Best Defender / year-by-year

[Gregoriak]

I compiled this by looking at the highest-placed defender in each year`s “European Footballer of the Year” poll since 1956.

For 1956 to 1991, I had the Top 10 available, from 1992 to 1999, only the Top 5. If no defender managed to be voted into the Top 10, resp. the Top 5, I marked this with a ‘?’. Maybe somebody has access to the annual Top 20s, so that I can fill the (many) blanks?


Here goes:

Year Votes NAME (Country/Club)

1956 009 Ernst OCWIRK (Austria/Sampdoria Genoa)
1957 019 Billy WRIGHT (England/Wolverhampton)
1958 009 Billy WRIGHT (England/Wolverhampton)
1959 008 Horst SZYMANIAK (W Germany/Karlsruher SC)
1960 009 Horst SZYMANIAK (W Germany/Karlsruher SC)
1961 ?
1962 051 Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER (W Germany/1. FC Köln)
1963 016 Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER (W Germany/1. FC Köln)
1964 ?
1965 040 Giacinto FACCHETTI (Italy/Inter Milan)
1966 059 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1967 037 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1968 036 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1969 018 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1970 069 Bobby MOORE (England/West Ham United)
1971 027 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1972 081 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1973 030 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1974 105 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1975 042 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1976 091 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1977 005 Emlyn HUGHES (England/Liverpool FC)
1977 005 Berti VOGTS (W Germany/Borussia Moenchengladbach)
1978 020 Ruud KROL (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam)
1979 041 Ruud KROL (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam)
1980 010 Manfred KALTZ (W Germany/Hamburger SV)
1981 009 Alexander CHIVADZE (USSR/Dynamo Tiflis)
1982 ?
1983 ?
1984 ?
1985 009 Hans Peter BRIEGEL (W Germany/Hellas Verona)
1986 022 Manuel AMOROS (France/AS Monaco)
1987 006 Glen HYSEN (Sweden/Fiorentina)
1988 045 Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands/AC Milan)
1989 043 Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands/AC Milan)
1990 068 Andreas BREHME (W Germany/Inter Milan)
1991 015 Miodrag BELODEDIC (Yugoslavia/Red Star Belgrade)
1992 ?
1993 ?
1994 109 Paolo MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan)
1995 ?
1996 144 Matthias SAMMER (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)
1997 047 Roberto CARLOS (Brazil/Real Madrid)
1998 ?
1999 ?
2000 ?
2001 ?
2002 ?
2003 ?

[comme]

I can fill in a few gaps for you.


2000 Allesandro Nesta
2002 Roberto Carlos
2003 Paolo Maldini

In the World Player of the year awards
1992 Franco Baresi (Rijkaard was higher but was undoubtedly a midfielder by then)
1993 Ronald Koeman
1995 Paolo Maldini
1998 Marcel Desailly

[comme]

Also

UEFA defender of the year

1999 Jaap Stam
2001 Roberto Fabian Ayala

[Kaushik]

So far we therefore have:

Year Votes NAME (Country/Club)

1956 009 Ernst OCWIRK (Austria/Sampdoria Genoa)
1957 019 Billy WRIGHT (England/Wolverhampton)
1958 009 Billy WRIGHT (England/Wolverhampton)
1959 008 Horst SZYMANIAK (W Germany/Karlsruher SC)
1960 009 Horst SZYMANIAK (W Germany/Karlsruher SC)
1961 ?
1962 051 Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER (W Germany/1. FC Köln)
1963 016 Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER (W Germany/1. FC Köln)
1964 ?
1965 040 Giacinto FACCHETTI (Italy/Inter Milan)
1966 059 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1967 037 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1968 036 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1969 018 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1970 069 Bobby MOORE (England/West Ham United)
1971 027 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1972 081 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1973 030 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1974 105 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1975 042 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1976 091 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1977 005 Emlyn HUGHES (England/Liverpool FC)
1977 005 Berti VOGTS (W Germany/Borussia Moenchengladbach)
1978 020 Ruud KROL (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam)
1979 041 Ruud KROL (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam)
1980 010 Manfred KALTZ (W Germany/Hamburger SV)
1981 009 Alexander CHIVADZE (USSR/Dynamo Tiflis)
1982 ?
1983 ?
1984 ?
1985 009 Hans Peter BRIEGEL (W Germany/Hellas Verona)
1986 022 Manuel AMOROS (France/AS Monaco)
1987 006 Glen HYSEN (Sweden/Fiorentina)
1988 045 Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands/AC Milan)
1989 043 Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands/AC Milan)
1990 068 Andreas BREHME (W Germany/Inter Milan)
1991 015 Miodrag BELODEDIC (Yugoslavia/Red Star Belgrade)
1992 Franco Baresi
1993 Ronald Koeman
1994 109 Paolo MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan)
1995 Paolo Maldini
1996 144 Matthias SAMMER (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)
1997 047 Roberto CARLOS (Brazil/Real Madrid)
1998 Marcel Desailly
1999 Jaap Stam
2000 Allesandro Nesta
2001 Roberto Fabian Ayala
2002 Roberto Carlos
2003 Paolo Maldini

Grt job guys.

