Well, I can remember me continuing his career since 1995 aproximately, when he was playing in Girondins Bordeaux yet. As I speak Spanish, I usually am in Spanish forums, so I understand why frenquently the Spaniards consider him only since 2001, when he signed to Real Madrid. They have a great memory of the Champions League 2001-2002, the great goal against Bayer Leverkusen, and the league of 2002-2003; but I think that phase of Zidane, although good, is far from being the best and is a typical mistake for the circumstance to have figured in the world commercial Real Madrid, where actually, I think has only "very good" seasons but not great ever, with considerable irregularities inside his excellent level and already in a slope. Before his arrival to Real Madrid, I think Zidane had been erected as a legendary player already, reaching his maximum level between 1996 to 1998. I was impressive with a player that I already had noted since before as a wonderful player but a little unstable when he was playing the Copa UEFA 1995-1996 with Bordeaux. I consider his club emblem to the Juventus, after only his regular level in the Euro 1996, he had a really impressive games with that club. I remember his first extraordinary game against Inter, reached a stupendous regularity. The season 1997-1998, in his second season with Juventus was better, and I remember that season as the best of a player in a overall league in my opinion. In Champions League he did stupendous campaigns, better than his campaign with Real Madrid in 2001-2002. I think maybe the most of people think the contrary thing because with the Spanish team he won the championship there and doesn't note well the difference of the individual level of him for that, superior in 1997 and definitely in 1998, when he lost the finals. While the time passes, I think the memory is left to deceive by the list of titles and considers superior the season of the earned title erroneously. Then I consider that he crown this stupendous phase with his performance in the World Cup France 1998, still being expulsed for two matches, leading his national team to their first championship. Before 1998 I think he never could be again in such tremendous level, had great matches, a great Euro 2000, and with Real Madrid obtained important titles between 2001 to 2003 that contributed in my opinion to put him as 5th or 6th best player ever and consider him as the best player I ever seen, but never could maintain the same impressive regularity I remember him in Juventus, just continued giving brushstrokes of genius.
Ballack is not the best choice for a DM IMHO...I would go with Frings instead if that is what you were looking for. Ballack is more of a attacking midfielder with minor playmaking roles.
Zidane was considered a good player, not too many people knew him back then. During this period, RONALDO owned the sport of footy. There was no doubt who the best player in the world was! And it most definitly wasn't Zizou!
no nilton santos in ANY team? haha. funny. maybe the most complete defender behind beckenbauer. ------------------------Pelé---------------------------- Cruyff--------------------------------------Garrincha--- ---------------------------Maradona-------------------- ------------Gérson-------------------------------------- --------------------------------Falcão------------------ Nilton Santos-----------------------------------CA Torres ------------------Beckembauer-----Gamarra-------------- ---------------------------Yashin------------------------ a real team, 2 real defenders in midfield with exceptional playmaking skills, 3 real playmakers, 4 real defensive genius. if we make a more ofensive team, we could put Zidane, Platini, Zizinho or Di stefano in attack/attacing midfielder in the gérson position.
Translation: "I am a jealous prick who could never hack it in profesional football". Jesus Christ, you are one of the many ignorant people in the World. You act as if Maradona was the first player ever to have a leftist personality. You act as if Maradona was the first ever player to do drugs. You act as if he was the first ever player to be sent off, dived, or scored with his hand. And I can assure you he wasn't.
Translation: "I am a fan boy and no matter what Maradona does he will always be my idol!" Dude, relax! he doesn't like him, he gave his reasons, which he didn't have too in the first place and yet you still find a way to call him "ignorant" and a "jealous prick"?? I don't like Maradon either, ok! No, I am not a jealous prick, and I am not ignorant; I just don't freakin' like him. I will admit he was a truly gifted player beyond belief but I just can't stand him...and fans boys like you make it so much easier. I don't like a lot of other players, for whatever reasons - and he is one of them. Live with it!
Your list is great, but players like Domingos da Guia, Didi, Leônidas da Silva, Sepp Meier, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Puskas, Stanley Matthews, Eusébio, Best cannot remain unmentioned. They ALL are 'top 11' level... That list could be: Yashin C. Alberto - Domingos da Guia - Nilton Santos Didi - Di Stéfano - Cruyjff Garrincha - Pelé - Leônidas - Maradona Or: Sepp Meier Beckenbauer - Bobby Moore Gérson - Bobby Charlton - Zizinho Stanley Matthews - Puskas - Eusébio - Best ...and we would just see marvels happening on the fields! PS: A final remark: Zico was extra-class and way above Platini & Falcão, but I wouldn't get to the point of placing him among the 'top 11 ever' (I'm a Flamengo fan!...): Flamengo's Domingos da Guia, Zizinho, Leônidas da Silva, Gérson were a few steps above him.
Djalma Santos was a Right Back. Despite being righty Nilton santos was a left back, center back and defensive midfielder. But he is the greatest Left Back of Brazil (and of the world) in all time. Djalma santos, Josimar, Leandro and Carlos alberto torres was the 4 best right backs in brazil (and in all time, probably); im my opinion torres was best.
