Redcafe's All-Time Top 20. Stoppers | Results

[harms]

Spoiler: Rules

Post your list of 20 best physical stoppers of all-time. I'll close the thread on 28th of July (unless we decide to extend the vote).

Note: you have to keep in mind that this is a second category for center-backs; the first one was "ball-playing center-backs", so try not to include them and instead focus on physical, defence-first players that usually acted as a stopper. Defence-first center backs that didn't get in the first list because you don't see them as ball-playing can be nominated as well.

Note: all discussion goes to this thread - http://www.redcafe.net/threads/redcafes-top-20-by-position.448431/

Note: you can post less than 20 names, but not more

The list should be posted in the required format:

1. C. Smalling
2. P. Jones

...

20.

NB: After careful consideration, only players that had played at least a season after the 1950 WC are eligible.

The final list. Stoppers.

1 Jürgen Kohler 738
2 Marcel Desailly 408
3 Fabio Cannavaro 385
4 Jaap Stam 321
5 Karlheinz Förster 263
6 Alessandro Nesta 251
7 Pietro Vierchowod 203
8 Paolo Maldini 183
9 Giuseppe Bergomi 173
10 Nemanja Vidić 166
11 Oscar Ruggeri, Lilian Thuram 155
13 Diego Godin 149
14 Jose Santamaria 144
15 Claudio Gentile 120
16 John Terry 107
17 Sol Campbell 97
18 Ciro Ferrara 95
19 Paul McGrath 76
20 Alessandro Costacurta 72
21 Lucio 56
22 Carles Puyol 56
23 Roberto Rosato 54
24 Frank Rijkaard 50
25 Albert Shesternyov 42
26 Tony Adams 38
27 Elías Figueroa 35
28 Hector Chumpitaz 31
29 Luis Pereira 28
30 Roberto Perfumo 27
31 Carlos Mozer 24
32 Vincent Kompany 19
33 Carlos Gamarra 17
34 Giorgio Chiellini, Roberto Ayala 16
36 Billy McNeill, Aldair 13
38 Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Murtaz Khurtsilava 11
40 Germano de Figueiredo 10
41 Mats Hummels 8
42 Paolo Montero, Emlyn Hughes, Riccardo Ferri, Jan Popluhar 7
46 Walter Samuel, Alan Hansen, Tarcisio Burgnich 6
49 Marco Materazzi, Raphael Varane, Neil Franklin 5
52 Billy Wright 3
53 Richard Gough 2
54 Kenny Burns 1

 

[freeurmind]

1. John Terry
2. Jaap Stam
3. Claudio Gentile
4. Fabio Cannavaro
5. Sol Campbell
6. Marcel Desailly
7. Jurgen Kohler
8. Billy Mcneil
9. Tony Adams
10. Lucio
11. Nemanja Vidic
12. Giorgio Chiellini
13. Mats Hummels
14. Paolo Montero
15. Walter Samuel
16. Marco Materazzi
17. Carles Puyol
18.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

1. Alessandro Nesta
2. Jurgen Kohler
3. Marcel Desailly
4. Diego Godin
5. Nemanja Vidic
6. Oscar Ruggeri
7. Jaap Stam
8. Paolo Maldini
9. Lillian Thuram
10. Karl-Heinz Forster
11. Fabio Cannavaro
12. Ciro Ferrara
13. Alessandro Costacurta
14. Giuseppe Bergomi
15. Paul McGrath
16. Raphael Varane
17. Pietro Vierchowod
18. John Terry
19. Sol Campbell
20. Claudio Gentile

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

1. Desailly
2. Maldini
3. Kohler
4. Cannavaro
5. Vierchowod
6. Thuram
7. Chumpitaz
8. Stam
9. Santamaria
10. Godin
11. Ruggeri
12. Adams
13. Bergomi
14. Vidic
15. Gamarra
16. Ferrara
17. Schwarzenbeck
18. Luis Pereira
19. Campbell
20. Kenny Burns

 

[Physiocrat]

1. Kohler
2. Stam
3. Forster
4. Cannavaro
5. Maldini
6. Thuram
7. Vierchowod
8. Ruggeri
9. Santamaria
10. Vidic
11. Desailly
12. Costacurta
13. Gentile
14. Godin
15. Ferrara
16. Sol Campbell
17. Perfumo
18. Billy Wright
19. E. Hughes
20. Schwarzenbeck

 

[harms]

1. J. Kohler
2. F. Cannavaro
3. M. Desailly
4. K.H. Förster
5. P. Maldini
6. J. Stam
7. P. McGrath
8. N. Vidić
9. P. Vierchowod
10. L. Thuram
11. G. Bergomi
12. J. Santamaria
13. C. Ferrara
14. D. Godin
15. A. Shesternyov
16. O. Ruggeri
17. S. Campbell
18. C. Puyol
19. A. Costacurta
20. J. Terry

 

[Gio]

1. Jurgen Kohler
2. Fabio Cannavaro
3. Karlheinz Forster
4. Marcel Desailly
5. Diego Godin
6. Carlos Mozer
7. Lucio
8. Jaap Stam
9. Lillian Thuram
10. Jose Santamaria
11. Guiseppe Bergomi
12. Pietro Vierchowod
13. Roberto Rosato
14. Paul McGrath
15. Sol Campbell
16. Carles Puyol
17. Carlos Gamarra
18. Giorgio Chiellini
19. Richard Gough
20. Oscar Ruggeri

 

[BlackShark_80]