[SirManchester]

I'm glad there is a thread for defenders. Everyone always praises the playmakers and goal scorers and the defense goes unnoticed. Can you guys believe someone on this board actually said Beckenbauer was overated....can you guys gues who it was... :rolleyes:

[condor11]

i take it this is a best defender in europe topic

[christosap]

i take it this is a best defender in europe topic

2001 ayala. i think it is defenders playing in europe and only recently non european players could win these awards.
(i have a habit of getting these things wrong though)

[Gregoriak]

Thanks for these contributions!

I would like to do the same for South America, but I don`t have any annual Top 10s for that.

1956 009 Ernst OCWIRK (Austria/Sampdoria Genoa)
1957 019 Billy WRIGHT (England/Wolverhampton)
1958 009 Billy WRIGHT (England/Wolverhampton)
1959 008 Horst SZYMANIAK (W Germany/Karlsruher SC)
1960 009 Horst SZYMANIAK (W Germany/Karlsruher SC)
1961 ?
1962 051 Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER (W Germany/1. FC Köln)
1963 016 Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER (W Germany/1. FC Köln)
1964 ?
1965 040 Giacinto FACCHETTI (Italy/Inter Milan)
1966 059 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1967 037 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1968 036 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1969 018 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1970 069 Bobby MOORE (England/West Ham United)
1971 027 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1972 081 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1973 030 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1974 105 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1975 042 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1976 091 Franz BECKENBAUER (W Germany/Bayern Munich)
1977 005 Emlyn HUGHES (England/Liverpool FC)
1977 005 Berti VOGTS (W Germany/Borussia Moenchengladbach)
1978 020 Ruud KROL (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam)
1979 041 Ruud KROL (Netherlands/Ajax Amsterdam)
1980 010 Manfred KALTZ (W Germany/Hamburger SV)
1981 009 Alexander CHIVADZE (USSR/Dynamo Tiflis)
1982 ?
1983 ?
1984 ?
1985 009 Hans Peter BRIEGEL (W Germany/Hellas Verona)
1986 022 Manuel AMOROS (France/AS Monaco)
1987 006 Glen HYSEN (Sweden/Fiorentina)
1988 045 Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands/AC Milan)
1989 043 Frank RIJKAARD (Netherlands/AC Milan)
1990 068 Andreas BREHME (W Germany/Inter Milan)
1991 015 Miodrag BELODEDIC (Yugoslavia/Red Star Belgrade)
1992 000 Franco BARESI (Italy/AC Milan)
1993 000 Ronald KOEMAN (Netherlands/FC Barcelona)
1994 109 Paolo MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan)
1995 000 Paolo MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan)
1996 144 Matthias SAMMER (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)
1997 047 Roberto CARLOS (Brazil/Real Madrid)
1998 000 Marcel DESAILLY (France/Chelsea FC)
1999 000 Jaap STAM (Netherlands/Manchester United)
2000 000 Alessandro NESTA (Italy/Lazio Roma)
2001 000 Roberto AYALA (Argentina/FC Valencia)
2002 000 Roberto CARLOS (Brazil/Real Madrid)
2003 000 Paolo MALDINI (Italy/AC Milan)

I consider compiling the same for forwards and midfield players.

[Ilovecolombia redded]

2001 was ivan cordoba if youll rmember correctly he scored a goal in the uefa cup semifinals

this year i expect yepes to win

[Spartak]

2001 was ivan cordoba if youll rmember correctly he scored a goal in the uefa cup semifinals

this year i expect yepes to win
Right on time as usual :D

[dor02]

Glenn Hysen must have played for Fiorentina in the 1987-88 season because he played in the 1987 UEFA Cup win for IFK Gothenburg. He sucked at Italia 90 though, Medford, Cayasso and Jara from Costa Rica tore him apart.

[dor02]

Who do you reckon is the worst of the list of winners? I reckon Emlyn Hughes.

[Gregoriak]

Who do you reckon is the worst of the list of winners? I reckon Emlyn Hughes.

Hughes or Hysen, I`d guess.