5 - Ruud Gullit (Holland)
The Dutchman was the star who shone the brightest at Milan during the absence of Marco Van Basten through injury. Signed from PSV, Gullit won 3 Scudetti and two European Cups with the Rossoneri. The Dutchman was physically very
strong and his ability on the ball helped him to play many different roles in his time in Italy. He underlined that he wasn’t finished yet after he moved to Sampdoria where he had a great spell of 2 years.
4 - Zinedine Zidane (France)
The French football legend was another player who won the Golden Ball while at Juventus. The Frenchman took time in settling down at Milan after moving from Bordeaux but found himself eventually and became the instrumental figure
behind Juventus’ good old times. Zinedine Zidane eventually was sold to Real Madrid after 5 years for a then world record fee of $50 million which showed everyone what he had become and what he will go on to become. The France 98 World Cup winner was perhaps
not as famous as Michel Platini due to his quiet life in Turin but is still regarded among the greatest Juve players of all time.
3 - Marco Van Basten (Holland)
The Dutch wizard was suffering from ankle injuries when he joined A.C Milan in 1987 and sadly, Marco Van Basten had to prematurely put curtains on his playing career at a relatively young age of 30. Such was his impact on the Italian
game that on the eve of his retirement, club official, Adriano Galliani stated “Football has lost its Leonardo Da Vinci”. The inspiring Dutchman was club owner Silvio Berlusconi’s favorite player and even though he retired early, he was able and also good
enough to win 3 Golden Balls, 3 Scudetti and amazingly, 2 European Cups. His last game was the unlucky 1993 Champions League final defeat at the hands of French outfit, Marseille.
2 - Michel Platini (France)
The Republic of Ireland international, Liam Brady was sacrificed only to make room for the French legend Michel Platini as during those days, the Italian football ruling allowed only 3 foreign players in a team. Michel Platini
took almost half of his first season to settle down with life at Juventus but eventually found his feet and went on to win everything that the club had to offer apart from the UEFA Cup. The Frenchman remarkably won three consecutive Capocannoniere crowns and
three consecutive Golden Balls during his stay at Juventus. Michel Platini put a stop to his playing career in 1987 but that wasn’t the last of football greats seen by Italy as another legend, this time from Napoli.
1 - Diego Armando Maradona (Argentina)
How should one start about Maradona? He was an artist, he was part animal, a hero and then a villain, an icon and definitely a poor boy who became an angel and a religion before his own demons tore him and his career apart. But
no matter who and what he was, Maradona was the greatest ‘thing’ Italian football ever saw. Ask any Italian about the greatest Serie A foreign signing and whichever club the Italian supports, he or she will say Maradona without hesitation. As a 12 year old,
Maradona used to do half time tricks and skills for fans at Boca Junior, his boyhood club. He left Argentina for Barcelona but left the club after a year, never really realizing his true potential. But in 1984, Italian outfit Napoli cashed in 6.9 million pounds
for the services of the striker and the legend was welcomed by 70,000 fans at Sao Paolo for the presentation. It took Napoli two years to finally start performing and in 1986, Maradona became a true legend in Naples. Maradona guided Napoli to its first Scudetto
and the Copa Italia. He then won the Capocannoniere the following season and then added the UEFA Cup to the Naples trophy cabinet in 1989.
Things changed after Italia 90 after Argentina beat Italy in the semifinal on penalties and in the final his national team was jeered by the locals causing the little man to sob after a 1-0 victory. A dope scandal in 1994 led Maradona
to leave football as off the field, the Argentinean legend was tested positive for cocaine use.
The former Argentina coach is recently rumored to be trying to realize his dream of coaching Napoli sometime in the future. The football legend is still loved and adored in Naples for his 7 years at the club and traditionally in
Naples, 7 is equal to 14. So the mutual love story might just not be finished.
A truly great player regardless of what he had become later on, Maradonna’s name will always be remembered in Italy, especially in Naples.
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