1. Jurgen Kohler
2. Giuseppe Bergomi
3. Fabio Cannavaro
4. Claudio Gentile
5. Lilian Thuram
6. Karlheinz Forster
7. Marcel Desailly
8. Roberto Perfumo
9. Jose Santamaria
10. Luis Pereira
11. Oscar Ruggeri
12. Jaap Stam
13. Pietro Vierchowod
14. Ciro Ferrara
15. Tony Adams
16. John Terry
17. Nemanja Vidic
18. Lucio
19. Alessandro Costacurta
20. Carles Puyol

 

[Invictus]

1. Jürgen Kohler
2. Fabio Cannavaro
3. Karlheinz Förster
4. Marcel Desailly
5. Jaap Stam
6. Pietro Vierchowod
7. Nemanja Vidić
8. Diego Godín
9. José Santamaría
10. Alessandro Costacurta
11. Oscar Ruggeri
12. Paul McGrath
13. Ciro Ferrara
14. Albert Shesternyov
15. Roberto Rosato
16. John Terry
17. Carles Puyol
18. Sol Campbell
19. Roberto Perfumo
20. Carlos Gamarra

 

[Fortitude]

1. Nesta
2. Kohler
3. Maldini
4. Forster
5. Desailly
6. Cannavaro
7. Godin
8. McGrath
9. Stam
10. Lucio
11. Santamaria
12. Mozer
13. Campbell
14. Vierchowod
15. Rosato
16. Puyol
17. Ferrara
18. Ruggeri
19. Vidic
20. Terry

 

[2mufc0]

1. Nesta
2. Kohler
3. Maldini
4. Cannavaro
5. KH Forster
6. Stam
7. Vierchowod
8. Desailly
9. Vidic
10. Santamaria
11. Thuram
12. Bergomi
13. Campbell
14. Puyol
15. Terry
16. Lucio
17. Gamarra
18. Costacurta
19. McGrath
20. Ruggeri

 

[Enigma_87]

1. Kohler
2. Figueroa
3. Bergomi
4. Forster
5. Nesta
6. Cannavaro
7. Stam
8. Desailly
9. Vierchowod
10. Maldini
11. Thuram
12. Santamaria
13. Godin
14. Ferrara
15. Ruggeri
16. McGrath
17. Campbell
18. Vidic
19. Gentile
20. Adams

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

1. F. Rijkaard
2. M. Desailly
3. K.H. Förster
4. L. Thuram
5. J. Kohler
6. F. Cannavaro
7. L. Pereira
8. J. Stam
9. S. Campbell
10. O. Ruggeri
11. R. Ayala
12. G. Bergomi
13. D. Godin
14. P. Vierchowod
15. A. Hansen
16. E. Hughes
17. C. Gentile
18. H.G. Schwarzenbeck
19. A. Costacurta
20. N. Vidic

 

[Indnyc]

1. Jürgen Kohler
2. Fabio Cannavaro
3. Marcel Desailly
4. Jaap Stam
5. Karlheinz Förster
6. Paolo Maldini
7. Nemanja Vidić
8. Diego Godín
9. Pietro Vierchowod
10. José Santamaría
11. Paul McGrath
12. Alessandro Costacurta
13. Oscar Ruggeri
14. Ciro Ferrara
15. Albert Shesternyov
16. Roberto Rosato
17. John Terry
18. Carles Puyol
19. Sol Campbell
20. Tony Adams

 

[Ramos]

1. Marcel Desailly
2. Fabio Cannavaro
3. Jaap Stam
4. Jurgen Kohler
5. Oscar Ruggeri
6. Lucio
7. Alessandro Costacurta
8. Aldair
9. Sol Campbell
10. Nemanja Vidic
11. Albert Shesternyov
12. Karlheinz Förster
13. Ciro Ferrara
14. Pietro Vierchowod
15. Carles Puyol
16. John Terry
17. Tony Adams
18. Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck
19. Vincent Kompany
20. Ricardo Ferri

 

[berbasloth4]

1. nesta
2. Desailly
3. stam
4. Gentile
5. kohler
6. ruggeri
7. vidic
8. kompany
9. terry
10. vierchwood
11. thuram
12. santamaria
13. cannavaro
14. bergomi
15. forster
16 ferri
17. campbell
18. ferrara
19. cheillini
20. godin

 

[Michaelf7777777]

1. Jurgen Kohler
2. Claudio Gentile
3. Pietro Vierchowod
4. Hector Chumpitaz
5. Diego Godin
6. Karlheinz Forster
7. Jaap Stam
8. Albert Shesternyov
9. Oscar Ruggeri
10. Murtaz Khurtsilava
11. Germano de Figueiredo
12. Fabio Cannavaro
13. Jose Santamaria
14. Jan Popluhar
15. Roberto Rosato
16. Neil Franklin
17. Nemanja Vidic
18. Roberto Perfumo
19. Carlos Gamarra
20. Riccardo Ferri

 

[BIG DUNK]

1 Jürgen Kohler
2 Giuseppe Bergomi
3 Karlheinz Förster
4 Fabio Cannavaro
5 Pietro Vierchowod
6 Claudio Gentile
7 Marcel Desailly
8 Jaap Stam
9 José Santamaría
10 Ciro Ferrara
11 Paul McGrath
12 Roberto Rosato
13 Nemanja Vidić
14 Oscar Ruggeri
15 Tarcisio Burgnich
16 Roberto Perfumo
17 Alessandro Costacurta
18 Carles Puyol
19 Tony Adams
20 John Terry

 

[Synco]

