Redcafe's All-Time Top 20. Ball-playing central defenders | Results

26. Maxime Bossis. 21 points

Maxime Bossis never left France, but he had achieved universal recognition anyway for his performances for the French national team. He was a complete defender — agile, strong, very quick and technical, which made him adaptable to any defensive task that the manager gave him. In the 1984 Euros, with Amoros missing most of the tournament due to suspension, he became the fulcrum of the eventual champions, organising the defence and making piercing runs with the ball to further confuse the opponents (like carre magique wasn't enough). His nickname "The Giraffe" is quite cool and original as well.

25. José Santamaría. 22 points



It's hard to find a defender that polarises caf's opinion more than José Santamaría. The Sergio Ramos of the 50's, he had won 17 major titles with Nacional and Real Madrid, including 4 European Cups... but he had also made quite a lot of high-profile mistakes. The 50's was probably the worst ever decade for defensive players — they were often outnumbered and put in a losing position before the game had even started, and an uber-attacking style of the star-studded Real Madrid side certainly didn't help. Anyway, Santamaría was an undisputed leader at the back, often single-handedly bailing his team out of unfavourable situations. The only thing is — I'd hardly call him a ball-playing defender, and I would expect to see him in the stoppers list as well (probably significantly higher than 25th place).

24. Sergio Ramos. 29 points



Sergio Ramos is a true heir to Santamaría — he is another player that has one too many memorable mistakes to be considered an absolutely top defender like Baresi or Maldini... but at some point you've got to give in and accept that he is doing something right. You don't win everything — and I mean literally every fecking trophy available, by a coincidence; most as a captain no less. He combines aggressiveness and physicality of a true stopper with outstanding ball-playing skills, and his recovery pace allows Madrid to play with an almost suicidally high line. Sure, that backfires from time to time, and he has some records to prove that — Ramos is the most carded player in all major European leagues history (173), he was sent off more times than anyone else in La Liga's history (19), with 37 yellows and 3 reds he is the most carded player in the history of CL and, obviously, he holds the record for being the most carded player in the history of the Spanish national team. How about that!

23. Ricardo Carvalho. 37 points



An ice to Terry's fire and truly one of the outstanding defenders of the current century. Classy center back was one of the leaders of Mourinho's Porto, that took Europe by storm, and formed a water-tight defensive unit next to John Terry that conceded only 15 league goals in their first season together (the number still amazes me). He became one of the go-to guys for Mourinho, who even invited an ageing defender to Real Madrid in 2010 — to bring calmness and solidness to their shaky defence.

22. Morten Olsen. 38 points



Morten Olsen. Arguably the last truly great libero, a man who could change an attack with a couple of urgent strides. He moved back from midfield at the age of 32, after a shin operation that threatened to end his career, on the recommendation of his Anderlecht manager, Tomislav Ivic. Olsen, one of nature's gentlemen, had an absurd range of skills for a sweeper. He dealt in dragbacks, backheels and stepovers at a time when few forwards had such tricks, but his most lethal weapon was the surge at the heart of a defence, fuelled by that devastating change of pace which would draw players towards him and open up all sorts of space elsewhere. If Franz Beckenbauer didn't touch the sides, so smooth was his work, then Olsen went through teams like a clumsy surgeon – all short stabs in front of his body, almost Sensible Soccer touches, to keep the ball moving but always under control. This is best exemplified by his frankly orgiastic creation of the opening goal against West Germany at Mexico 86. As the BBC's Barry Davies said so imperiously: "Slow, slow, quick, quick, Olsen! Yes, penalty!"

(This text is shamelessly stolen from the incredible Danish Dynamite book).

21. Paul McGrath. 43 points



Paul McGrath is considered a true legend of Irish football. So much so, that when Nelson Mandela came to Ireland, he was famously greeted by the crowd with the slightly adapted version of the football chant — "Ooh! Ahh! Paul McGrath’s da!". Journalist Philip Quinn once remarked that, "Paul McGrath played football as though he was wearing a silk smoking jacket with a crystal glass in his hand", and there are hardly a better way to describe him. Rolls-Royce of a defender.

