The Greatest Italian Midfielders of all-time

No.1 Giacomo Bulgarelli

Apart from two matches at the very end of his career with NASL side Hartford Bicentennials, Bulgarelli spent his sixteen years in Italy with Bologna, becoming a legend at the club as he helped them win their first Scudetto since the club's glory years of the 1930s and early 1940s. Described by Fabio Capello as Italy's greatest ever midfielder, Bulgarelli was the complete footballer for the centre of the pitch, Defensively he was excellent, tenacious, hard-working and strong in the tackle, whilst offensively he also had great attributes - great vision, passing ability and intelligence on and off the ball.

No.1 Romano Fogli

Bologna legend who as a youngster had been rejected by several clubs as they thought he was tool frail and wouldn't stand up to the rigours of the adult game. Whilst his physique remained rather slim throughout his career he had a Overly elegant style about him and a surprisingly good engine that would see him covering vast areas of the pitch and earning him the nickname of the mosquito. He proved to be the perfect midfield partner at Bologna for Giacomo Bulgarelli as the two helped the side win their first Scudetto for more than 20 years.

No.1 Giovanni Lodetti

Tremendously hard-working little midfielder who would act as the defensive sidekick to the creative talent of Gianni Rivera at Milan throughout the 1960s. Whilst Rivera would often get the plaudits from the press, Lodetti's work rate, stamina and all round play would get the respect of his teammates, fans and coaches, and he was often the first name on the team sheet for likes of Nereo Rocco who managed him.

No.1 Giovanni Ferrari

One of only three Italian players to have won two World Cups, Giovanni Ferrari was the playmaker of the Azzurri's 1934 and 1938 triumphs.

No.1 Fulvio Bernardini

No.1 Valentino Mazzola

No.1 Attilio Ferraris

No.1 Giuseppe Meazza

No.1 Luis Monti

No.1 Giancarlo De Sisti

No.1 Antonio Juliano

Playmaking midfielder who is a club legend of Napoli, having come through the youth ranks of his home-town club and spent 22 years there in total. He held the record for most appearances at the club until being surpassed by Giuseppe Bruscolotti and then, in recent years, Marek Hamšík. Juliano's vision, passing, and ability on the ball marked him out as one Italy's finest technical midfielders of the 1960s and 1970s, but it was also his leadership and organisational qualities that set him apart from many other creative players. He would become captain of Napoli aged only 23, and whilst he would just miss out on the glory of guiding the club to a Scudetto, twice finishing second, he did lead the club to two Coppa Italia titles. At international level, Juliano was a European Championship winner with Italy, playing as an attacking midfielder in the final against Yugoslavia.

No.1 Fabio Capello

No.1 Franco Causio

Nicknamed the Baron due to his stylish looks and play, Franco Causio cut an iconic figure on the right wing in the 1970s and 1980s, his shock of black hair and his moustache making him one of the most identifiable players of that Serie A era. A traditional winger possessing great natural dribbling skills and crossing ability, Causio was best known for his eleven years with Juventus from 1970 to 1981, a long spell that would see his performances help the club to six Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup.

No.1 Renato Zaccarelli

No.1 Claudio Sala

A Torino legend and one of Italy's best wingers in the 1970s, Claudio Sala played nearly 400 games for the Granata in an eleven year period. Know for his pace, power, passing and crossing, Sala was a real handful for Serie A fullbacks throughout his career, and his two-footedness meant he could be dangerous on either flank.

No.1 Giuseppe Dossena

A regista, Dossena made his name in the early 1980s with Torino, his performances with the Granata earning him a call up to the national team and earning him a place on the plane as part of the successful 1982 World Cup squad.

After six years in Turin, he moved to Udinese, turning 30 whilst he was there and many expecting his career to wind down. However, a move to Sampdoria in the summer of 1988 would provide an unexpected late kickstart to Dossena's career and result in a fantastic swan song that would see him winning a Scudetto with Samp in 1991. Dossena would form a great midfield partnership with the great Brazilian Cerezo and, incredibly, would be the only player to appear in every Serie A match, despite being one of the oldest squad members.