1. Kohler
2. Desailly
3. Maldini
4. Stam
5. Bergomi
   
6. Förster
7. Rosato
   
8. Cannavaro
9. Thuram
10. Vierchowod
    
11. Ferrara
12. Vidic
13. Godin
14. Costacurta
    
15. Ayala
    
16. Puyol
17. Campbell
    
18. Terry
19. Chiellini
    
20. Gentile

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

1. Kohler
2. Nesta
3. Cannavaro
4. Maldini
5. Stam
6. Thuram
7. Desailly
8. Vidic
9. Ruggeri
10. Terry
11. Godin
12. Forster
13. Vierchowod
14. Bergomi
15. Santamaria
16. Campbell
17. Kompany
18. Adams
19. Ferrara
20. Costacurta

 

[harms]

54. Kenny Burns. 1 point


We start with the Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City legend Kenny Burns. In the 50's you've had those players that seamlessly switched from an attacking role to the defensive one and back, providing world-class performances on both sides of the pitch. Unsurprisingly, those players pretty much died out with the beginning of the TV era, slowly transforming into mythical creatures of the past, John Charles aside. Kenny Burns started his career as a defender in the 70's. In 1974 he was converted to a striker — and with a great success; during the 1976/77 season he scored 19 goals in the first division (ended up with 45 league goals in 163 league appearances for Birmingham).

He was soon noticed by the notorious duo — Bryan Clough and Peter Taylor. Despite Clough's mild concerns regarding Burns ("I don't want that shithouse at my club"), he was soon transferred to the newly-promoted Nottingham Forest side in 1977. Clough put him back in defence and instantly got what he wanted, in his new/old role Burns played a massive part in the unlikely title win that year. Individual awards will follow soon — he'd be chosen FWA Footballer of the Year & Forest's Player of the Year in 1977/78 (he'll get another one a few years later). He remained a huge influence in the Nottingham Forest's famous back to back European Cup wins in 1979 and 1980.

April 25th 1981
In a taxi outside Heathrow Airport.

Kenny Burns is fast asleep next to John Robertson and snoring soundly. Robertson is sober and looking worried. Forest have just beaten Crystal Palace 3-1 away from home at Selhurst Park. The two men have had an hour to kill before the taxi arrives and Burnes had used the time to get very drunk. They are on their way to a Scottish International game against Israel at Hampden Park which Scotland will win thanks to two Robertson penalties. Burns turns his head slightly into Robertson's lapel and snuggles closer to him as if Robertson was his wife. Robertson is beginning to look distressed.

Robertson: Burnsy, Burnsy, wake up!

Burns rolles over a little and begins to dribble.

R: For feck's sake, Kenny, wake up. Aww shit.
Taxi driver: Heathrow departures, mate. That's three pounds fifty.
R: Bollocks. (Shouting now and slapping Burns on the face). Burnsy, wake up!

Robertson hands a fiver to the taxi driver, waits for and takes the change. Burns is awake now but barely able to walk. Robertson pulls Burns' arm around his shoulder and pulls him out of the taxi. The outside air wakes Burns up and he is able to stand as long as he has Robertson to lean on. Robertson slaps Burns around the face.

R: Burnsy, wake up. We have to go to check in. We are supposed to be meeting with Jock Stein tonight and the Scotland squad. Come on Burnsy.
Burns: Fecking won that one Robbo, Palace wankers. Where we going? feck's sake!
R: Oh Jeez.

The taxi driver takes two bags out of the boot and hands them to Robertson who stands with Burns still draped over him.

R: Oh for feck's sake.
B: Where we going? Bastards. Palace are wankers, Robbo, don't forget it. Southern fecking puffters. Where we going?

Robertson with Burns draped over his shoulder and with a bag in either hand begins walking through the Departure Lounge. Progress is slow at best. Finally they reach the Departure desk for their flight to Scotland.

R: (In a vague panic now) Hello, I'm John Robertson and this is Kenny Burns. We're due to meet up with the Scotland squad later tonight at Hampden Park. Booked in on the 7.30 flight to Glasgow. (Reaches in his pocket and gives the stewardess the tickets).
Desk steward: Thank you, Mr. Robertson. Passports please.

Robertson takes his passport from his jacket and looks at Burns.

R: Kenny where is your passport?
B: Fecking southern fried puffters, Robbo.
R: (Amidst a rising tide of terror) Burnsy, we need your passport.
B: Palace wankers. Where we going?
Desk steward: I'm sorry, Mr. Robertson, but you're going nowhere tonight. I'm afraid Mr. Burns is in no fit state to travel.
R: No, he's fine, he's just had a difficult day. We need to join up with the Scotland squad tonight. It's really important that we do.

Burns leans forward and vomits on to Robertson's shoes.

R: Aww, shit.
Desk steward: (Smiling) Come back in the morning Mr. Robertson, when your friend is feeling better.
R: Bollocks.

He looks sadly down at his ruined desert boots then realising he is defeated, smiles meekly at the desk steward. He drags Burns and the two bags to one side where there is a phone kiosk. He dials a number.

R: Hello, is that Mr. Stein? It's John Robertson, Mr. Stein.

...Aye. Mr. Stein, I'm sorry, but Kenny burns is ill and can't make the flight to Glasgow tonight, can we delay it? Burnsy could do with a wee few hours kip before training. We could come straight over in the morning. Oh, okay. Right, you want us there tonight. Oh, okay, the sleeper train. Yes, we'll be there. Thank you. Goodnight.

R: Right, come on, Kenny, we have to get to Euston for the sleeper train. Kenny? Burnsy, for feck's sake, come on!
B: Southern pffs....

Robertson pulls Burns and the two bags across the airport walkway. At the moment a group of Manchester United fans in their red shirts arrive. They instantly spot Burns.

Man Utd fan: Look, lads, it's the Forest players. Look at Burnsy. He's pissed as a fart. (Sings) Kenny Burns is Pissed.
Man Utd fans: (Chanting and pointing at Burns) Kenny Burns is pissed. Ee Ay Addeyo, Kenny Burns is pissed.