Physiocrat said:

@harms I get a video unavailable for the Olsen video? Do you get the same or is it just me?

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Swarm said:

Same here

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This one was from an article, I guess the link isn't live anymore.

20. Albert Shesternyov. 60 points



If you were tasked with creating a perfect defender, Shesternyov's body would be a good start. He was almost unbeatable in the air and ran 100 meters under 11 seconds (he even won a few youth sprinting competitions); his parents wanted him to have a career in decathlon, but he chose football. His nickname was "Ivan the Terrible", despite the fact that he was actually a very accurate and clean defender. But strikers were terrified of him.

In 1970 he was chosen Soviet Footballer of the Year, and earned 90 caps. With Soviet Union he had reached the final of 1964 Euros, semi-final of 1968 and finished 3rd in 1966 World Cup. The 1968 tournament was the darkest moment for Shesternyov. For his performances he was chosen as a part of the Team of the Tournament, but he had lost Soviet Union a place in the final by being too cautious off the field. It was an unique tournament — instead of an extra-time, replays and penalties, in case of a draw UEFA suggested... a coin toss. As a Soviet captain, Shesternyov had a choice of a coin's side, but he hesitated for a moment, while Facchetti took a chance, picked tails and won.

19. Willi Schulz. 74 points



Willi Schulz was one of the best defenders of the 60's. It was his presence that urged Helmut Shön to move no other than Franz Beckenbauer to midfield from his preferred center back position at the 1966 World Cup. It was at the same World Cup that his legendary nickname "World Cup-Willi" was born. This was actually the name of the English World Cup mascot, but the Germans had their own Willi. You do not do that for someone you do not like, and Willi Schulz had a cult following in his home country. Since he enjoyed great popularity, the fans often called his first name when he lunged forward with long strides.

He was more like an old-fashioned defensive sweeper rather than a libero, but he was very good with the ball. From what I've seen, he was more attacking in his games for Hamburger SV, which is understandable, since they didn't have such vast array of midfield talent as the national team. Sadly, he missed out of the golden seventies, retiring at 1973 without an international trophy (since he wasn't picked for the Euros a year earlier). For his farewell game featured the likes of Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Bobby Moore and Gerd Müller — a worthy farewell for an outstanding player.

18. Alan Hansen. 75 points



Before becoming a cult figure in Manchester United folklore due to his spot-on predictions, Alan Hansen had a decent career at Liverpool. Okay, jokes aside, he was amazing — and to his day he remains probably the best center back in Liverpool's history (although he finally got a worthy competitor) and the crucial figure for their dominance of the 70's and 80's. He wasn't a true libero, but he was known for his good distribution skills and adventurous runs forward — certainly more so than your average 80's British center back. Surprisingly, he was rarely picked for Scotland due to the proven nature of Miller/McLeish partnership & general preference of home based players; he had earned only 26 caps and featured at 1 international tournament — the 1982 World Cup. Scotland had quite a few players that, at least in hindsight, were unfairly overlooked by the national team.

17. Armando Picchi. 80 points



Often called the first libero, Armando Picchi captained Herrera's La Grande Inter and performed as the last defender in the (in)famous catenaccio system. Although I should definitely note that his role was not that of an expansive Scirea/Beckenbauer libero of the 70's and 80's, but of an old-fashioned sweeper that stayed behind the defensive line. Picchi, like Scirea, was not a physically imposing figure on the pitch, but his ability to read the game and sense the danger before it had become apparent ensured that his five foot seven inch frame was rarely needed for bruising football. His body was merely the conduit which carried the footballing brain into the correct position to snuff out the threat of his opponent. Picchi was seen as an extension of the manager, directing his teammates around the pitch, issuing instructions and orchestrating the play on his terms. Such was his influence, that the fabled Italian football journalist, Gianni Brera, commented: “Picchi was a defensive director … his passes were never random and his vision was superb.”

During a game sometime around the mid-1960s, Herrera was trying to get instructions out to his players. Frustrated at the lack of attention being paid to him, he called a player over to the sideline and gave him the instructions to pass to Picchi. After a short while, Herrera asked the player, “What did Picchi say?” The player replied, almost apologetically: “Up yours and up yours to Herrera as well.” Inter went on to win the game.

