl was born in Germany of Turkish hertiage.  He started with Karlsruher, but spent almost hs entire career with Bayern Munich.  He won the Bundesliga title 8 times and the Champions' league n 2001.  Injuries has limited his career with the national team.  He played at Euro 2000, but he never played in any of the World Cup Finals.

FW: Uli Hoeness 
Hoeness was a part of the generation that won the 1974 World Cup, the 1972 European Championship and three straight European cup with Bayern Munich. He was remembered as the star player at the 1974 European Cup Final against Atletico Madrid, scoring a double in that game. After retirement, he worked for Bayern Munich.

FW: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was one of the best players in the world during the 1980's.  He was the European Player of the Year in 1980 and 1981.  He won the European Championship in 1980 and was part of the squad that finished runner-up at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He was a young star in Argentina 1978.  He spent the best parts of his club career with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

FW: Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller made his professional debut the season before ]the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa with Bayern Munich.   In South Africa, he won the Golden Boot as the top scorer with 5 goals.  Between the two World Cup Finals, Bayern Munich won one Champions' league in 2013 and went to the Final two other times.  At 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil, he won Silver Boot by scoring 5 goals after helping Germany to win their first World Cup since 1990.

ST: Dieter Hoeness
Dieter Honess played with TSG Ulm 1846 and VfR Aalen, before he moved to the professionals in 1975 with VfB Stuttgart.  In 1979, he joined Bayern Munich where his brother Uli starred and just retired. From 1979 to 1987, he played for Bayern Munich. From 1979 to 1986, he earned 6 caps for West Germany, but he did not received a callup from 1979 until the World Cup Finals in 1986.  

ST: Jurgen Klinsmann
Klinsmann won the World Cup in 1990 and then, captained the 1996 European Championship winning team.  He played in all major international tournaments from 1988 until his retirement in 1998.  He had successful club spells with Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspurs. He was a popular player while in England, despite a lot of negative press at the time of his signing.  He won both the FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Player of the Year in 1995.

ST: Gerd Muller 
"Der Bomber" was widely considered to be the greatest striker in history. He scored 68 goals in 62 matches for Die Mannschaft.   He scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga appearance, mostly with Bayern Muinch.   He won three straight European Cup with Bayern Munich in 1974, 1975 and 1976. At the international level, he played over 60 times for West Germany.  He won the World Cup in 1974 and the European Championship in 1972. He was the European Player of the Year in 1970. 
Gerd Muller 
Honorable Mention
Hans Pfluegler, Roland Wohlfarth, Christian Ziege, Adolf Kunstwadl, Thomas Helmer, Werner Olk, Bernd Dürnberger, Mario Basler, Mats Hummels, Rainer Ohlhauser, Raimond Aumann, Jens Jeremies, Markus Babbel, Dietmar Hamann.

Squad Explanation
-- Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge are the undisputed selections on this team.
-- Eighteen players from my Bayern Munich All-Time Team are Germans.  Basically, I need to replace the seven foreigners on the team.  
-- Jerome Boateng, Herbert Erhardt, Conrad Heidkamp, Jürgen Klinsmann, Wolfgang Dremmler, Thomas Muller and Dieter Hoeness are seven Germans added to this team.
-- In 2005, the Bayern fans voted for their Best XI.  The results: Sepp Maier, Klaus Augenthaler, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer, Paul Breitner, Steffan Effenberg, Mehmet Scholl, Lothar Matthaus, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Gerd Muller and Giovane Élber.  Except Giovane Élber, they were all Germans.
-- Conrad Heidkamp is listed as playing in different positions by different websites.  The official Bayern Munich website said that he was a leftback. He was the only Bayern Munich Hall of Famer not on my Bayern Munich All-Time Team.  So I took him into the All-German team.
-- At one point, Mario Basler was seriously considered because the team lacked a good winger.  In the end, I preferred player who had a better career with Bayern Munich.  Basler is only on honorable mention.
-- Jérôme Boateng edged out Hans Pfluegler for the last centerback position.  Mats Hummels has only been here since 2016.  He needs to build his career with Bayern Munich.  Anyway, it would be difficult for him to break into the team with Franz Beckenbauer, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck and Ludwig Goldbrunner ahead him.
-- Herbert Erhard started out as a full back before being used as a half back by the mid-1950s. He then settled in the center half position by the end of the 1950s. Transfermarkt listed him as a rightback.
-- Dieter Hoeness overshadowed by his brother as well as more famous German strikers of his generation.  I have seen his name mentioned many places among the greatest Bayern players.  Mario Gomez actually scored over 70 goals for the club. By contrast, Miroslav Klose's output was much lower than the two strikers.  Roland Wohlfarth was also considered, but I felt Dieter Hoeness might have better name recognition.  I had a better impression of him probably due to the 1986 World Cup Finals and his surname.  So I took him over the names mentioned.
-- Thomas Muller had scored plenty of goals for the club.  He is the 3rd all-time leading scorer.
-- Jurgen Klinsmann only spent two seasons with Bayern Munich, but was highly successful. He scored 31 goals in 65 appearances.

Formation
My team lacked a true left side wide player.