R: Oh, shit!

From nowhere, Burns is suddenly instantly awake.

B: (Shouting) I'll take any two of you on. Come on then. Who are ya? Come on any two of ya... Come on and fight me, ya bastards!
R: Oh, for feck's sake.

The Man Utd fans disappear. Robertson pulls Burns and the bags towards the railway station.

 

[Indnyc]

@harms brilliant piece on Burns

 

[Pat_Mustard]

That's magnificent @harms

 

[harms]

53. Richard Gough. 2 points

And yet another Scottish defender — 2 out of 2 so far. Well, his father was Scottish and he represented Scotland internationally — Richard was born in Stockholm and grew up in South Africa. He began his professional career at Dundee United — and led them to their first (and only) league title; those were the strange times, from 1979 to 1985 the Old Firm had won only 2 titles, while Dundee won one and Ferguson's Aberdeen won mind-blowing 3! To provide some context — Celtic and Rangers had won the league 34 times in the following 34 seasons. Gough had a hand in 9 of those wins that came consecutively — after a brief spell at Spurs he had transferred to Rangers, where he would become a mainstay in their defense for the next decade. He was one of the three players to appear in all 9 campaigns and the only one to receive all 9 medals. In 1985/86 he was voted Scotland Players' Player of the Year and in 1988/89 he was voted Scottish Player of the Year by the football journalists. He played in 3 major tournaments with Scotland, captaining the side in the 1992 Euros in his birthplace, Sweden.

An accomplished player, he was an excellent timer of a tackle. He also had a fine touch, which made him a careful distributor of the ball once possession was won, and he was commanding in the air. But it was his calm authority under pressure, a refusal to panic, that transmitted confidence to those around him that made him not only Rangers’ most successful captain but also one of the greatest. Everyone respected Gough, an articulate man who understood the fans’ passion and conducted himself with great dignity. Unsurprisingly, his childhood hero was no one other than Franz Beckenbauer.

 

[harms]

52. Billy Wright. 3 points

I'm glad that he had made the cut, even though his final standing does not truly represent his greatness. Billy Wright was one of the best center backs of the 50's — perhaps only bettered by José Santamaría. He had only played for 2 teams in all of his life, 541 times for Wolverhampton Wanderers (winning 3 league titles) and 105 times for England. He captained England record 90 times (a number matched by Bobby Moore a bit later), was the first footballer ever to earn 100 caps for his country and he still holds the longest unbroken run in competitive international football.

Wright was an old-fashioned center half, even though he didn't look the part — he was only 5ft 8in (173cm) tall, but his leap and immaculate timing more than made up for it, Cannavaro would be a fitting modern comparison. In 1957 he came second to Di Stefano in the annual Ballon d'Or vote, an outstanding accomplishment for a central defender. Perhaps unfairly, as this was a failure of a system first and foremost, but many people's first thought of Wright would be the famous Puskas Wembley goal. The game still remains as one of the most important points in the history of football's tactics — while Wrights performance inspired one of my all-time favourite football metaphors. According to The Times match report Puskas bamboozled England's captain Billy Wright by dragging the ball back with the sole of his left boot and, after a whirling pirouette, smashing it into the roof of the net, leaving Wright resembling "a fire engine rushing to the wrong fire".

When Tom Finney compiled his England's all-time XI, he picked Billy Wright ahead of the great Bobby Moore — perhaps the ultimate testament to his quality. He described him as "the perfect centre half and role model skipper".

 

[harms]

49. Neil Franklin, Marco Materazzi, Raphaël Varane. 5 points

Neil Franklin had been one of the brightest stars of the English football in the 40's, representing Stoke City and England's national football team. Sadly, his career took a wrong turn when he decided to play in Colombia to earn some money. He declined the call up for the 1950 World Cup, and after his Colombian affair failed spectacularly, he became an outcast thanks to the FA and Stoke's wrath. This, combined with his injuries, sadly meant that he this was the end of his career at the highest level — a career that was truly outstanding, but a career that didn't fully live up to the early expectations.

The best defender I ever played with or against — yes, that good. Just before the 1950 World Cup, he went off to play in Colombia, thinking he was going to make a bit of money, but it didn't work out. When he came back, the FA were furious and clubs wouldn't touch him. He was still good enough to play for England, though. It was very sad.

The greatest centre-half I ever had the privilege of playing with, the incomparable Neil Franklin. Neil won everything in the air, tackled with superb timing and when the ball was at his feet possessed the nous to pass it with all the guile and intelligence of the most cerebral of inside-forwards. An erect physique belied tremendous mobility and breathtaking speed over four or five yards.

Neil was a superb stylist with an instinctive positional sense. His international career ended when he was suspended for becoming a mercenary in the outlawed Bogotá league. If Neil had been satisfied with the maximum £20 he was earning at Stoke City, he would have played for England for at least another four years, and I often wonder what difference that would have made to my career.

He was a footballer before his time. Neil came along and actually played football, it was unheard of for a centre-half, managers didn't really stand for it. I think he got away with it because he'd played for England. He was the best footballer I have ever played with, his only fault was that he thought everyone was as good as he was, which they weren't

Marco Materazzi is the name that is well-known even outside of the football community — mostly because of his involvement in one of the most dramatic and high-profile moments in World Cup's history. I'm obviously talking about the infamous Zidane's headbutt that ended his glorious Hollywood-ish old hero does it one last time trope. Zidane is seen as this ultimate tragic hero and Materazzi as an almost pantomime villain, representing everything that is wrong with football and the world... which is a bit unfair to Marco.