16. Fernando Hierro. 97 points



Such a beautiful player to watch. He combined a physically imposing and intimidating defensive presence with a near-unlimited passing range and surprising goalscoring talent (even though during his most prolific seasons he was mainly used in midfield). His only weakness was that he was a little slow, but most of the time it was well-compensated with his outstanding positional sense. Despite the fact that, unlike Ramos, Piqué & Puyol, he hadn't won anything with his country, he's widely considered to be one of, if not the best defender that Spain have ever had.

15. Hector Chumpitaz. 99 points



The fact that he even made it as professional center back is a testament to his quality. It is rare that you see great center backs who aren't tall, some notable examples would be Franco Baresi (176 cm.), Fabio Cannavaro (175 cm.) and Daniel Passarella (173 cm.). Héctor Chumpitaz stands out even in this list — the Peruvian was... 168 cm. tall, and yet he had proved himself to be one of the best defensive talents that South America ever produced. He had compensated for his relatively unimpressive aerial presence with his agility, positioning and sharp and well-timed tackles; his long distance passing was exceptional and he scored a reasonable amount of goals (mostly from free kicks and penalties).

In 1973 he was chosen to be the captain of the America's combined side that had to face the best that Europe could field at the moment — a team with Cruyff, Eusebio and Facchetti. The game ended 4:4 (America won on penalties), with Chumpitaz scoring one of the goals. Since then he was known simply as the "Capitán de América" (suck it Steve Rogers).

14. Velibor Vasović. 102 points



At some point in the 60's, already having a team with Piet Keizer, Sjaak Swart and the emerging Johan Cruyff, Michels understood that the problem wasn't with tactics or talent, it was with mentality. He needed a leader, someone to bring arrogance and self-assurance — as well as someone who understood the idea of totaalvoetbal. Vasović was not very subtle in the assessment of his influence: "When I came, I preferred to play a kind of total football. I played the last man in defence, the libero. Michels made this plan to play very offensive football. We discussed it. I was the architect, together with Michels, of the aggressive way of defending. I did small things, like make an offisde or stand in the wall to make a gap for goals". First, he led Ajax to the 1969 European Cup final... Vasović scored, but AC Milan scored 4. It was an unpleasant deja-vu for the defender — 3 years earlier he had lost another European Cup final, scoring the only goal for his team, when Partizan Belgrade had lost to Real Madrid. But there was a happy ending to this story — as he had finally won it in 1971. For Vasović, it would be the only European Cup title, for Ajax — the first of many, as they'll proceed to win 2 more in the next 2 years without him. But without him, they probably wouldn't even be there in the first place.

13. Marius Trésor. 105 points



Trésor had spent his whole career in France and, sadly, finished his international career in 1983 — a year before France finally won their first major international trophy. He played as a striker before Alberto Muro found a new role for him and put him in the heart of Ajaccio's defence; a move that would later prove to be a genius one. In 1999 France Football decided to choose the greatest player in France's history — Trésor came 6th behind Platini, Zidane, Kopa, Blanc and Fontaine.

In the (in)famous 1982 World Cup semi-final against West Germany, Trésor scored a great goal past Schumacher, but ultimately, it wasn't enough, as they were denied a place in the final on penalties. "I just wanted to show defenders can score nice goals too," he smiles. "Horst Hrubesch was marking me. He was bigger than me and I knew I wouldn't be able to beat him in the air. So I decided to sprint over to the far post and then run back to the middle of the box. And as he was heavier than me he couldn't keep up (laughs)."

12. Laurent Blanc. 149 points



Like I've only mentioned, when France Football conducted a vote on who is the best French footballer in history, Laurent Blanc finished 4. Not bad for a defender! In front of him were 3 enigmas that personified the best eras of French football — Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Raymond Kopa. I would say that Blanc was lucky in terms of his club career, despite almost always performing admirably; somehow he managed to get to those clubs at the wrong time — all three of Blanc's "big" clubs, Barcelona, Manchester United and Inter Milan, significantly underperformed at the time. But for France he was something else entirely — from the very beginning, when he was chosen the best player of the U-21 Euros, and until the very glorious end, that included Euro and World Cup wins (wins that were heavily dependent on the defensive unit).

