“Atletico’s president once bet me a Ferrari if I scored a hat-trick. I’d left for Lazio by the time it was finally delivered, so said, ‘It’s OK, you can keep it’.” Christian Vieri recalls his La Liga spell

Italian footballers Christian Panucci and Christian Vieri in action for Real Madrid and Atletico in a derby match in 1998.

There haven’t been too many footballers like Christian Vieri before or since the Italian-born, Australian-raised striker embarked on his 15-team, 18-year career which saw him play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe and lead the line for the Azzurri at two World Cups.

The 51-year-old never stayed long at a club, with his six-year spell at Inter Milan between 1999 and 2005 the only multi-year spell at any of his clubs.