His own career is a fascinating story of hard work and character overcoming the external obstacles. It's hard to imagine a less ideal situation for an Italian center back than being born in the era of Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro. Unsurprisingly, most of his international career was limited to a substitution appearances when one of the big two was unavailable. The 2006 World Cup started with a disaster for Italy — not only had Calciopoli shaken the whole foundations of the Italian football, but they've also lost their best defender, Alessandro Nesta, in the last group stage game due to a serious injury. It seemed like everything went wrong for them — but Materazzi didn't give a damn. In his wonderfully eventful style of defending, he became one of the brightest stars of the remaining part of the tournament; in those games he had scored 2 goals, earned a red card and conceded the penalty... before causing the infamous confrontation at the 110th minute that ended up with Zidane headbutting him, getting sent off and, eventually, watching Materazzi lifting the World Cup trophy on the TV.

At the club level, he had spent a whole decade at Inter Milan — even though he was not always as an undisputed starter, he had managed to win 5 Serie A titles and the Champions League. Jose Mourinho came to Italy in 2008 to return Inter to the past glory, and Materazzi, despite being sent to the bench, proved to be invaluable to the Portuguese manager, always playing well whenever he was called upon. When the time came for Mourinho to leave Inter, they've had an emotional good bye with Materazzi crying on Jose's shoulder — the photo went viral as it seemed so out of character for those ultimate bad boys of modern football to be humane and vulnerable.


Raphaël Varane captured everyone's attention in 2013, when he produced a world-class performance in his first El Clásico, aged only 20. In 2 legs of the Copa del Rey tie he scored 2 goals on top of his brilliant defensive performance. A few months later Marca included him in the Best Foreign Eleven in Real Madrid's history. He's had his ups and downs with an occasional brainfarts and unlucky injuries, but today, aged only 26, he is already a 4-times Champions League's and the World Cup winner. On paper he seems to be the perfect modern center back — fast, tall, tactically brilliant and great on the ball; it'll be interesting to see how high his career would be rated in a decade from now on.

 

[harms]

46. Walter Samuel, Alan Hansen, Tarcisio Burgnich. 6 points

Walter Samuel. When former Inter captain Javier Zanetti refers to someone as “the hardest player I have ever played with,” it should be taken to heart. Zanetti, a legend in his own right, does not make statements like that unless they are earned. The player he is referring to in that quote is none other than Walter Samuel, one of the best center-backs to ever grace the Serie A with his presence. He had played for Roma and Real Madrid, but his real peak came when he was playing for Inter. Samuel anchored the Nerazzurri back line for a solid decade, winning countless trophies in the process.

He was a built like a concrete wall, yet, displayed immense quickness. This allowed him to play aggressively without sacrificing anything. His positional awareness and ability to read the game made him one of the most complete center-backs on the planet. In addition to his defensive qualities which earned him the nickname “Il Muro” (The Wall), Walter Samuel also excelled in the air and thus, was on every opposing side’s radar during set pieces. Truth be told, the only thing that could really stop Samuel were the injuries he sustained during his tenure with Inter.

The Walter Samuel/Lucio dynamic duo combined to feature 59 times in the league during the 2009-10 campaign. They contributed greatly to a defense that conceded a league-best 34 goals en route to a fifth Scudetto in as many years. Their greatest impact, however, was undeniably felt during the Champions League. Samuel delivered outstanding performances for his team against Barcelona in the semi-finals. He would do the same in the final against Bayern Munich a few weeks later, stifling and frustrating Luis Van Gaal’s attack on multiple occasions.

Alan Hansen. I have no idea what's he doing in the stoppers list. Already covered him in ball-playing list — greatest ever Liverpool defender with unfairly poor international career. On the pitch he was intelligent, tough and composed — basically the complete opposite of his punditry.

Tarcisio Burgnich. A strong, large, quick, and energetic player, Burgnich is regarded as one of the greatest Italian defenders of his time; his ability in the air, imposing physique, consistency, and his aggressive, efficient playing style earned him the nickname "La Roccia" (The Rock), despite not being particularly tall. Alongside Facchetti he starred in Herrera's "La Grande Inter" — the original catenaccio side. Although he was less adept at starting attacking plays from the back-line than Facchetti, the more defensive minded Burgnich was an "old-fashioned defender", being an excellent man-marker and a hard tackler, who was difficult to beat in one on one situations. He was also known for his anticipation and reactions, as well as his concentration and discipline both on and off the pitch.

 

[harms]

42. Paolo Montero, Emlyn Hughes, Riccardo Ferri, Ján Popluhár. 7 points

Paolo Montero. The Uruguayan center back had played 300 games in Italy, spending 4 seasons with Atalanta before Juventus brought him in to partner Ciro Ferrara. Together they'd form one of the best defensive unit of the 90's — Ryan Giggs famously described them as "...the toughest defenders [he] played against". Equally capable of playing centrally and on the left, he was a true no-nonsense aggressive and physical defender. Until this day Montero holds the record for the most red cards received by a player in Serie A history, being sent off 16 times.

Emlyn Hughes. The Liverpool legend was equally versatile, also capable of playing on the left and centrally, as well as in midfield. He had won multiple domestic and European titles with Liverpool, including a golden double in 1977 — a season when he was chosen FWA Footballer of the Year. His never-say-die attitude, galloping forays into opposition territory and frantic goal celebrations earned him a nickname 'Crazy Horse'. He was the first captain to lift a European Cup with Liverpool and the last Wolverhampton captain to lift a major trophy.