11. Ronald Koeman. 192 points



Ronald Koeman is, quite possibly, the most unique defender of all-time. Well, as Cruyff said it, he basically didn't know how to defend in the classical sense of the word — he was slow, not agile and a liability one-on-one when he faced a good dribbler. It sounds absurd that such a player should be anywhere near an all-time top list... until you sit and watch some games with him. He was the epitome of Cruyff's ideas that the best defence is the proactive use of the ball and space. His passing from the center back position is pretty much unrivalled and he was intercepting the danger before the forward was able to make a run with the ball to expose his weaknesses. And then there was his goalscoring!

Koeman was a key player in Netherlands only successful international campaign — with him and Rijkaard at the back Dutch won the 1988 Euros. He had won 8 league titles in Spain and Netherlands and won 2 European Cups with different clubs — not only with Barca, but also with PSV (hardly a European heavy-hitter). He also scored more than 200 goals (a record or a defender), became CL top-scorer once and twice was voted Dutch player of the year.

10. Rio Ferdinand. 209 points



Astonishingly good defender that made everything look so easy. He's had multiple spells of going for months without conceding a foul (246 days/23 games in 2010 and 28 games in 2014), and it was not because he just let everyone past him Probably the best defender in Manchester United history, he had led us to 6 Premier League titles and 3 CL finals (fecking Barcelona). Ronaldo and Rooney usually get most of the plaudits, but it was our spectacular defence that was at the foundation of our team — van der Sar, Rio, Vidić and Evra

9. Ruud Krol. 261 points



Legendary Dutchman was equally comfortable playing as a sweeper and as a left back, and I'm sure that we'll see him in another list as well. With Netherlands he reached 2 World Cup finals in a row — in 1974 he was an expansive fullback, in 1978 he was a sweeper and a captain, after Cruyff had retired; both times he was picked in the Team of the Tournament (and once in the Euros as well). Late 70's were his peak in terms of the individual accolades, in the respective Ballon d'Or list he was 6th in 1978 and 3rd in 1979. He achieved reasonable success in Italy when he moved from Ajax — and was awarded a Guerin d'Oro, an annual prize for the best footballer in Serie A according to Guerin Sportivo ratings.

8. Matthias Sammer. 283 points



Sammer spent a huge part of his career as a very prolific central midfielder before Ottmar Hitzfeld moved him to the libero position in 1993/94 season. The move proved to be ingenious — Borussia Dortmund won 2 league titles and a CL in the space of 4 years & reinvented Matthias Sammer led Germany to the European Championship success. He was voted as the best player of that Euros and subsequently received a Ballon d'Or next January. But the glorious dream ended abruptly — just a few months after winning the Champions League he suffered a serious injury that forced him to end his career at the mere age of 31.

7. Alessandro Nesta. 321 points



I think it's fair to say that Nesta is probably the standout center back of the XXI century. By the cruel joke of fate it was not Nesta, but Cannavaro (who was always overshadowed by Alessandro) that brought Italy its 4th World Cup title — Nesta got injured in the final game and hadn't recovered in time to participate in the rest of their glorious journey. Nesta combined physicality and athleticism of a pure stopper with elegance, guile and ball-playing skills of an archetypal libero, even though he rarely made attacking runs forward.

Personally, I'll never forget the game when Lionel Messi, at his absolute physical peak, got stopped by 35-year-old Nesta time and again. At some point Messi, lying on the ground after Nesta's inch-perfect tackle in the penalty box, started hitting the ground in frustration — he couldn't understand how he couldn't beat him one-on-one again and again. Messi, of course, adapted and managed to score in the 2nd leg and than score a brace against Nesta's AC Milan in the quarters... but that night, that moment, was purely magical.

6. Daniel Passarella. 330 points



Just a few points ahead of Nesta, there's a legendary Argentinian libero Daniel Passarella. Passarella – El Gran Capitán – personified Argentine football in the late 1970s and early 80s. An intimidating leader in the mould of Antonio Rattín, his goalscoring record of 134 goals in 451 games as a defender is only bettered by Ronald Koeman at the highest level. The five foot eight inch central defender was a consummate penalty taker and described by Maradona as the best header of the ball he had seen. His regimented style brought success to club and country yet a win at all costs mentality didn’t necessarily endear him to football fans around the world.

