Team created by a collaborative effort of 27DONI72, Milos, StuartBannigan and gurkenjoe93












Honours:

• FIFA World Cup

Winners (4): 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006
Runners-up (2): 1970, 1994
Third place (1): 1990
Fourth place (1): 1978

• UEFA European Championship

Winners (2): 1968, 2021
Runners-up (2): 2000, 2012
Fourth place (1): 1980
Semi-finals (1): 1988

• UEFA Nations League

Third place (1): 2021

• FIFA Confederations Cup

Third place (1): 2013


COACH: Vittorio POZZO




The best ever Italian players 23-man squad



GOALKEEPERS:

● Dino ZOFF
● Gianluigi BUFFON

DEFENDERS:

● Giacinto FACCHETTI
● Claudio GENTILE
● Gaetano SCIREA
● Giuseppe BERGOMI
● Franco BARESI
● Paolo MALDINI
● Fabio CANNAVARO


MIDFIELDERS:

● Giovanni FERRARI
● Gianni RIVERA
● Sandro MAZZOLA
● Romeo BENETTI
● Giancarlo ANTOGNONI
● Marco TARDELLI
● Andrea PIRLO

FORWARDS:

● Raimundo ORSI
● Giuseppe MEAZZA
● Silvio PIOLA
● Luigi RIVA
● Paolo ROSSI
● Bruno CONTI
● Roberto BAGGIO




_____________________________________________________________



RESERVES:


GOALKEEPERS:

● Gianpiero COMBI
● Walter ZENGA
● Gianluigi DONNARUMMA

DEFENDERS:

● Virginio ROSETTA
● Umberto CALIGARIS
● Eraldo MONZEGLIO
● Tarcisio BURGNICH
● Roberto ROSATO
● Antonio CABRINI
● Alessandro NESTA
● Gianluca ZAMBROTTA
● Giorgio CHIELLINI
● Leonardo BONUCCI

MIDFIELDERS:

● Adolfo BALONCIERI
● Michele ANDREOLO
● Valentino MAZZOLA
● Giacomo BULGARELLI
● Giancarlo DE SISTI
● Franco CAUSIO
● Gabriele ORIALI
● Roberto DONADONI
● Demetrio ALBERTINI
● Daniele DE ROSSI

FORWARDS:

● Angelo SCHIAVIO
● Gino COLAUSSI
● Giampiero BONIPERTI
● Angelo DOMENGHINI
● Francesco GRAZIANI
● Roberto BETTEGA
● Alessandro ALTOBELLI
● Gianluca VIALLI
● Christian VIERI
● Francesco TOTTI

Although I know most of you will hate me for that suggestion but IMO Andrea Pirlo has to be in first team. I'm not sure who he should replace (IMO Valentino Mazzola or Bulgarelli who were of course two of the greatest Italian players ever but didn't contribute anything important to the NT) but he has archieved so much with the NT so that he finally deserves a place here..

Valentino Mazzola is one of the best 4-5 italian players of all time, I wouldn't move him to reserves even if he didn't contribute anything to the NT.
Bulgarelli was great in 1962 WC and in 1966 he had a knee injury in the decisive match against North Korea, I think he has been unlucky because he played in one of the most confusing era for Italy NT.

Pirlo has surely achieved more than them even if I think 2006 has been the worst WC ever with 2002 one...

Bulgarelli and Pirlo deserve both to stay in the 23 men squad... Bulgarelli was a better player but Pirlo has been more important for the NT...

I'd like to see other opinions.

its kinda weird see Cannavaro in Reserves.... and Mauro Tassotti should be in the Reserves also

Well there's no reason to put him in first team as he wasn't a better defender than the ones who are in first team here..

I agree but if our standard of choice for all stars teams/nationals is how much players has been important for the team/national Cannavaro deserves more than Nesta to stay in first team, Nesta was better than Cannavaro but mainly cause injuries he never reached Fabio's performances in WC 2006.

well, if Pirlo should be in, then Del Piero or Totti should be also in

Pirlo would deserve to stay in first team but there are a lot of midfielders who deserve it too.
Del Piero absolutely doesn't there are tons of forwards who played better than him with national team. Totti played better than Alex but not enough to deserve the first team.

first team

IN Franco Causio

OUT Valentino Mazzola

IN Romeo Benetti

OUT Giacomo Bulgarelli

Why no Pirlo in first team?

I also think he could stay in first team but I don't know who can leave his place..

It's not easy to select only 23 players for these biggest national teams and it's impossible get everyone to agree.
We have to create this team to use them in PES so we can't choose 3-4 players in the same position.
Pirlo had probably the best performances in italian national team in the last 10 years but Italy had dozens of amazing players in his position and we can't say Pirlo is surely better than Antognoni, Rivera, etc so IMHO it's not a mistake not choose Pirlo in 23 squad.
The best playing system in italian history is Catenaccio and it needs two defensive midfielders, in first team we had only Tardelli.

Well... selecting players for NT is a matter that i don't wanna be a part of it, but 27DONI72 says this:




Why only 23?

23 is the squad for NTs... And I think It's a good choice to keep that "system" because this kind of All Stars team still being National Teams

@ JeanMarc: I don't know why you're so angry. I only asked why Pirlo isn't in first team and you react as if that is a personal insult against you óÒ But you can calm down and stay in this forum, I won't post any bull shit stats & teams anymore