Riccardo Ferri. A relatively overlooked defender, which is understandable, considering the amount of defensive talent that Italy had produced over the years. Ferri spent most of his career with Inter and won 1 Serie A title and 2 UEFA Cups. Perhaps he is better known for his performances at 1990 World Cup — he played as a stopper next to Maldini, Baresi and his fellow teammate Bergomi. That backline is widely considered to be one of the best defensive units ever and arguably the greatest one of the international stage.

Ján Popluhár was one of the best defenders of the 60's. In 1962 Czechoslovakia had reached the World Cup final with Popluhár being one of their best performers alongside Masopust and Pluskal. The Czechoslovakian trio was invited to represent the World XI in the 1963 game against England at Wembley, a team that included Di Stéfano, Eusébio, Puskás & other stars. He was part of the World Soccer World XI for 3 years (1962, 1963 and 1968), and when the time came for Slovakia to name their best ever player, they didn't need to think twice.

41. Mats Hummels. 8 points

Having already been mentioned on the ball-playing list, Hummels makes another appearance in our ratings. He has his weaknesses, but you can't argue with the fact that he had been among the best defenders in the world for quite some time now.

40. Germano. 10 points

Germano, or Germano de Figueiredo, was the defensive stalwart for the 60's Benfica side — one of the most dominant teams of that era. In the 6 years that he spent there he had won 4 league titles and 2 European Cups — and reached 2 more finals; he also was part of the Portuguese side that finished 3rd in the 1966 World Cup, which is still their best result ever. From the individual standpoint you can't really question him either; the respectable World Soccer magazine had included him in their World XI for 3 years — in 1961, 1962 and 1965.

 

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38. Murtaz Khurtsilava, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck. 11 points

And no, this is not a final round of a spelling bee competition.

Murtaz Khurtsilava (on the right) is probably the most unlikely stopper that you'll ever see — 175cm tall, often noticeably overweight, yet somehow absolutely outstanding. He was also known for his skills on the ball, but he never liked playing as a libero — he excelled at man-marking and loved the direct confrontation. At the same time, he approached every duel as an intellectual challenge first and foremost and never tried to hurt or to harm the opposition player.

Khurtsilava: The only player I had literally never ever heard of.

Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck made his name by covering for his more famous partner, a certain Franz Beckenbauer — both on the club level and internationally. I wouldn't say that he was a very gifted footballer, but he knew his strengths and weaknesses very well and acted accordingly. Which led to an enormous success — he had won 6 league titles, 3 European Cups, a World Cup and a European Championship — all as a starter and an integral part of the defensive line. Unsurprisingly, Bayern Munich, a club that he spent his whole career at, included him in their all-time XI.

 

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36. Aldair, Billy McNeill. 13 points

Aldair. One of the greatest Brazilian defenders of all-time and a proper AS Roma legend. An elegant and tactically versatile defender, Aldair was capable of playing both as a sweeper, and as a centre back, due to his vision, technical ability, and his passing range. His confidence on the ball and, in particular, his adeptness at long balls enabled him advance into midfield and create chances for teammates. Although he was not particularly quick, he was a strong defender, who excelled in the air, and at anticipating opponents with well-timed challenges, due to his ability to read the game. In addition to his defensive and technical skills, Aldair was also known for his leadership and for being a correct player throughout his career.

Billy McNeill. In addition to making a record 822 appearances for Celtic as a player McNeill was twice manager of the club, either side of a brief spell in England, amassing a haul of 31 trophies over the course of his career. He will always be most closely associated with the Lisbon Lions’ success under Jock Stein, when Celtic not only beat Internazionale 2-1 in Portugal to become the first British team to win the European Cup, but the first ever winners of the now recognised treble.

McNeill won most of his relatively modest total of 29 caps for Scotland early in his career, after making his debut in the infamous 9-3 defeat by England in 1961. At club level McNeill was such a doughty performer he was never once substituted – in other words he played every minute of his 822 Celtic games. With Stein in charge and McNeill as captain Celtic won nine Scottish titles in a row, in addition to seven Scottish Cups and six league cups.

 

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34. Giorgio Chiellini, Roberto Ayala. 16 points

Giorgio Chiellini had won a staggering 8 Serie A titles with Juventus, and formed one of the best defensive units of this century alongside Bonucci and Barzagli. He also played more than 100 games for Italy. Walter Mazzarri once labeled him as "a force of nature", also adding "he's a universal player that any coach would love to have on his team.[131] He is from another planet; he can mark three players by himself." Due to his tenacious, no-nonsense playing style, Chiellini has been described as an "old-fashioned" centre-back, who primarily serves as a ball-winner; his physicality and aggression as a defender, as well as his trademark goal celebration, which involves him beating his chest, have earned him the nickname "King Kong".

Roberto Ayala. After a slow start in Europe (after 3 seasons for Napoli he was bought by AC Milan, where he found himself a surplus to requirements) he finally found his club in Valencia — he would spend the next 7 years there, winning 1 La Liga title and reaching 2 CL finals. In 2000/01 he was chosen as UEFA Club Best Defender of the Year. He also had an outstanding international career, earning 115 caps for Argentina and getting in 2006 World Cup Team of the Tournament. Although he was not the tallest player, Ayala was mainly known for his ability in the air and tenacious tackling, and also stood out for his leadership and consistency throughout his career. A complete defender, he was also noted for his speed, ability on the ball, and passing accuracy as a centre-back.

 

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33. Carlos Gamarra. 17 points

Carlos Gamarra's club career was a little hectic — he played for the likes of Inter Milan, Atletico and Benfica, but it's hard to say that he had left a significant mark on any of those clubs. His best seasons were probably in Brazil, where he had played for Corinthians, Flamengo and Internacional. He truly shined when he played for his country — his 110 caps for Paraguay included 3 World Cups (once he even got into the Team of the Tournament), staggering 5 Copa American and even a few Olympic tournaments. Gamarra is responsible for a fascinating bit of football trivia — both in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups he hadn't conceded a single foul, which is quite a unique situation for a defender (especially if we're not talking about a dominant team).