After the disappointing 1982 World Cup, quite impressed by the Italian thuggery shown in the infamous Gentile - Maradona duel, he went to Serie A, where he'd remain for the next 6 years of his career. His time spent in Italy was deemed somewhat of a success despite several controversial incidents, which included kicking a ball boy, headbutting an opposition team’s physio, and rumoured bad blood between the Argentine and the chain-smoking doctor from Brazil.

It's always nice to remember this little story:

Some time in the late 1980s, Internazionale were losing an away match by several goals when in the last minute they were awarded a meaningless penalty. The fearsome Argentine centre-back Daniel Passarella began galloping forward to take it, but before he could get there Alessandro Altobelli, reasoning like any striker that a goal is a goal, stepped up and hit the ball into the net.

A former Inter star who played in that game tells the story that in the changing-room, Passarella threw a fit. "It's always the same!" he screamed. "At 0-0 no-one dares take a penalty, but when it doesn't matter anymore they all do."

Grabbing his genitals, he added: "You are cowards! You have no balls, no cojones."

This went on for some time. Most of the Inter players were used to Passarella and paid no attention, but after a while Altobelli could take no more. Striding up to the Argentine, he asked: "You talking about me?"

Passarella knocked him out with a single punch, stripped, and wandered off to the showers.

A few minutes later Altobelli came to. He stared about him enraged and then, spotting the fruit bowl customary in Italian changing-rooms of the era, grabbed a little knife meant for peeling oranges. In the shower stalls he found a naked Passarella calmly shampooing his hair. "Come on then!" Passarella cooed at his knife-wielding colleague. Altobelli didn't know what to do. He didn't really want to stab his team-mate to death like Norman Bates in Psycho. He would probably have been fined, or even transfer-listed. So he just stood in front of Passarella waving the knife for a while until, to his relief, other players dragged him away and he could pretend this was happening against his will. All the while Passarella continued washing his hair.

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5. Bobby Moore. 368 points



Pelé said he was a friend, an honourable gentleman and the greatest defender he had played against. Franz Beckenbauer went further, calling him the "best defender in the history of the game". Jock Stein said "there should be a law against him. He knows what's happening 20 minutes before everyone else." You've guessed it (or probably already got it, as the picture goes in front of the text) number 5th in our list is the one and only Bobby Moore.

To say the manner of what he did on the field counted for nearly as much as the substance is meaningless, because the manner and the substance were inextricable. His bearing, the aura of imperious authority that almost defied any honest reporter to avoid the word majestic, grew directly out of his profound understanding of the job he had to do and an unshakeable belief that no one anywhere was better at it. His nerve under siege was awe-inspiring.

As he patrolled his extensive area of influence, straight-backed, handsome, head up and eyes sweeping the field like a radar scanner, he was everybody's ideal of the thinking footballer. But if attackers decided they were outgunned tactically, it was inadvisable for them to seek a physical duel. Moore was six feet tall, with a playing weight of slightly under 13 stone, and in his prime he went out as fit and hard as a prizefighter. He was (as Pelé stressed) a clean player by nature, and contemptuous of provocation, but if real liberties were taken he had no taste for turning the other cheek.

4. Gaetano Scirea. 441 points



Scirea was a graceful defender of great skill and tactical ability. In contrast to the ruthless tactics often employed by other defenders, Scirea was renowned for his class, fair play, and sportsmanship. He was never sent off or suspended during his career, an amazing achievement, which says a lot about his temperament and his level of skill. Perhaps the greatest illustration of his quality is the fact that he kept Franco Baresi out of the national team for 4 years — until he retired in 1986.

