Juventus All-Time Team for Foreign Players

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

Boniek and Platini

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Italy All-Time Team
Juventus All-Time Team
Juventus All-Time Team for Italian Players

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

Juventus has won more Serie A titles than any other Italian clubs, but they are known as the unlucky team at the European Cup/Champions League.  They won two European Cup/Champions' league titles.  They also have the misfortune of losing in the Final 6 times.  And their very first title came in 1985, a team consisted of Michel Platini and the backbone of the 1982 Italian World Cup winning team.  A decade later, they won their second title in 1996.

Trezeguet, Davids and Zidane

Team 
GK: Edwin Van Der Sar (Netherlands)
Van Der Sar is the most capped player in Dutch history with 130 caps.  He went to 1994, 1998 and 2006 World Cup and Euro 1996, 2000 and 2004.  He was best remembered for being the Ajax keeper in 1995 that won the Champions' League and then, later for Manchester United for 6 seasons.  He won the Champions' League in 2007-2008. In between, he also played with Fulham and Juventus.

GK: Wojciech Szczesny (Poland)
In 2006, Wojciech Szczęsny joined the Arsenal youth set-up.  He promoted to senior team in 2009.  He found successes with the London club. He joined Juventus in 2017 after a two season loan deal with AS Roma. Following Buffon's departure, he became Juventus' starting goalkeeper. From 2009, he was a member of the Polish national team's pool.  He was a member of the national team at Euro 2012,  2016 and 2020 as well as the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Finals.

Wojciech Szczesny

GK: Fabián Carini (Uruguay)
Fabian Carini played for 3 seasons in Uruguayan club Danubio F.C., before signing with Italian club Juventus in 2001.  In 2004, Carini left Juventus for Internazionale, when he was exchanged for Fabio Cannavaro. From 1999 to 2009, he was capped 74 times for Uruguay. He helped Uruguay to finish 2nd at the 1999 Copa America. He was also their starting goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup Finals.

RW/RB: Juan Guillermo Cuadrado (Colombia)
At the time of writing, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado is considered one of the best right flank players playing in Italy.  He made his name with Fiorentina in Italy.  Since 2010, he had played for Colombia.  He also had an impressive tournament at the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil. He also played for Chelsea, but found more successes when he returned to Italy, playing for Juventus in 2017.  In 2023, he joined Inter Milan.

RB/CB:  Lilian Thuram (France)
Lilian Thuram is France's most capped player. He played in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both Parma and Juventus. He also played for Barcelona FC. With France, Thuram won the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000, and was in the runner-up squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.  He scored two goals vs Croatia in the semifinal of the World Cup in 1998. 

Lilian Thuram 

CB: Jurgen Kohler (Germany) 

Jurgen Kohler was regarded one of the best defenders in the 1990's. He earned 105 caps for West Germany/Germany between 1986 and 1998. He won the World Cup in 1990 and the European Championship in 1996. For his club career, he played with Koln, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. He won the Champions' League in 1997 with Borussia Dortmund. He was named Footballer of the Year in Germany in 1997.

CB: Paolo Montero (Uruguay)
Paolo Montero began his career in Uruguay with Peñarol in 1990, before moving to Italian side Atalanta in 1992. He joined Juventus in 1996, spending 9 seasons there.  He won 4 scudetti titles, but failed to win a Champions League despite playing in 3 Finals.  He also played for San Lorenzo. With La Celeste, he was capped 61 times.  He went to 2002 World Cup Finals in Korea/Japan. His father is former Uruguay international Julio Montero Castillo. 

CB: Julio Cesar (Brazil)
Júlio César began his career in 1979 with Brazilian club Guarani. He moved to Europe in 1986, where he payed for many clubs.  His best spells were with Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. In 1997, he helped Borussia Dortmund to win the Champions' League, beating Juventus in the Final.  He played for Brazil at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and won the Best Central Defender Award, being elected to the team of the tournament, but he also missed his penalty during the shootout loss to France.

Julio Cesar

LB: Patrice Evra (France)
Patrice Evra began his career with Nice and then, Monaco. He played for the Red Devils from 2006 to 2014, where he became one of the best left backs in the world.  He earned 81 caps and was a key player for France since 2008.  He was the captain of the national team.  At South Africa 2010, he led a player revolt against Raymond Domenech. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions, as well as the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year.