No.1 Gianpiero Marini

No.1 Bruno Conti

Bruno Conti had a great playing career, which saw him play for his boyhood club AS Roma and also represent Italy at the international level, playing a huge part in the Azzurri team that won the 1982 World Cup, his fantastic performances widely acknowledged as one of the reasons for their success. He was known for his technical ability, pace, and in particular for his dribbling skills, which made him a nightmare for defenders. Conti's domestic career was also marked by several successes, including a Serie A title and five Coppa Italia titles, and the UEFA Cup. He is widely regarded as one of the best Italian players of his generation and a true legend of the Italian game.

No.1 Carlo Ancelotti

An elegant, intelligent midfielder who had a great career but one which could have been even better had it not been for injuries before or during key moments of his career. Ancelotti started his career with Parma before moving to Roma. Often played on the wing, he would become a deep-lying playmaker when he moved to Milan and would have a strong influence on his successor in the role, Albertini. Anyone who was lucky enough to see Ancelotti play in his prime, with his intelligence on and off the ball, along with his tactical excellence, will not have been surprised to see him make the successful step up to management.

No.1 Salvatore Bagni

No.1 Fernando De Napoli

No.1 Antonio Di Gennaro

No.1 Agostino Di Bartolomei

No.1 Giuseppe Giannini

No.1 Roberto Donadoni

No.1 Nicola Berti

Nicola Berti was a talented and versatile midfielder who played an important role in the success of Inter Milan and the Italian national team during the 1990s. He was a tireless worker who could play in a variety of positions, and his aggressive tackling and skill on the ball made him a valuable asset to any team. Despite his injury troubles, Berti's legacy as a hard-working and talented footballer will endure in the memories of football fans around the world.

No.1 Demetrio Albertini

No.1 Dino Baggio

No.1 Antonio Conte

No.1 Alberico Evani

No.1 Angelo Di Livio

No.1 Roberto Di Matteo

No.1 Diego Fuser

No.1 Luigi Di Biagio

No.1 Massimo Ambrosini

No.1 Stefano Fiore

No.1 Gennaro Gattuso

Gennaro Gattuso was a hard-working and aggressive midfielder who was renowned for his tough-tackling and ball-winning abilities. He had exceptional defensive skills and was known for his ability to read the game and break up opposition attacks. Gattuso was also a tireless runner who covered a lot of ground on the pitch and was known for his exceptional stamina and endurance. His playing style made him a valuable asset to any team and earned him a reputation as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

No.1 Damiano Tommasi

No.1 Mauro Camoranesi

No.1 Simone Perrotta

No.1 Andrea Pirlo

No.1 Daniele De Rossi

No.1 Claudio Marchisio

No.1 Thiago Motta

No.1 Marco Verratti

No.1 Giancarlo Antognoni

No.1 Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio was known for his elegant and graceful playing style, which combined exceptional ball control, technical skills, and precision shooting. He was equally adept at scoring goals and creating chances for his teammates, and was renowned for his ability to dribble past defenders with ease. Baggio was a true artist on the pitch, who played the game with passion and creativity, earning him a place among the all-time greats of the sport.

No.1 Gianni Rivera

No.1 Romeo Benetti

No.1 Massimo Crippa

A key player as Napoli won only their second ever Scudetto in the 1989-90 season, whilst most of the plaudits went to the incredible attacking talent of their South American stars Diego Maradona and Careca, Massimo Crippa was putting in a real shift in the centre of the midfield, doing the dirty stuff for his more creative teammates. Crippa's powerful performances, determination and consistency, would see him as one of coach Alberto Bigon's first names on the team-sheet, and only defender Ciro Ferrera would start more league matches than Crippa. Crippa would spend five years with Napoli before moving north to Parma, and becoming a key part of the club's most successful era.

No.1 Sandro Mazzola

The son of legendary 1940s Torino midfielder Valentino Mazzola, Sandro would go on to become a superstar himself at another Serie A club, Inter, in the 1960s and 1970s. He would inherit his father's skill and creativity, attributes that would see him on occasion play in a similar playmaker role to his father. He also developed the same goalscoring ability, and his knack of timing his runs would lead to a reputation of scoring important goals, none more so than in the 1964 European Cup final where he scored twice and in the 1964 and 1965 Intercontinental Cup where he would score in both finals.

No.1 Gianluca Zambrotta

No.1 Marco Tardelli