He is one of only five players to have won every single international club trophy recognised by FIFA and UEFA, in addition to his 7 Serie A titles. He is also only one of nine players to have won the three major UEFA club football competitions. Due to his own defensive skill and sportsmanship, Scirea's name has become attached to various youth tournaments and fair-play awards as a role model for sportsmanship and sporting excellence, including the Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea", which is awarded to a legendary Serie A footballer for their career achievements, talent, and personality. In 2005, former Italian national team coach Enzo Bearzot proposed the retirement of the jersey number six of that national team and Juventus in recognition of Scirea's career. The south stand in Juventus' home ground Juventus Stadium, as well as the one in the former Stadio delle Alpi, is known as the Curva Scirea and it is occupied by the Juventus Ultras.

3. Elías Figueroa. 477 points



Don Elías is the best defender in the whole history of South American football. He never went to Europe, but his performances for Peñarol and Internacional, as well as his outstanding international career, reserves him a high place in this list. 3 times he was voted South American Footballer of the Year, a record that he shares with Zico and, weirdly, Carlos Tevez (that's eurocentricity of modern football for you). Take a look at his competitors: Zico, Falcão, Rivellino, Kempes... There are even claims from that FIFA named him the best player in the world for 2 years — in 1975 and 1976, although I was unable to find the original source of that info. His performance against West Germany and Gerd Müller in 1974 is one of the greatest individual performances by any defender ever — and at the biggest possible stage as well.

Figueroa was noted for having a keen ability to anticipate attacks as a defender with his great reading of the game and tight marking ability. Figueroa also had the ability to start counter-attacks from the back-line thanks to his composure on the ball, vision, and good range of passing. His playing style as a sweeper was frequently compared to Franz Beckenbauer, but while the German often looked for long, killer balls upfield, Figueroa typically used shorter, incisive passes to spring his teammates forward. Figueroa was also a threat in the final third of the pitch, often marauding forward to lay on goals for other players or strike on goal with his powerful shot. Figueroa remembers: "when I played in Brazil, I always did a play in which the wing back and the winger retained the ball while I would advance unmarked and make a central attacking run". Possessing good technical skills, Figueroa was also a physical presence, good in the air, and strong in one-on-one situations as a central defender. Known for his leadership, he also had a reputation of being a clean and fair player. Only once in his entire career was he shown a red card and was selected as captain for every team he played for. According to journalist Nelson Rodrigues, Figueroa was "elegant, as an earl dressed in suit, and dangerous as a Bengal Tiger. Elias Figueroa was the perfect defender."

2. Franco Baresi. 817 points



If you need someone to organise your defense and guarantee you a clean sheet after a clean sheet, Franco Baresi is your man. He is, quite possibly, the best defender of all-time, who has an incredible record to prove that — with Milan, he won three UEFA Champions League titles, six Serie A titles, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, two European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups; with Italy he regularly reached semi- and finals of major international tournaments, showcasing his incredible defensive stability. He was at the heart of 2 of the best defensive units ever — in club football (Rossi - Maldini - Baresi - Costacurta - Tassotti) and in international football (Zenga - Maldini - Baresi - Ferri - Bergomi).

Marcel Desailly said:

What more words are there to describe this man? Simply the best defender of the last three decades, and the last great libero. He always seemed to know in advance where the ball would go and there was no centre-forward on the planet who was capable of surprising him. He also had very good technique when it came to playing the ball, and when he attacked, he was always dangerous. A real icon.
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Franco Baresi is my idol. The way he ran his back-line, what a player. You can’t begin to imagine to what a high level he took the art of defending. Impeccable. Class.

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Tony Adams said:

Baresi wasn’t as physically strong as you might expect a central defender to be – he would generally play as sweeper – but he was so good you would just watch him dictate the pace of the game. He read the game better than any defender I’ve ever seen, and I think that’s what makes him stand out as one of the best central defenders of all time.

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Laurent Blanc said:

In those great AC Milan sides of the late ’80s and early ’90s he was the boss. Every man who played with or against him knew he was the boss. Everybody respected him. He was a very intelligent player, and always calm. I loved that ability to look so relaxed. Nothing ever troubled Baresi; he would deal with problems with no fuss at all.

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Zico said:

The consummate libero, capable of doing whatever he wanted with the ball whether he was defending or attacking. He had great positional sense and with his speed, he could bring the defence out quickly and launch an attack. And that was always half a goal in itself.