CM: Edgar Davids (Netherlands)
Nicknamed "the Pitbull", Edgar Davids was one of the greatest defensive midfielders in the world.  At the club level, he won the European Champions' League with Ajax in 1995, a team considered to be the best ever club side.  He also spent 7 seasons with Juventus in Italy at the height of his career.  He played 74 times for the Dutch national team between 1994 and 2005.  He was an important player at the World Cup Finals in 1998 when Netherlands reached the semi-final. 

DM: Luis Monti (Argentina)
The ruthless central midfielder led Argentina to the World Cup Final in 1930 where they lost to Uruguay.  Four years later, he won the World Cup with Italy. He played 16 times for Argentina and 18 times for Italy. Monti started his career in 1921 with Huracán. The following year he signed with Boca Juniors but left without playing a game. He joined San Lorenzo. In 1930, he joined Juventus in Italy, where he played until 1939.

DM:  Didier Deschamps (France)
Didier Deschamps was only the second player in history to captain his team to lift the three big trophies: the Champions League trophy, the World Cup trophy and the European Championship trophy.  He started his career with Nantes. The prime of his career was spent with Marseille and Juventus, where he won a Champions League for both club.  He earned 103 caps between 1989 and 2000.

CM: Luis del Sol (Spain)
Luis del Sol started with Real Betis in 1953.  In 1960, he joined Real Madrid, winning five major titles with the latter side, and earning several Ballon d'Or nominations.  In the 1962, he signed for Juventus, becoming the club's first ever Spanish player. He made a total of 292 outings in eight seasons.  Del Sol represented Spain at the 1962 and 1966 World Cups and was also part of the championship-winning squad at the 1964 European Nations' Cup. He earned 16 caps between 1960 and 1966.

Luis del Sol 

AM: Michel Platini (France)

Michel Platini is one of the greatest footballers of all time.  He played 72 times for France, He scored 9 of France's 14 goals as they won the European Chamionship in 1984 at home.  It was probably the greatest individual performance in a tournament.  He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1983, 1984 and 1985.  With Juventus, he won the European Cup in 1985, the first ever for the club. He started with Nancy and was a member of the famous team with AS Saint-Etienne.

AM/RM/FW:  Helmut Haller (Germany)

Helmut Haller was one of the best midfielders in the world in the 1960's.  In 1966, he helped West Germany to reach the World Cup Final, forming one of the best midfield of the tournament.  He also went to the 1962 World Cup in Chile and the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico.  He started with Augsburg in 1957.  He was also known for his spells in Italy, playing for Bologna and Juventus. In Juventus, he played between 1973 and 1976.

AM: Zinedine Zidane (France)
Zinedine Zidane was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, and has been described as one of the greatest players in the history of the game.  He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times.  He led France to victory at  the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.  With Real Madrid, he also won the Champions League in 2002, where he scored one of the greatest goals in history at the Final.

Zinedine Zidane

LW: Karl Aage Praest (Denmark) 
Karl Aage Praest attended the Royal Orphanage. The orphanage became the youth team of football club Østerbros Boldklub (ØB) in 1936. He joined Juventus in 1949.  He won a bronze medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics.  His international career was limited to his status as a professional player after he joined Juventus in 1948.  He won the 1949-50 and 1951-52 Serie A championships.  He is a Danish Football Hall of Fame inductee.

LW/AM: Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)

Pavel Nedved was a key player as the Czech Republic finished second at Euro 1996, and reached the semi-final at Euro 2004.  For club football, he is best remembered for playing for Lazio and Juvnetus.  At Lazio, he won the Scudetti in 1999-2000, only the second league title in Lazio's history.  With Juventus, he led the team to the Final of the 2002-2003 Champions' League final, but he sat out ofthe game due to suspension.  He won the European Footballer of the that year.

Pavel Nedved

FW/LW: Raimundo Orsi (Argentina)
Orsi was considered one of the greatest forwards in Argentina's history.  He started his career with Indpendiente in Argentina before lured away to play for Juventus. he won 5 league titles with Juventus.  Later in his career, he would play in Brazil and Chile.  He was capped by Argentina 12 times winning a silver medal at the 1928 Olympics.  He switched to play for Italy in 1929.  He was a star player as Italy won the World Cup in 1934.

ST/LW: John Hansen (Denmark)
Hansen was capped 8 times, scoring 10 goals. He started his career with Copenhagen club BK Frem in the amateur-only Danish league. After winning a bronze medal at the 1948 Olympics, he turned professional and joined Juventus, ending his amateur status and international career.  His international career was only a single year in 1948. He was the top scorer in Serie A for the 1949-1950 season. He joined Lazio in 1954. He was capped 8 times scoring 10 goals.

