With Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi set to sign a new deal in the summer which will see him playing Serie A football next year at the age of 38, Forza Italian Football takes a look at the Top Ten veterans of Serie A, still going strong.
10. Gianluigi Buffon
Gigi Buffon is hardly an old man by any stretch and considering he is a goalkeeper he will have many years at the top level ahead of him yet but he is however, at 33, a veteran of the Italian game. In his 16 years in the game since making his outstanding debut as a 17 year-old against Milan for Parma, Buffon has gone on to become a winner of multiple Sucdetti, the UEFA Cup, a World Cup and was widely considered at one time to be the greatest goalkeeper in the world. The Italian number one was also the winner of the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award on no less than eight occasions, no mean feat. He has not featured as much as he would have liked due to injuries but he is still one of the most respected shot stoppers out there.
9. Clarence Seedorf
One of Milan’s standout performers this season, Clarence Seedorf is still at the heartbeat of the Milan midfield at 35 years of age and shows no sign of letting up. Ridiculed by sections of the curva at the start of this season for being overweight and putting in some below-par performances, the Dutchman has bounced back in style with some top class displays domestically and in Europe. He has featured 30 times for the Rossoneri in all compeitions and has been a vital part of their securing the Scudetto with some important goals at crucial times such as his strike in Florence which helped Milan on their way to a 2-1 win. Expect more of the same next season.
8. Erjon Bogdani
At 34 years old and involved in a relegation scrap with Cesena, Erjon Bogdani could have been forgiven for taking it easy and seeing out his playing his days in comfort in the north of Italy but the Albanian has had other ideas. The ex-Siena and Chievo striker had an immediate impact at the Dino Manuzzi by putting in a man of the match performance as he scored once and set up another on his home debut as the unfancied strugglers eased past Milan with a 2-0 win. Since then he has gone on to hit goals in big games and at big moments (his last gasp equaliser against Lecce in January could yet prove to be a priceless goal) including the winner against Bari last month which has given unfancied Cesena a big chance at securing survival and it would be fair to say that without the goals of Bogdani, they could have been deep in the dogfight.
7. Filippo Inzaghi
Injury may have blighted his campaign in November to rule him out for the rest of the season but ‘SuperPippo’ is still an absolutely deadly marksman in front of goal and should he be awarded a new deal, he will be very hungry next season to show that he can still score goals with the best in Serie A. One of the deadliest finishers that Italy has ever produced and an infuriating goal poacher, if a defender loses sight of Inazghi once in the area the ball usually ends up in the back of the net. Despite having been relegated to a supporting role often coming from off the bench in recent years, the striker has not lost his killer instinct in front of goal as his brace against Real Madrid this season shows.
6. Hernan Crespo
Crespo may be approaching the ‘twilight’ years of his career at 35 years old but as his fellow professionals Bogdani and Inzaghi have shown, that goalscoring touch never leaves a striker and it certainly hasn’t left the Argentine this season as he has already hit nine goals this year for the Ducali. After returning to the club that he left in 2000 for £35million, Crespo has reminded fans at the Ennio Tardini just why he was such a big favourite with them. His side sit comfortably above the relegation zone and although their safety is not mathematically secure yet, it is very unlikely that the striker will be wowing Serie B crowds next season.
5. Francesco Totti
There is not much that can be said about this man that has not been said before at this stage of his career. Having broken into the Roma side in 1992 as a talented cheeky teenager, Totti’s career is now nearing the opposite end of the spectrum as he captains the side he loves at the age of 34. However, the striker has still managed to hit an excellent 14 goals in what can only be desribed as a turbulent season at the Olimpico. Despite the departure of Ranieri, the arrival of Montella and the takeover of the club, Totti has remained strong throughout and continued to do what he does best. Last weekend he hit a double to sink Bari and boost Roma’s Champions League hopes and stated immediately afterwards that he feels he still has a few years left at the top.
4. Marco Di Vaio
The Bologna striker just seems to improve with each passing season in Serie A and has continued once more this year, as he has so often done before, to score the vital goals to help Bologna in their bid for survivial. It shows just how well he has played this season that despite the fact that he has not scored for a month, he is still only one goal short of reaching 20 for the season. Quite outstanding form from the Italian striker who has also played in Spain and France rather successfully and he has become an idol to the fans at the Stadio Dall’Ara. The Rossoblu look set to hold on to their start striker too as Di Vaio does not seem to keen on another move at this stage of his career and he is certainly held in high regard by everyone connected with the Rossoblu.
