Italian football has long been synonymous with the art of defending – and the nation of calcio really have made it an art.
Needless to say, then, it's a country that's produced some truly legendary defensive artists, from pioneering liberos to modern wing-backs.
FourFourTwo has been hard at work whittling a longlist down to the very best Italian defenders ever, and here are the results...
The right-back in Italy’s Euro 2020-winning team, Giovanni Di Lorenzo followed that tournament up with successive inclusions in the Serie A Team of the Year.
After bouncing around the lower reaches of Italian football for the best part of a decade, Di Lorenzo has spent the bulk of his career with Napoli, captaining them to their runaway 2022/23 Scudetto triumph.
A Champions League winner and four-time Serie A champion with Juventus, the highly versatile Gianluca Pessotto was adept at full-back, wing-back or in an even more advanced role.
He played an important part in Italy’s run to the final of Euro 2000, also featuring at the 1998 World Cup and earning 22 caps for the Azzurri in all.
He’s still most famous as the recipient of Zinedine Zidane’s mad headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final – but let’s not forget Marco Materazzi also scored Italy’s equaliser in that game (having earlier given away a penalty which Zidane converted to put France ahead).
The treble-winning former Inter Milan man – who was voted 2007 Serie A Defender of the Year – completed his redemptive arc by converting a penalty as the Azzurri triumphed in a shootout.
Capped 34 times by Italy, Massimo Oddo won major trophies with Lazio and AC Milan – including the Champions League with the latter – as well as lifting the 2006 World Cup.
How did he celebrate Italy being crowned world champions? He lopped off a great big chunk of teammate Mauro Camoranesi’s long hair, of course…
He’s one of the greatest managers of all time – and Giovanni Trapattoni wasn’t too shabby as a centre-back either, helping AC Milan to two Serie A titles and two European Cups during the 60s.
‘Il Trap’ won 17 caps for his country – who he later coached at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 – producing a particularly memorable display to nullify Pele in a 3-0 friendly victory over Brazil in 1963.
A highly reliable left-back, Fabio Grosso dispatched the decisive penalty in the 2006 World Cup final (having already scored as Italy beat Germany in the semis).
At club level, Grosso – who was a set-piece specialist – got his hands on league winner’s medals in Italy – with Inter Milan and Juventus – and France – with Lyon.
A 57-time Italian international, right-back Christian Panucci lifted the Champions League twice in the space of four years – with AC Milan in 1994 and Real Madrid in 1998.
Also a domestic title winner with both of those clubs, Panucci – who was versatile enough to line up across the back line – made most of his career appearances for Roma, where he won back-to-back Coppa Italia crowns in 2007 and 2008.
One of the finest Italian defenders of the 90s, Ciro Ferrara was equally comfortable at right-back or centre-half.
Capped 49 times by the Azzurri, Ferrara split his club career more or less equally between Napoli and Juventus, his numerous honours including two Serie A titles with the former, and four plus the Champions League with the latter.
A formidably consistent centre-back, Andrea Barzagli enjoyed great success with Juventus and Italy, winning eight straight Serie A titles between 2012 and 2019 – and lifting the 2006 World Cup.
Included in four Serie A Teams of the Year, Barzagli also won Serie D and Serie C championships early in his career with Rondinella and Ascoli respectively – as well as the 2008/09 Bundesliga title at Wolfsburg.
Father of Paolo, Cesare Maldini is regarded as an AC Milan legend in his own right, having won four Scudetti and the European Cup with the Rossoneri during the mid-20th century.
Captain of his club and country, Maldini Sr made 412 appearances for Milan altogether – his career bookended by spells at Triestina and Torino.
Pierluigi Cera’s career pinnacle came in 1970, as he captained Cagliari to their first and only Serie A title and finished as a World Cup runner-up with his country.
A prominent proponent of the libero role, Cera was one of the game’s first sweepers and could also operate in a midfield playmaking capacity.
Father of Paolo, Cesare Maldini is regarded as an AC Milan legend in his own right, having won four Scudetti and the European Cup with the Rossoneri during the mid-20th century.
Captain of his club and country, Maldini Sr made 412 appearances for Milan altogether – his career bookended by spells at Triestina and Torino.
An Olympic gold medallist and a world champion with Italy in 1936 and 1938 respectively, Pietro Rava was capped 30 times by the Azzurri between 1935 and 1946.
The Turin-born full-back spent most of his career with local giants Juventus, helping them to Serie A and Coppa Italia success.
Up there with best full-backs of all time, Gianluca Zambrotta earned 100 caps for Italy over the course of an 11-year international career which peaked at the 2006 World Cup.
There, Zambrotta – who claimed league titles with Juventus and AC Milan – made FIFA’s All-Star Team as Italy got their hands on the trophy, having previously been named in the Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament.
Azzurri skipper at the 1966 World Cup and a key member of their victorious Euro 1968 team, Sandro Salvadore was one of the finest defenders of his generation, excelling as a libero.
Capped 36 times in all, Salvadore won two Serie A titles with hometown club AC Milan, before repeating the feat with Juventus – where he also lifted the Coppa Italia.
One of Italy’s most-capped players of all time, Leonardo Bonucci was one of the senior members of his nation’s Euro 2020 triumph, scoring the equaliser in the final against England.
Up there with the very best centre-halves of the 2010s, Bonucci did the Scudetto eight times in nine years with Juventus – having already won it once at Inter Milan as a youngster.
An important member of Italy’s 1934 and 1938 World Cup-winning sides, Eraldo Monzeglio also starred in Bologna’s 1928/29 Scudetto triumph.