SS/FW:  Omar Sivori (Argentina)

Omar Sivori is remembered one of the greatest ever player from Argentina. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1961. After Argentina won the Copa America in 1957, he joined Juventus where he enjoyed 8 successful years.  He was credited with the resurgence of the club.  With John Charles and Giampiero Boniperti, he formed "the Magical Trio" with the club.  In Argentina, he played for River Plate. He represented Argentina 19 times between 1956 and 1957.  kater, he played 9 times for Italy.

Omar Sivori 

FW/RW/LW: Zbigniew Boniek (Poland)

Zbigniew Boniek is one of the greatest Polish players in the history of the game.  He earned 80 caps with 24 goals.  He played at three consecutive World Cups. After the World Cup Finals in 1982, he moved to Italy and played for Juventus, where he won the Champions' League in 1985. Boniek also for Polish clubs Zawisza Bydgoszcz and later at Widzew Łódź, and AS Roma. 

CB/ST: John Charles (Wales)
John Charles was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back.  In England, he played for Leeds United, Cardiff City and Hereford United.  However, the best part of career was with Juventus. He played in Turin for five years, scoring 93 goals in 155 matches, winning the scudetto (Italian league championship) three times, and the Italian Cup twice. He was 3rd in the Ballon d'Or (Golden Ball) in 1959. He was never booked in his entire career.

John Charles 

ST: Ferenc Hirzer (Hungary)

Ferenc Hirzer began his career in 1913 with Törekvés SE.  He moved to the Czech Republic to play for Makkabi Brno and to Germany to play for Union 03. Altona. For the 1925–26 season, he moved to Juventus, winning the first league title in 20 years. He scored 35 goals in 26 games. From1922 to 1932, he played 32 times for Hungary.  He went to the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He also represented Hungary in the 1927-30 Central European International Cup, where he became top scorer 

ST: David Trezeguet (France)

David Trezeguet started his career in Argentina with Platense, but was snapped up by AS Monaco after a few games.  At Monaco, he was known for his partnership with Thierry Henry.  In 2000, he joined Juventus, where he stayed until 2010.  For the national team, he was selected to play in the 1998 World Cup Finals.  He was a key player throughout his career with France, earning 71 caps.  He won the World Cup in 1998 and then, the European Championship in 2000.

David Trezeguet 

Honorable Mention 

Igor Tudor (Croatia), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands), Danilo (Brazil), Dani Alves (Brazil), Stefan Reuter (Germany), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Switzerland), Alex Sancho (Brazil), Douglas Costa (Brazil), Vladimir Jugović (Yugoslavia), Michael Laudrup (Denmark), Thomas Hassler (Germany), Andreas Moller (Germany), Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana), Patrick Vieira (France), Massimo Bonini (San Marino), Igor Tudor (Croatia), Paul Pogba (France), Arturo Vidal (Chile), Jose Altafini (Brazil), Paulo Sousa (Portugal), Adrien Rabiot (France), Miralem Pjanić (Bosnia and Herzegovina),  Cristano Ronaldo (Portugal), Paulo Dybala (Argentina), Carlos Tevez (Argentina),  Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden), Mario Mandžukić (Croatia), Gonzalo Higuaín (Argentina).

Squad Explanation

-- The original team was created in May, 2019.  I redid it on April, 2024.
-- Luis Monti, John Charles, Omar Sivori, Edgar Davids, Pavel Nedved, Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps made my All-Time Juventus team.  They were my based players.

-- In 1985, Juventus won their first European Cup with three foreigners (Zbigniew Boniek, Michel Platini and Massimo Bonini).  Massimo Bonini only made honourable mention.

-- In 1996, they won their second European Cup (Champions' League).  Only Didier Deschamps made this team, but Edwin Van de sar and Edgar Davids played for their opponent Ajax on that final.

-- In the 1993 UEFA Cup Final, Júlio César, Andreas Moller, and Jürgen Kohler were instrumental in securing Juventus' victory. They triumphed over Borussia Dortmund in the final match. However, the tables turned in 1997 when Andreas Moller and Jürgen Kohler, now playing for Borussia Dortmund, helped their team claim the Champions' League title by defeating Juventus in the final. Unfortunately, Júlio César, who had also joined Borussia Dortmund, was unable to participate in the final due to an injury. Notably, two other former Juventus players, Paulo Sousa (Portugal) and Stefan Reuter (Germany), also contributed to Borussia Dortmund's success in the final.  Reuter played in the 1993 Final for Borussia Dortmund.

-- At the time of writing, Omar Sívori and Luis Monti are the only foreign players who captained the side.  Both also played for Italy.