 

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32. Vincent Kompany. 19 points

According to Michael Essien's calculations, he's not getting his quadruple any time soon. He had just joined Anderlecht as a player-manager (something out of the 90's, right?) after an illustrious career at Manchester City. He was actually signed before the sheikhs came and became a huge figure in the building of a new football superpower. He had got pretty much everything that you want from your center back — great in the air, fast, intelligent, strong as a bull; if not for his injuries, he probably would've been considered as one of the best defenders in the league's history. He's had a knack of scoring important goals as well — in 2012 he got the only goal in Manchester derby that ultimately sealed the title for them, and just recently he scored an absolute beauty against Leicester to keep City ahead Liverpool in the insane title race. He's actually quite a nice guy — smart (has a masters degree), articulate, does lots of charity work and stuff.

 

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31. Carlos Mozer. 24 points

Mozer had won Copa Libertadores and International Cup with Flamengo before moving to Benfica. He had won 2 league titles there and led the side to the Champions League final; his performances secured him a lucrative transfer to Olympique Marseille, where he was supposed to replace Karlheinz Förster. He reached another CL final with the French side which he, again, lost. Sadly, he missed their CL win by just one season — he already returned back to Portugal in 1992. For Brazil he played only 32 games, but had a good international tournament to his name — 1990 World Cup.

30. Roberto Perfumo. 27 points

Alongside Oscar Ruggeri, Roberto Perfumo is arguably the best Argentinian defender ever not named Daniel Passarella. He wasn't very intimidating physically, but his interception skills and understanding of the game were second to none. In the 60's he won Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup with Racing, being widely acknowledged as their best and more important player — a rare feature for a defender. He was great with the ball, although sometimes he was even a little too adventurous. Unlike Passarella and Ruggeri, he wasn't able to win anything of note with Argentina, but when Argentinian FA decided to pick their best ever XI, he was still included.

 

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29. Luís Pereira. 28 points

Luís Pereira had won plenty in Brazil (mostly for Palmeiras, a club he'd played more than 550 games for) before transferring to Atletico Madrid in 1974. He'd spent 5 seasons in Spain, including a magnificent 1976/77, when Atletico managed to beat Barcelona with Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens to the league title. He was quick and powerful, but also very skilled on the ball, which wasn't very common in the 70's center backs (the obvious standout cases like Beckenbauer and Figueroa aside).

28. Hector Chumpitaz. 31 points

It's surprising to see Hector Chumpitaz here, who rightly got a high place on the ball-playing center backs list. Probably the shortest of the top-class center backs (different sources have him on 168cm to 171 cm), he was never reliant on his physique and preferred to intercept the ball due to his outstanding understanding of the game. His built made him an unusually agile and tough opponent for the nimble dribblers in the mould of Maradona/Messi/Romario, who relied on using their low center of gravity to their advantage. He was also an outstanding passer and often took free kicks and penalties.

27. Elías Figueroa. 35 points

Another unlikely inclusion, as Don Elías was voted 3rd best ball-playing center back of all-time in our previous list. His built made him stood out in the company of great liberos, since he was a proper physical specimen who looked more like, say, Jürgen Kohler, rather than your archetypical ball-playing libero. I guess this was enough for someone to mention him. 27th place is obviously not a fair reflection of his quality, rather than a sign of a faulty voting system.

 

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26. Tony Adams. 38 points

Fourteen years as captain, 669 appearances and 10 major trophies, including League titles in three different decades. Adams was the ultimate one-club man - an increasing rarity in modern football - and a rock at the heart of Arsenal's defence. He thrived as the leader of the famous Back Four, developing an instinctive understanding with his centre-back partner Steve Bould and full-backs Lee Dixon and Nigel Winterburn. Hence the famous chant and @oneniltothearsenal's nickname.

George Graham called him "my colossus"; Arsène Wenger described him as a "professor of defence". They were both right. Technically, Adams was a supreme defender - the timing of his tackles, his reading of the game and his aerial ability made him an awesome opponent. Add to that his insatiable appetite for a battle, his mental and physical resilience, his desire and, of course, his leadership, and it's easy to see why Adams was a hero to the Highbury faithful.

Fergie said I was a Manchester United player in the wrong shirt – I said he was an Arsenal manager in the wrong blazer.

25. Albert Shesternyov. 42 points

Albert Shesternyov got unlucky with the lists separation, as he had got lots of votes in both categories. I won't call him a ball-playing defender, but he was adequately skilled for a center back. His outstanding qualities were those associated with the classic center back image — imperious in the air, strong in tackles, immensely fast, a role model and a captain. He had considered a career in decathlon after he had became youth champion in Moscow's sprinting competition, but chose football. He earned 90 caps for USSR and spent his whole career at CDKA (now CSKA) Moscow; once he was chosen as the Soviet Footballer of the Year and 4 times he got nominated for France Football's Ballon d'Or.

24. Frank Rijkaard. 50 points

Another odd inclusion, but Rijkaard did began his career as a center back and surely would've made an outstanding stopper. He received 1 vote — but that voter put him on the first place, so he ended up pretty close to the desired top-20.

