10 Top Fantasisti

10. Roberto Mancini
Mancio made his Serie A debut aged 16 with Bologna, netting nine in his first season. His class and talent brought him to Sampdoria where, alongside his ‘twin brother’ Gianluca Vialli, he won the Scudetto but lost a Champions League Final to Barcelona. The highlight of his career is perhaps that astonishing back-heel goal which he scored for Lazio against Parma.

9. Giancarlo Antognoni
Known as ‘the boy who plays football looking at the stars’, Antognoni is regarded as the only true ‘bandiera’ at Fiorentina. The Viola ace though had a different style compared to the traditional image of a fantastista, since he was a much stronger type of player but, nevertheless, was equally gifted with both feet.

8. Gianfranco Zola
‘Nemo propheta in patria’ – there isn’t a better proverb to describe Zola’s career and his achievements. Neglected in Italy, the small Sardinian made a name for himself in England where his goals are still remembered. Sir Zola learned the art of the job from his majesty Diego Maradona in person before making headlines at Chelsea.

7. Francesco Totti
‘Er Pupone’ has deservedly been tipped as the eighth king of Rome. No-look passes and unexpected touches are all part of his portfolio, including a penalty against Holland at Euro 2000 when he chipped Edwin Van der Sar. Always loyal to the Giallorossi colours, the Roman born and bred maybe missed plenty of silverware by staying in the Capital but he kept his fans happy.

6. Sandro Mazzola
The son of Valentino Mazzola honoured his father with a fantastic career culminating with Inter’s last European Cup triumph. They called him ‘baffo’ due to his moustache, which betrayed his young age. Sandro was perhaps one of the most complete No 10’s in the game but unluckily lost the Ballon d’Or to Johann Cruyff.

5. Alessandro Del Piero
‘Pinturicchio’ is, alongside Totti, amongst the best Italian players in the last decade. But in comparison to his Roma rival he has won many more trophies and gained higher international recognition. Kept his honour when he led Juventus back to Serie A after a year in the Cadetti and is by far the Bianconeri’s most loved player.

4. Giuseppe Meazza
If you consider this man has got one of the most illustrious stadiums in the world named after him then you realise his achievements were seriously big. Meazza scored goals galore for Inter but also featured for Milan and Juventus. Won two World Cups with Italy and left an indelible mark in the history of calcio.

3. Gianni Rivera
Elegant like no other, the ‘Golden Boy’ of Italian football is in the Top 20 Players of all time chart published by the IFFHS. His duel with Mazzola Jnr proved he was the most talented of the two and also the most revolutionary. The Milan maestro’s cheeky smile broke thousands of hearts around the peninsula.

2. Valentino Mazzola
Prototype of the ‘total player’, he opened the way to a generation of champions but tragically died in the Superga air disaster. Mazzola was so clever and experienced that he could have played superbly anywhere on the pitch but what he did best was scoring and creating openings for his teammates. The Granata legend was indeed a truly devoted fantasista.

1. Roberto Baggio
‘Il Divin Codino’ is one of those players you just can’t avoid falling in love with. Truly divine, Roby did everything superbly from creating to finishing. Made magic with each team he played for but also brought controversy everywhere he went. Teammates and Coaches hated to be overshadowed by the former Juve star, who is undoubtedly one of the brightest in the Italian firmament.

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