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Paolo Maldini said:

He was special. He was a short, skinny guy but so strong. He could jump so high. The way he played on the field was an example for everybody. He wasn’t a big speaker, no, no, no. The way he played, the way he trained was an example. He had pace, but he was only 70kg. But let me tell you – when he hit you with a tackle, he was so strong. For me, he was the role model. He was a reference. He was also very good with the ball. Very, very good. It is very hard to find a good defender, who is strong and good with the ball. Very hard.

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1. Virgil van Dijk. 1000 points

What did you expect guys, it's an on-line poll!

GOAT. Franz Beckenbauer. 1027 points.



He captained West Germany to their 1974 World Cup and 1972 European Championship triumphs, while also leading his hometown club Bayern Munich to three successive European Cups and four German league titles before leaving in 1977. And then there was the host of individual honours - including being named a four-time German Footballer of the Year and two-time European Footballer of the Year - which were bestowed on him.

Eric Cantona said:

He was a leader of men, a dominant presence who could bring the ball out with grace and skill. But I tell you this: he broke my heart. As an eight-year-old, I watched the 1974 World Cup Final between West Germany and Holland and I was supporting the Dutch. I cried my eyes out when they lost. I was very sad, but now I understand all about the brilliance of the Kaiser.

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Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said:

You’d have to say he was the perfect player.
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I’ve never heard anyone criticize him in my whole life, both on the pitch and off it.

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Pelé said:

Beckenbauer was one of the best I ever saw play.

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Brian Clough said:

I once saw Franz Beckenbauer enter a restaurant and he did it the same way he played football: with class and authority.

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Keir Radnedge (editor of World Soccer) said:

He was the puppet master, standing back and pulling the strings which earned West Germany and Bayern Munich every major prize.

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Eusebio said:

He could play in either position (defence or midfield). [ . . . ] He had versatility, suppleness, read the game very well, knew how to play, and could get forward and score goals too.

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Sir Bobby Charlton said:

Franz was a marvelous distributor of the ball, a great tackler, he always had control of a situation and he never panicked. [ . . . ] (He was) extremely cool and never looked like (he was) at full stretch. Such a hard player to play against.

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Glenn Hoddle said:

Class personified. Calmness, pace and the ability to effortlessly move into midfield and attack. He had a picture of every player on the pitch. He inspired me as a kid, when I saw him play a pass with the inside or then the outside of his foot. The mark of a great player is the ability to be just as effective playing through different eras.

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Gerd Müller said:

No one ever got past Franz.

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The final list.

1. Franz Beckenbauer. 1027
2. Franco Baresi. 817
3. Elías Figueroa. 477
4. Gaetano Scirea. 441
5. Bobby Moore. 368
6. Daniel Passarella. 330
7. Alessandro Nesta. 321
8. Matthias Sammer. 283
9. Ruud Krol. 261
10. Rio Ferdinand. 209
11. Ronald Koeman. 192
12. Laurent Blanc. 149
13. Marius Tresor. 105
14. Velibor Vasovic. 102
15. Hector Chumpitaz. 99
16. Fernando Hierro. 97
17. Armando Picchi. 80
18. Alan Hansen. 75
19. Willi Schulz. 74
20. Albert Shesternyov. 60
21. Paul McGrath. 43
22. Morten Olsen. 38
23. Ricardo Carvalho. 37
24. Sergio Ramos. 29
25. Jose Santamaria. 22
26. Maxime Bossis. 21
27. Giuseppe Bergomi. 20
28. Gheorghe Popescu. 19
29. Lucio. 17
30. Frank Rijkaard. 13
31. Thiago Silva. 12
32. Hans-Jürgen Dörner. 10
33. Karl-Heinz Schnellinger. 8
34. Frank de Boer. 8
35. Marcel Desailly. 7
36. Horst Blankenburg. 7
37. Dario Pereyra. 6
38. Anton Ondrus. 5
39. Bruno Pezzey. 4
40. Gerard Pique. 4
41. Aldair. 3
42. Roberto Perfumo. 2
43. Władysław Żmuda. 2
44. Rune Bratseth. 2
45. Antonio Maceda. 2
46. Matts Hummels. 1
47. Jerome Boateng 1
48. Manolo Sanchis. 1