-- Raimundo Orsi, Omar Sivori and Luis Monti played for Italy, but they would have been cap-tied to Argentina in the modern world. Mauro Camoranesi never played for Argentina.  He is considered to be "Italian".  I did not consider him to be a foreign player.  Jose Altafini made honorable mention as a "Brazilian".

-- According to transfermarkt, Juventus has seen a significant presence of Brazilian players throughout its history, with a total of 30 individuals from Brazil having donned the club's jersey. The Brazilian contingent stands as the largest nationality within the ranks. However, Julio Cesar is the only Brazilian on this team.

-- The French contingent holds the distinction of being the largest group within this All-Time team, boasting an impressive group including David Trezeguet, Patrice Evra, Lilian Thuram, Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane, and Michel Platini. 

-- Juventus had three Danish greats in its history.  I did not make the connection until I started this post. Michael Laudrup only made honorable mention because of Zidane and Platini who were also attack midfielders.   Both Karl Aage Praest and John Hansen made the team. John Hansen is the third highest goal scorer among foreigners for the club.

John Hansen

-- As of 2024, only five Dutchmen has ever played for Juventus.  Three of them were selected for this team.  Poland has two players on this teram with only three ever donned this jersey.

Goalkeepers

-- Juventus did not have many non-Italian goalkeepers.  In 2019, Edwin van der sar was the obvious choice.  By 2024, Wojciech Szczesny emerged as Juventus' greatest foreign goalkeeper.  He has spent 7 seasons with Juventus.  By comparison, Van de Sar only spent two seasons, and he was replaced by Gianluigi Buffon as the starter in his second year.

-- Fabián Carini was once projected to start ahead of Van der sar, but unfortunately, his career with Juventus was derailed by the presence of Gianluigi Buffon. He did not play much. At the time of writing, Neto is enjoying his career with Valencia. He was my other choices. In the end, I took Carini who had a stronger international career than the others. He had 74 caps for Uruguay.

Defenders

-- The task of choosing the centreback position proved to be relatively straightforward. Paolo Montero, Jurgen Kohler and Julio Cesar all solidified their positions within the club. Montero dedicated nine seasons to the team, securing four Serie A titles along the way.  Kohler was named Serie A Foreign Player of the Year,

Paolo Montero

-- There were only 25 spaces. To save a spot for other position, I only carried three central defenders and use Lilian Thuram or John Charles as the emergency fourth back. At the end of his Juventus career, Thuram partnered Fabio Cannavaro in the center. Charles was as good of a centreback as a forward. So the position would be well-covered. Igor Tudor and Matthijs de Ligt were two of the more notable foreign central defenders on the team. They made honorable mentions.

-- Lilian Thuram is widely regarded as Juventus's most exceptional rightback in history. Then, I made the decision to select Juan Guillermo Cuadrado over Danilo and Stephan Lichtsteiner for that second rightback. Danilo, who served as a Juventus player for over 200 games, not only demonstrated his longevity but also earned the honor of becoming the team's captain. Stephan Lichtsteiner dedicated seven years to the club, contributing significantly during his tenure. Despite their contributions, Cuadrado outshone them both, establishing himself as a highly accomplished player at Juventus. He holds the fourth-highest appearance record for a foreign player in Juventus' history. In contrast, Danilo Alves and Stefan Reuter had relatively brief stints with the team, playing for only one season each. Additionally, Jonathan Zebina did not secure a regular starting position during his time at the club.

--Although Patrice Evra did not showcase his prime form during his time at the club, it is worth noting that Evra did reach the final of the Champions League with the team. When considering alternatives, the only viable option that comes to mind is Alex Sancho. As of now, Alex Sancho is just one match away from matching Pavel Nedved's all-time appearance record for a foreign player at the club. On the other hand, Robert Jarni's presence was limited to a single season. In the absence of a strong candidate for the backup right back position, Paolo Montero would serve as the backup leftback. I also considered selecting Douglas Costa who could play both sides of the fullback position, but I saved a spot for other players from different position.

Midfielders

-- Luis Monti helped Juventus to four consecutive Serie A titles (1932 to 1935), also serving as the club's captain.  Didier Deschamps played a pivotal role in Juventus' winning 3 Serie A championships and the prestigious Champions League in the 1995-1996 season, serving as their captain. While Edgar Davids may have won fewer significant trophies during his tenure in Turin compared to Deschamps, his impact on the team could be considered more substantial. Over the course of his impressive 7 seasons with the club (in contrast to Deschamps' 5 seasons), Davids epitomized the role of an engine on the field. While Deschamps' leadership style deserves utmost respect, Davids' presence and performance on the field were instrumental to the team's success. 

