Juventus Best All-Time XI
SBI Soccer
3 Yrs Ago
Juventus has seen the sport’s biggest names don the iconic black-and-white strip over the years. Today, the bianconeri are the most successful club in Italian football with 35 Scudetti and are in position to win their eighth consecutive Serie A title.
A number of champions have come through Juventus’ ranks over the course of their rich 122-year history, including some of the nation’s most prominent legends. The club has also welcomed elite players beyond Italy’s borders and has never been shy to provide international talent a platform to make a name for themselves.
Whether it was Giovanni Trappatoni’s Juventus in the late 70’s or Marcello Lippi’s bianconeri in the early 90’s, the mission at the club has always been clear. As their slogan suggests, victory above all else.
Italian football has a reputation for catenaccio, but the Juventus faithful has always had a love affair for innovative trequartisti, giving a particular importance to the club’s historic number ten jersey.
Without further ado, here is Juventus’ All-Time XI:
Gianluigi Buffon
The veteran custodian narrowly beats out Dino Zoff for the starting role between the sticks. Buffon’s career has been showered with honors and personal accolades, including nine league titles, a World Cup and a number of personal records to boot.
Beyond his trophies, Buffon’s longevity is what separates him from the rest and is still going strong nearly 25 years after making his debut.
Lilian Thuram
The French defender only spent five years in black and white, but that doesn’t stop him from making the team.
Thuram was a constant force down the right-hand side and few, if any, were able to beat him on his day. There’s a reason Thuram is France's most capped player of all time, having helped Les Bleus win the 1998 World Cup.
Gaetano Scirea
Considered by many as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Scirea was a mainstay in Juventus’ backline throughout his 14-year stint with the club.
The legendary defender won seven Serie A titles and multiple European titles, while also helping Italy win the 1982 World Cup. Interestingly enough, Scirea never saw red in his 377 appearances with Juventus.
Giorgio Chiellini
The hard-nosed defender edges Ciro Ferrara for the last centerback spot alongside Scirea. Chiellini has typified what it means to represent Juventus over the past decade and has led by example at the heart of defense.
When it’s all said and done, the 35-year-old will be among the most decorated members featuring on this side.
Antonio Cabrini
Cabrini joined Juventus as a teenager and quickly established himself as an elite left back for both club and country. Nicknamed Bell’Antonio for his striking good looks, Cabrini left it all out on the field and eventually formed one of Italy’s best defenses of all-time alongside Scirea and Claudio Gentile. Beyond World Cup glory, Cabrini won it all with Juventus, lifting countless Scudetti and international trophies.
Zinedine Zidane
When Zidane joined Juventus, the Frenchman came in with high expectations and he did not disappoint. In his first season, Zizou was named the Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year and led Juventus to the Scudetto.
In his second year with the club, Zidane was awarded the Ballon d’Or and helped the bianconeri retain their league title. He spent five seasons in Turin before his move to Real Madrid.
Edgar Davids
There is only one man fit for the job of anchoring this team and that’s none other than Davids. The Dutchman was the lynchpin holding Juventus’ midfield together and allowed the bianconeri’s technical players to flourish in the final third.
The Pitbull, as he was nicknamed by his former manager Louis van Gaal, remains one of Juventus’ most unheralded players of all time. He helped Juve win three Scudetti during his seven seasons in Turin.
Pavel Nedved
Nedved joined Juventus in 2001 from Lazio and quickly became a fan favorite with his incredible work rate and ability to show up in big moments. Throughout his time with the bianconeri, the winger established himself as one of the best in his position, lifting the Ballon d’Or in 2003.
Today, la Furia Ceca is the club’s Vice-chairman.
Michel Platini
Platini’s career with Juventus got off to a bumpy start, but the Frenchman quickly turned it around and adapted to Italian football with great aplomb. Inheriting the historic number ten jersey, Platini was an artist in possession and glided past opposing defenses at will.
Throughout his five years in Turin, Platini won three Ballon d’Ors and led Juventus to a European Cup as well as two Scudetti.
Alessandro Del Piero
Nicknamed after the famous painter Pinturicchio due to his ability to create something out of nothing, Del Piero has accomplished it all with Juventus. The diminutive playmaker is currently the side’s all-time leading goalscorer with 290 goals and has claimed a number of trophies along the way, including eight Serie A titles and Juventus’ last Champions League title, in 1996.
Giampiero Boniperti
Widely considered as the club’s best striker of all time, Boniperti captained the side in the 1950s and helped Juventus establish themselves as Italian giants. Until Del Piero broke his record in 2006, Boniperti held the record as Juventus’ highest goalscorer.
The Barengo native will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest one-club men, having spent his entire 15-year career with the bianconeri