Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon (born 28 January 1978 in Carrara, Italy), is an Italian FIFA World Cup, UEFA Cup, and Serie A winning goalkeeper who plays for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He is considered by many fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in recent history.

Long regarded as the finest goalkeeper in the world, Buffon became the most expensive stopper in history when he joined Juventus for £32.6 million in 2001. Since that record breaking move the Italian has proved his considerable worth for both club and country, culminating in World Cup triumph in 2006. 

After winning the 2001-02 and 2002-03 Scudetto in Turin, Buffon stayed loyal to Juventus after they were demoted to Serie B in the Italian match-fixing scandal and he was rewarded with an instant return to the top fight, which inspired the big keeper to sign an extension to his contract until 2012.

Buffon has won everything in the Italian game and was a major part of the Italy side that won the World Cup - enjoying a 453-minute scoreless streak and conceding just two goals (one an own goal and the other a penalty) during the tournament. His personal accolades include the UEFA award for Most Valuable Player and Best Goalkeeper. [source : Gigi Buffon]

Buffon Pictures and Wallpapers

Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro Del Piero  Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born November 9, 1974 in Conegliano, Veneto) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. Del Piero was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. Del Piero was also voted in the list of best European players for the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. In the year 2000, Del Piero was the world's best-paid football player from salary, bonuses and advertising revenue.

Along with three awards in Italy for gentlemanly conduct he has also won the Golden Foot award, which pertains to personality and playing ability.

Del Piero usually plays as a supporting-striker and occasionally between the midfield and the strikers, known in Italy as the "trequartista" position. Although he is not very tall, Del Piero's playing style is regarded by critics as creative in attacking, assisting many goals as well as scoring himself, as opposed to just "goal poaching." His free-kick and penalty taking is also highly regarded. Del Piero has become famous over the years for scoring from a special "Del Piero Zone"("Gol alla Del Piero"), approaching from the left flank and curling a precise lob into the far top corner of the goal.

Del Piero holds the all-time goalscoring record at Juventus. On April 6, 2008, Alessandro Del Piero became the all-time highest-capped Juventus player, ahead of Juve legend Gaetano Scirea. As of May 2010, he is in eighth place in the UEFA Champions League all-time goalscorer records and joint fourth with Roberto Baggio within the Italian national team records. [source : Del Piero]

Del Piero Wallpaper

 

Paolo Rossi

Paolo Rossi's career lay in tatters in 1980, after he was suspended for three years following an alleged "fixing" scandal. Rossi continually protested his innocence and the ban was commuted to two years. Born in September 1956, knee problems dogged him with Juventus' junior side and they loaned him to Como, then to a Serie B club, Lanerossi Vicenza, who converted him from a winger to centre-forward. 

Rossi became an instant sensation and his 21 goals helped them to promotion and the club paid £1.500.000 to take him permanently. After being relegated, however, Lanerossi transferlisted him at £3.000.000, but he refused to join Napoli and went to Perugia on loan. It was a result of their game with Avellino in 1980 that he was accused of taking a bribe after the match ended 2-2 and Rossi scored both Perugia's goals. In 1981, whilst still suspended, Juventus bought him for £500.000. His suspension ended on April 29th 1982 and he was immediately recalled to international football in the 1982 World Cup. 

The tournament started poorly for Italy. In a group with Peru, Poland and Cameroon, they only managed to score two goals. They went through on more goals scored than Cameroon. Not many fancied Italy to progress further when they ended up in the same group as Brazil and defending champions Argentina. A narrow 2-1 against Argentina gave sign of improvements. But Rossi still hadn't scored after 4 matches. Teamcoach Enzo Bearzot gave him a last chance to impress in the deciding match against Brazil. In a memorable game where Brazil only needed a draw to reach the semifinal, Rossi scored a magnificent hat-trick, and Italy won 3-2. 

He continued to impress in the semifinal against Poland and scored both goals in the 2-0 victory, and in the final he scored the first in the 3-1 victory over West Germany. With that goal he also secured the topscorer title of the tournament. [source : Paolo Rossi]

Polo Rossi's Pictures

Franco Baresi

Franco Baresi, born in Travagliato, is one of very few players at top international level to have spent an entire career at one club. He made his debut for AC Milan in 1978 and won the Serie A already in his first full season the following year. Franco was one of these players that didn’t look very impressive physically compared to what you would expect from a central defender. He usually operated as a sweeper behind the defensive line, and controlled the pace of the game from there. He read the game impressively well, which was the main reason to why he was so outstanding.
 

It took some time for him to break into the national team because Enzo Bearzot, the coach at the time, preferred the Juventus trio Cabrini, Gentile and Scirea in defence. The latter occupied the sweeper’s position in the World Cup winning team of 1982. Baresi was included in that squad, but never played a minute in Spain which he didn’t like. He then rejected to play for Italy as long as Bearzot was in charge which made him miss the 1986 World Cup. Bearzot then retired and Baresi once again said yes to the Azzurri. Italy reached the semifinals at Euro 88, Franco’s first tournament with Italy, and another semifinal in their own World Cup in 1990. Italy lost to Argentina on penalties, but beat England in the bronzematch.

Baresi was captain when Italy travelled to America for the World Cup in 1994. At 34, he knew this was his last chance to win the World Cup, but an injury in the first round against Norway made him miss several matches and he wasn’t ready until the final against Brazil, where he played the game of his life. Brazil evenutally won on penalties and Franco missed one of the penalties for Italy. It was his 81st and final match for Italy.
 

He played three more years for Milan before retiring, having won six Serie A championships, three European Cups and two World Club Cups among his many titles. AC Milan paid tribute to him by making his number 6 jersey immortal. No player in the future will ever wear that jersey again for Milan. [source : Franco Baresi]

Franco Baresi's Pictures