I agree with almost everything you said there. The only exception is your statement about his 'leftist personality'... Which simply never existed. Maradona adhered to the 'left' when the left had long ago ceased to exist in the world, and whose 'leaders' could be summed up in a decadent Fidel Castro, in a sadly demagogue Saddam Hussein, a pathetic Bin Laden, or an egotist César Chavez ... Nowadays Barack Obama, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton & the King of Spain are way more 'to the left' than those El Pibe's 'idols'... A genius as a player, but as decadent as those guys up there as a 'politician', Maradona, with those bad quality theatrical 'mis-enscènes' (his display of Che Guevara & Chávez 'tatoos', and the 'tatoos' subliminarly enhance even more his unfortunate dependance on drugs) in fact wants to look 'leftist' - a Simón Bolívar defending games in the altitude of the Andes and leading the peoples of Latin America against FIFA's dictatorship... He should limit himself to the sportive ground, where he is king... As a 'politician' he sounds more like a character of a Mexican novela... An out-of-date Pancho Villa .
Way better. This was not said by me or the Brazilians, but he (and C. Alberto as a right defender, closely followed by D. Santos - or it was the other way 'round?) were a choice of the most prestigious football critics of the world of all epochs (in their majority Europeans).
But can you personally justify and explain why Nilton is way better than Maldini and Fachetti or are you relying solely on these so called football experts?
I'm 60 y-old and saw N. Santos, D. Santos, C. Alberto, and, posteriorly Maldini. So, I CAN judge. But I'm Brazilian - I'm suspicious. So let's let the final judgement to the experts. That subject had already been discussed in the 'Platini All-Time 11?' thread. I transcribe below my opinion and the voting of the international critics:
Well according to your experts, you're correct but I would like to add that since 1996 Nilton only appeared twice while Maldini took the LB slot in all the other teams, so maybe calling Nilton 'way better' than Maldini is a bit of a stretch. He was still a fine player, though.
'Way better' in my suspicious opinion, let's make it clear. And maybe those critics (who, on the contrary from what you say, are not 'mine', but 'yours', since in their vast majority they are/were Europeans) are wrong. Maldini was a very fine player on his own - and the fact that he appeared more in the most recent polls, let's concede, is not mainly because he might be better than N. or D. Santos, but also because he himself was 'more recent'. On the other hand, only the fact that N. and D. Santos 'still' appear in a 2004 'all-time selection' can be seen as a proof of longevity, don't you agree?... Just for illustration: N. Santos nickname was The Encyclopaedia of Football (A Enciclopédia, in Portuguese). When he spoke, Pelé...listened to .
off course, he was the most complete defender that walked on earth behind Beckenbauer. nilton santos played in all positions at high level, in exceptions center forward and right wing. for that reason he is called "the football encyclopaedia". obviously maldini is a great player, i put him in the same level of Júnior, facheti and breitner.
Maldini is the best LB ever! Not only that, he's the best defender ever (unless you prefer Baresi)! Not only that, he's still going strong after making his debut in 1984. There's no way that Nilton Santos is better than Maldini. Nilton Santos is better offensively but defensively, there isn't a comparison. Maldini knows every trick in the book. I wouldn't use the more recent excuse either. Pele retired from NT football more than 35 years ago but he is still rated by many as the greatest player of all-time. Nilton Santos would get the nod over Facchetti on the basis that he was a solid performer for the Selecao and Facchetti, despite all his caps, never really had any good tornaments for Italy.
in my selection maldini would be a reserve, exactly because i choose 2 defensive midfielders (i think that is the ultimate formation) but for make a good team with 2 d-mids you need defenders who attack and defend at highest level. Nilton Santos was a fully right back, exactly because he attacks and defend very good, if maldini was choosen, gérson and cruyff wil l attack alone in the left and the team will gain not much defensively. at all, individually i think a rigth back need to me more complete to be "the best" in that position. greetings.
but in a 3-5-2 formation i would choose --------------Pelé-------------Garrincha Cruyff------Di Stefano------Maradona--- ----------Gérson---------Falcão-------- ----maldini - beckembauer - B. moore---- --------------------Yashin maldini was a good at that position (better than n. santos) and falcão could play as righ back, you can change to 4-1-3-2 easily.
Say what you will about Maradona's views, but I don't think they are relevant. I don't agree with him at all, but I understand where he's coming from. He is an unsophisticated, uneducated man, and his views are no different from those of most uneducated people who grew up where he grew up, in extreme poverty. In that sense he has remained true to his roots, even after all the fame and fortune that football gave to him. He certainly has the right to give his opinion, and those who take his political views seriously have only themselves to blame for it. The only reason he's taken more seriously than others who grew up in the same kind of environment is that he was arguably the best football player ever. Do you think that is a good reason to make an issue of his politics? I don't. Just let him be, and appreciate him for who he was as a player.
Is Carlos Alberto considered by Brazilians to be better than Djalma? I realize he was a great leader and very impressive with the ball, but looking at old videos, his defensive skills don't seem quite as impressive. (Speaking at the highest level, of course) D.Santos from what I read about him seems like he was the stronger defensive player, and also a great leader and great joining the attack. But what do I know? I'm Argentine.
i think its very tought for brazilians to choose, much like more Leandro (82), Josimar (86) and Nelinho (74-78) too. BUt the most prefer torres or Djalma. Djalma was very fit, but is an old fashioned RB, he rarely goes ahead the central line, i consider him at same level of Torres. In my criteria, when most recent the player is, most difficult to be a great players, for N reasons, then when two players are tied in quality for me, i choose the most recent.