Luis Monti

-- Michel Platini was Juventus' best player as they won their first ever European Cup in 1985.  Zidane played 4 seasons and took the team to two Champions' league finals. Both Zidane and Platini also won many individual awards while playing for the club.  I also selected Helmut Haller who helped Juventuis to reach the European Cup Final in 1973.

-- Michael laudrup was a young player when he played for Juventus. He failed to live up the expectations of replacing Michel Platini. Instead, I chose Luis del Sol who was more of a box-to-box midfielder. He is the fifth–most appearances among non–Italian Juventus players.

-- Sami Khedira (Germany),Vladimir Jugović (Yugoslavia), Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana), Massimo Bonini (San Marino), Paul Pogba (France), Arturo Vidal (Chile), Adrien Rabiot (France), Miralem Pjanić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Patrick Vieira (France). Massimo Bonini played for San Marino and is considered a non-Italian.

-- Kurt Hamrin only played briefly here before he became a big star in Serie A.  He departed due to Juventus' acquisition of John Charles in 1957, and the club had an excess of foreign players at the time, given the existing restrictions on foreign player quotas during that period.  He only played one season here, but he earned respects here, particularly by chairman Umberto Agnelli who in 1984 selected him in one of his all-time Juventus Best XI as his right winger.  Nevertheless, I could not select him because his stint was too brief here.  Forward Zbigniew Boniek who could operate on both sides of the wing would be the main threat from the right.  He was well-decorated in his three seasons here.  He was perhaps best remembered for earning the penalty that won the 1985 European Cup, and for scoring the winning in the 1984 Cup Winners' Cup in 1984.  Helmut Haller also played as a right midfielder in his career, and the team also included Juan Guillermo Cuadrado.

-- The left attackers at Juventus were truly exceptional. Karl Aage Præst formed a formidable partnership with fellow Danes John Hansen and Karl Aage Hansen. Præst's remarkable dribbling skills and precise crossing played a crucial role in helping John Hansen secure the top goal-scorer title for the 1951-52 season. While Hansen primarily operated as a striker, he also displayed versatility playing on the left flank. In the realm of legendary players, Pavel Nedved stands out prominently. His time at Juventus was marked by extraordinary achievements, including winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. And, of course, we cannot overlook the iconic Raimundo Orsi, whose contributions have left an indelible mark in the club's history.

Forwards

-- Omar Sivori, John Charles and Giampiero Boniperti formed "the Magical Trio" with the club.  John Charles was voted as Juventus' greatest foreign player.  Sivori won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1961. John Charles played as a forward here. During his time at Juventus, Charles became a fan favorite and formed a formidable partnership with Omar Sivori. He was instrumental in helping Juventus win three Serie A titles in 1958, 1960, and 1961. Charles' performances earned him the nickname "Il Gigante Buono" (The Gentle Giant) due to his physical presence on the field combined with his fair play and humility off the pitch. He was voted as Juventus' greatest foreign player.  In the 1959 Ballon d'Or rankings, Charles secured a commendable third place, trailing behind Alfredo di Stefano and Raymond Kopa. During the 1959/60 season, both Charles and Sivori combined their efforts to score an impressive total of 50 Serie A goals. Meanwhile, as a cohesive unit, Juventus netted a remarkable 92 goals in 34 games. 

-- Juventus won the 1949–50 Serie A championship with John Hansen scoring 28 goals in 37 games.  He spent six seasons at Juventus where he scored 124 goals in 187 games in the Serie A. I reunited him with Karl Aage Præst.

-- David Trezeguet is among Juventus' appearance leaders for foreign players.  He is the first all-time leading scorer for foreigners, 4th overall.  He was also Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year in 2002.

-- Ferenc Hirzer had scored a total of 50 goals in 43 games for Juventus during his time with them.  He scored 35 goals in 26 games in a single season for Juventus.  In total, he scored 49 goals in games (1.11 goal per game). I admitted that I never heard of him before I started this research.  I selected him because he belonged to an era forgotten by the modern fans.

Ferenc Hirzer

-- Cristano Ronaldo actually scored 101 goals in 131 games, but his goal per game ratio was 0.75, which was the highest for players who scored over 100 goals for the club. But it was not enough to make the team. Other big names missing out included Paulo Dybala, Carlos Tevez, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Mario Mandžukić, Gonzalo Higuaín and José Altafini.

Formation