One of just three Italians to lift two World Cups, Monzeglio’s friendship with fascist dictator Benito Mussolini rather tarnished his reputation, but he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013, some 32 years after his death.
Chalking up 117 caps between 2004 and 2022, centre-back titan Giorgio Chiellini is a modern legend of Italian football, captaining the Azzurri to victory at Euro 2020.
He didn’t fare too badly at club level either, winning nine Serie A titles (and one Serie B) with Juventus, who he also helped to two Champions League finals.
Crucial to the success of Heleno Herrera’s ‘Grande Inter’ during the 60s, Giacinto Facchetti was one of the first to perfect the role of the attacking full-back.
A world-class presence on the left of defence for Inter and Italy – with both of whom he was crowned a European champion – the one-club man placed second in the voting for the 1965 Ballon d’Or.
An absolute legend at AC Milan, Mauro Tassotti lined up in some of the greatest defences the game has ever seen, under the great Arrigo Sacchi then Fabio Capello.
Predominantly a right-back, Tassotti starred as Milan won successive European Cups in 1989 and 1990 – then added another, by which time the competition had become the Champions League, in 1994.
An elite stopper, Fulvio Collovati formed part of the rock-solid back five on which Italy built their 1982 World Cup victory.
Named in that tournament’s All-Star Team, Collovati – who was renowned for his expert marking and aerial prowess – made over 100 appearances for both Milan and Inter, winning second-tier and top-flight titles with the former.
Another integral component of the ‘Grande Inter’ backline under Helenio Herrera, full-back great Tarcisio Burgnich helped the Nerazzurri to four Serie A crowns in addition to successive European and Intercontinental Cups.
Either side of his 12-year association with Inter, the 66-cap Italy international – a Euro 1968 winner and a 1970 World Cup runner-up – claimed major silverware with Juventus and Napoli.
Another integral component of the ‘Grande Inter’ backline under Helenio Herrera, full-back great Tarcisio Burgnich helped the Nerazzurri to four Serie A crowns in addition to successive European and Intercontinental Cups.
Either side of his 12-year association with Inter, the 66-cap Italy international – a Euro 1968 winner and a 1970 World Cup runner-up – claimed major silverware with Juventus and Napoli.
A one-club man with the exception of a loan spell at Monza as a youngster, iconic centre-back Alessandro Costacurta has to go down as one of the greatest players in AC Milan’s history.
The 59-time Italy international – a 1994 World Cup runner-up – made 663 appearances for the Rossoneri in total, winning an incredible seven Serie A titles and five European Cups / Champions League.
Even as a youngster, Giuseppe Bergomi sported such an impressive moustache that he acquired the nickname ‘Lo Zio’ (‘The Uncle’) – and his footballing ability was almost as notable as his enviable facial hair…
A right-back by trade, Bergomi – who spent his whole 20-year career with Inter Milan – the robust Italian, a 1982 World Cup winner, was a no-nonsense defender adept across the back line.
Up there with the best left-backs ever to do it, Antonio Cabrini enjoys legendary status at Juventus – where he won six Scudetti, the European Cup, UEFA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup – and with the Italian national team.
Converted from a winger, he starred on the left of the Azzurri’s 1982 World Cup-winning back five – having been voted Best Young Player at the previous tournament.
Another integral member of Italy’s world-beating rearguard of 1982, fearsome centre-half hardman Claudio Gentile also enjoyed immense success with Juventus.
Making almost 300 appearances for the Bianconeri, he won six Serie A titles, as well as lifting the Coppa Italia twice and the UEFA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup once apiece.
Revered by fans of Lazio and AC Milan – winning the title with both, as well as the Cup Winners’ Cup with the former and two Champions Leagues with the latter – Alessandro Nesta was one of the finest defenders on the planet during the late 20th century and early 21st century.
A complete, elite centre-back, Nesta was voted Serie A Defender of the Year four years running between 2000 and 2003, and collected a 2006 World Cup winner’s medal.
Undoubtedly one of the finest defenders ever to set foot on the pitch, Franco Baresi amassed more than 719 appearances for AC Milan – his only club – and earned 81 Italy caps.
A 1982 World Cup winner as a youngster (although he didn’t see any action), Baresi finished second to Milan teammate Marco van Basten in the 1989 Ballon d’Or voting, having his first of three European Cups / Champions Leagues as captain of the Rossoneri – who he also helped to six Serie A titles and two Serie B crowns.
The back five which formed the foundations of Italy’s 1982 World Cup triumph is the stuff of legend – and here is the fifth and most pivotal member of it, Gaetano Scirea.
An astonishingly gifted and classy libero, Scirea started out with Atalanta before going on to enjoy enormous success with Juventus, winning six Serie A titles and tasting glory in all three major European competitions of the day.
Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning skipper and an indisputable icon of the centre-back position, Fabio Cannavaro made history by becoming the first defender ever to scoop the Ballon d’Or – finishing ahead of teammate Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry.
A two-time European U21 Championship winner with the Azzurri, Cannavaro racked up 136 caps for his nation – the most by an outfield player – and had notable club spells with Parma, Juventus and Real Madrid.
Did you know that Paolo Maldini means full-back in Italian? Of course you didn’t, because we just completely made that up – but it might as well; Il Capitano is the undisputed GOAT in this position – and he’s Italy’s GOAT as far as defenders go overall.
The ultimate one-club man, Maldini – who, just like his father, also wore the Azzurri armband – racked up a whopping 902 appearances for AC Milan over the course of a career which lasted a quarter-of-a-century, collecting just the five Champions League winner’s medals along the way.