3. Antonio Di Natale
There must be something about Italy that allows these top class strikers to continue to play on past their prime and well into their thirties whilst still scoring for fun in the country’s top league and Antonio Di Natale is no different. Having hit an absolutely astonishing 28 goals in just 34 Serie A games this season, Di Natale is well on course to secure the capocannoniere crown for finishing the country’s top scorer for the second year running. Having had many spells with lower league clubs while at Empoli before joining Udinese, the striker has certainly grabbed the chance with both hands and refuses to let go. A major fan favourite at the Friuli and club captain, it seems that fans in Udine may have the pleasure of watching Toto until the day he retires as it is unlikely he will want to leave a club where he is so loved.
2. Javier Zanetti
At number two is Inter’s evergreen Argentinean full back and club legend Javier Zanetti. He has already featured in almost every game for the club this season and while the captain may not be lifting a famous treble as he did last year, it has still been an impressive year for the irrepressible Argentine. Signed 16 years ago from Banfield, few could have imagined the impact the 37 year-old would have at the club. Still bombarding his way up the wing at every opportunity and always reliable at the back, even at his age Zanetti always has the uncanny ability of seeming like he is everywhere on the pitch. Despite things not going so well at the club this season with sacked managers, embarrasing European exits and talk of infighting, like Totti at Roma he has been a standout professional throughout the turmoil and is still one of Europe’s finest defenders.
1. Alessandro Del Piero
The simply inspirational Alessandro Del Piero is without doubt one of the classiest and best players Italy has ever produced and it says it all about his commitment and dedication that he is still scoring goals and tormenting defenders in the country a full two decades after making his senior debut. The Juventus striker has already secured legendary status in Turin after hitting over 200 goals for the club, winning them (and himself) countless trophies and awards and also choosing to stay with the Bianconeri when they were relegated as a result of calciopoli when he could easily have left and joined a top class team elsewhere. However, the 36 year-old chose to stay at the club and there he remains today where he continues to score for fun. Many thought he was past his best and not cut out for the top flight anymore when Juve returned from Serie B but he has gone on to prove his doubters wrong every week and remains one of the greatest talents in Italian football.
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I think Zanetti should be at the top 1000 game is about to be played and is still amazing week in week out
You could probably be right Dov. It could have went either way I just plumped for Del Piero because of how long he has been a ‘veteran’ of Italian football, starting in 1991 but it is such a close call between those two. Could potentially have went either way and should probably share top spot.
fair call… both have been good. what do the rest of you think?
It’s very hard to say, I mean both are legends at their clubs, adored by their fans, respected by opponents, experienced and amazingly talented veterans, countless awards won in their career, examples on and off the field. It’s extremely hard to choose who would deserve top spot between the two.
I could never choose between these…Del Piero and Zanetti are just astonishingly good still.
As said by Padraig, Del Piero stuck with Juve even during relegation, set Serie B on fire and returned to the top flight with the fire still burning in his belly. That is amazing dedication and loyalty, precisely why I wouldn’t mind him edging Zanetti to the top in the list.
I would have put Zanetti ahead of Del Piero just off the fact that Zanetti is still playing to his high standards whereas Del is not at the standards he once used to reach although he does pull it out from time to time. I would even have Totti ahead of Del personally.
Bogdani? Really? Ahead of the leader of the Flying Donkeys Sergio Pellissier? My heart aches lol
To be fair if big Serge was in the list he would have to go straight in at Number 1. So maybe he was left out on purpose 🙂
What about Nesta?
Surely if this is only for Serie A Veterans (and not taking into accoutn Champions LEague) then Totti should be further up that list. He has captained Roma longer than Del Piero or Zanetti have captained Inter/Juventus. He also has at least 21 more goals than anyone else on that list and is well on his way to possibly finish as the second all-time top goalscorer in the history of Italian football. Why are Di Natale and Di Viao ahead of him?
Nesta… yeah, wheres nesta??
del is d best. Twice whoever is on d list. Del del del all d way.
@Romanista89, just to answer your question I am a massive Totti fan and I do believe Totti is a better player than Di Vaio and Di Natale. The only reason they are ahead is solely because of their age and their consistent scoring. Hope that clears it up.
As for Nesta, I just couldnt fit everyone in 🙁 And didnt want to seem too biased by including too many Milan players.