 

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23. Roberto Rosato. 54 points

Roberto Rosato is not often mentioned alongside Italy's greatest defenders, which is understandable, considering the fact that he competes with the likes of Baresi, Maldini, Scirea and Nesta. Yet in any other country he would've been likely seen as an all-time great. Nicknamed "Angel Face" for his delicate physical appearance, he was diabolical on the pitch — tenacious, aggressive, ruthless in tackles and a terrific man-marker. He had won pretty much everything with the often overlooked AC Milan side of the 60s, providing outstanding performances against Manchester United's Holy Trinity and Johan Cruyff's soon-to-be-unconquerable Ajax. He had won 1968 Euros with Italy — and his goal-line clearance after Gerd Müller's shot led Italy to the 1970 World Cup Final (which they'd lost to Pelé's magical Brazil).

21. Carles Puyol, Lúcio. 56 points

Six La Liga triumphs, three Champions League winners’ medals, two Copa del Reys, six Spanish Super Cups, two European Super Cups and two Clubs World Cups. Carles Puyol played through Barcelona’s golden era and is one of the club’s most decorated players. Fifteen seasons in Barca’s first team and 593 official matches. Twenty-one major trophies. While Barca play the beautiful game in its literal sense, Puyol, affectionately known as ‘The Wall’ by his adoring Catalan public, does the dirty work at the back. No time for tika-taka, just tough in the tackle and well organised at the back. Let the rest play with the ball and the opposition. For that, Puyol has remained a firm fans’ favourite at the Camp Nou, despite the flair and flavour of Messi and company.

On top of his team accolades the Barca captain picked up plenty more individual awards too. Six times in UEFA’s Team of the Year, three times in the FIFA/FIFPro World XI, four times in the European Sports Media Team of the Year and once in the FIFA World Cup All-Star team amongst others. The Prince of Asturias award and the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit also hold prime places in his cabinet.

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As a youngster, Lúcio refused to skip training sessions after long school days preceded by his paper rounds. Brought up in the small town of Planaltina, Lucimar Ferreira da Silva set his alarm for 5am every weekday morning to start his 16-hour day. Thirty years and 750 professional appearances later, that regimented upbringing has unquestionably paid off for one of the most decorated footballers of the modern era. Lúcio successfully merged the renowned self-belief and flair so typically linked to his compatriots with concentration, discipline and an insatiable work ethic.

This was a player who followed tactical instructions to the letter but also one who led his teammates, marshalling his fellow defenders and seemingly reading the game as if he were watching it’s replay – rarely out of place and often bailing out those in trouble. Famed for carrying the ball out from the back and into midfield, Lúcio was perhaps the last true libero of the modern game. In a style made famous by Franz Beckenbauer, the Brazilian’s apparently effortless elegance striding into midfield and building his side’s attack was endlessly admirable in its self-confidence and fluidity. Teammates called him O Cavalo (The Horse) as a compliment to his galloping, bullish and frequent surging runs forward.

In many ways, he was a peerless warrior at the heart of defence; physically imposing, often unbeatable in the air, relentlessly marking opponents, always in the right place and ensuring others were too. The Nerazzurri’s treble in 2010 was arguably his finest campaign – the Champions League success in particular saw him successfully shut out Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Barcelona’s Zlatan Ibrahimović, among others.

 

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The list so far:

21 Lúcio 56
21 Carles Puyol 56
23 Roberto Rosato 54
24 Frank Rijkaard 50
25 Albert Shesternyov 42
26 Tony Adams 38
27 Elías Figueroa 35
28 Hector Chumpitaz 31
29 Luis Pereira 28
30 Roberto Perfumo 27
31 Carlos Mozer 24
32 Vincent Kompany 19
33 Carlos Gamarra 17
34 Giorgio Chiellini, Roberto Ayala 16
36 Billy McNeill, Aldair 13
38 Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Murtaz Khurtsilava 11
40 Germano de Figueiredo 10
41 Mats Hummels 8
42 Paolo Montero, Emlyn Hughes, Riccardo Ferri, Jan Popluhar 7
46 Walter Samuel, Alan Hansen, Tarcisio Burgnich 6
49 Marco Materazzi, Raphaël Varane, Neil Franklin 5
52 Billy Wright 3
53 Richard Gough 2
54 Kenny Burns 1

 

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20. Alessandro Costacurta. 72 points

Alessandro Costacurta had appeared in 21 different seasons for AC Milan. Considering that for most of that time the club competed for the highest honours, it's simply an incredible achievement. He had managed to win 7 Serie A titles and 5 European Cups/Champions League in his time there, alongside other less important trophies. Costacurta was a versatile defender that formed impressive partnerships with the likes of Nesta, Stam & Cafu, but he is best known as an integral part of the best defensive unit in club history — Sacchi's and Capello's Maldini - Baresi - Costacurta - Tassotti back four. He was a tenacious yet disciplined defender with fast reactions who was known in particular for his exceptional tactical intelligence as well as his timing and strong, precise tackling ability. He was also quick-thinking, mobile, effective in the air, and had an outstanding ability to read the game and anticipate plays, despite his lack of notable pace, physical strength or athletic attributes, due to his slender build. He was an extremely precise and attentive footballer who excelled both at man marking as well as in a zonal marking system, due to his excellent positional and organisational sense, communication, awareness and his ability to play the offside trap effectively. Fabio Cannavaro famously said that Costacurta was the best defender with whom he ever played.

 

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19. Paul McGrath. 76 points

Paul McGrath is considered a true legend of Irish and British 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.

Despite being constantly harrowed by injuries and often not even training between the games, he always gave his best. One of the best example of that was the opening game of the 1994 World Cup for Ireland, where McGrath had faced Roberto Baggio at the height of his powers. Ireland won 1:0 with McGrath providing a colossal defensive performance in spite of excruciating knee problems. Despite the relatively unimpressive trophy haul, he is indisputably one of the greatest defenders of all-time.