Players who never got enough credit

[soccersonoma10]

I'm not talking players who are necassarily underrated, but just guys who never got enough credit. The first few names that come to my head are:
Franco Baresi: Probably the best player in the history of Milan, but no one knows it.
Didier Deschamps: I doubt France could have won it in '98 without him, he was the captain, yet everyone talks about Zidane.
Jinky Johnstone: Possibly one of the best wingers out of Britain, a hero for Celtic.
Any additions?

[Mysterious]

I'll go with Pele and Maradona...

[Kufibear]

maldini>>>>>baresi
u know that rite

[Massimo_Oddo]

Rui Costa never gets any of the credit for Portugals great run in Euro 2000 (everyone says it was Figo).

Seedorf didnt get enough credit last season for Milan either.

[alexp92]

andy ritchie of greenock morton- apparently the best scottish player never to be capped. ive seen a few of his games, his control was excellent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Ritchie_%28Scottish_footballer%29

[dor02]

Jari Litmanen. I consider him to be the most underrated player ever! He was a star for Ajax in the 90s and was even CL goalscorer but playing for Finland counts against him as well as poor spells at Liverpool and Barca.

Roberto Baggio seems underrated in comparison to guys like Maradona, Van Basten and Zico but an Italian fantasista that's really underrated is Valentino Mazzola, father of Sandro. He is held in high regard in Italy but I doubt that the rest of the world know about his greatness. He was known to be a more complete player than his son, a better leader and goalscorer. It was unfortunate that he died in a plane crash with his Torino teammates in 1949. Who knows how well Italy would have went at Brazil 50 if those players survived?

Baresi is great player but he isn't underrated. He is recognised as one of the games greats. Only newbies don't understand his greatness.

Seedorf is underrated too. He may have played in three different CL winning sides bu he is a star in his own right. His teammates may be greater but he is a great contributor too and he isn't a workhorse. He does have skills.

A lot of Argentina's greats are underrated, especially from the 40s. Outside of Argentina, guys like Labruna, Moreno and Pedernera aren't respected or as well recognised as the likes of Di Stefano, Maradona, Passarella or even Batistuta.

[Cassano]

Roberto Baggio seems underrated in comparison to guys like Maradona, Van Basten and Zico


I agree. I still believe that Baggio is vastly underrated outside of Italy and most just remember him for the penalty miss in 1994. (even though his career penalty record is 122 taken, 106 scored)

[frasermc]

Jinky Johnstone: Possibly one of the best wingers out of Britain, a hero for Celtic.

jinky has always been regarded as one of the best wingers in the world by his own peers.

also, he was voted the greatest ever celtic player of all time.

living in scotland i'm not sure how well known he was outwith the UK in the 60's and early 70's. then again, how many players were internationally known unless they'd shone at a world cup before TV became bigger and bigger and the invention of the internet?

[Sildegil]

Thuram.

Was the best right back for years and at the same time one of the best central defender.

He has been world class for almost 10 years 1996 - 2006.

[glennaldo_sf]

Matthew Le Tissier... scored some amazing goals during his time at Southampton - kept the club for ages... never managed to transfer his class onto the international stage.

[super_k]

For last season, Totti definitely.

[Moishe]

A guy Argentine Soccer Fan and I both recall fondly is Ricardo Bochini from Independiente. He never left the Argentine leagues because he never really felt the need even though he had more than his fair share of suitors. This guy was a true play-maker who knew it was all about getting his teammates involved. Real class act as well. Won a World Cup in 1986 but only got five minutes of playing time. Must be tough to have been that good and still had Maradona in front of you.

bzpT5hEskCQ

[SportBoy333]

Thuram.

Was the best right back for years and at the same time one of the best central defender.

He has been world class for almost 10 years 1996 - 2006.

I think he has gotten plenty of credit.

[sardus_pater]

maldini>>>>>baresi
u know that rite

not for me. And i think many, at least in Italy, think the same.

Maldini = Baresi.

Baresi has been one of the greatest defenders ever, not in Italy, in the world.

Do you really remember Franco Baresi?

J3fuVO_jq9A

[Excape Goat]

Italy
Antognoni: Outside of Florence, he is just another Italian playmaker.

Brazil
Luís Pereira: He played in the wrong World Cup for Brazil. He is one of the finest centerbacs in Brazil's history. Roque Junior is probably better-known outside of Brazil than him.

Cerezo: The "worst" starting midfielder for the great Brazil 1982 team!! :)

Argentina
Ramón Díaz: If Maradona did not exist, he would be a bigger name.

Germany:Hans-Peter Briegel, Pierre Littbarski, Magath, Hassler.

USSR: Dassaiev, Netto, Shesternev. Most Soviet players, except Yashin, got little credit. The Polish players such as Lato, Zmuda, etc, too.

[frasermc]

lubo moravcik.

he didn't arrive at celtic until he was 33 but he's the best and only two footed player i've ever seen in the flesh.

he played three and a half seasons for celtic and i enjoyed every minute of it.

before he joined celtic he spent most of his career in france with st etienne and then bastia.

terrific feet, a fantastic finisher and amazing at set pieces, swinging in free kicks and corners with either foot.

i only wish he'd came to celtic a few years earlier than he did.

PPvLDPQBPmY

[soccersonoma10]

Someone threw out Lato, that was a good one, he was a BEAST when the world cup was here in the states. What about Socrates for Brazil? He was a chain-smoking legend who scored amazing goals.

[dor02]

Italy
Antognoni: Outside of Florence, he is just another Italian playmaker.In Florence, he is a God. To the rest of Italy, he seems to be highly rated but not in the same way as the Mazzolas, Rivera or Baggio.

Brazil
Luís Pereira: He played in the wrong World Cup for Brazil. He is one of the finest centerbacs in Brazil's history. Roque Junior is probably better-known outside of Brazil than him.I've heard great things about him but the only footage of him that I've seen was from the match against Holland at WC 74, when he got sent off.

Cerezo: The "worst" starting midfielder for the great Brazil 1982 team!! :)He was the best for me. He gifted Paolo Rossi a goal! ;)

Germany:Hans-Peter Briegel, Pierre Littbarski, Magath, Hassler.We can also add Reinhard Libuda and Wolfgang Overath to that list.

USSR: Dassaiev, Netto, Shesternev. Most Soviet players, except Yashin, got little credit. The Polish players such as Lato, Zmuda, etc, too.We can also add Igor Belanov and Murtaz Khurtsilava to that list. Maybe even Oleg Blokhin.

The only Pole to have got the recognition he deserved was Zbigniew Boniek and that was because he played for Juve.

Someone threw out Lato, that was a good one, he was a BEAST when the world cup was here in the states.You must be thinking of either Hagi of Romania or Stoichkov of Bulgaria. Lato played for Poland at the 1974 World Cup, which was in West Germany.

What about Socrates for Brazil? He was a chain-smoking legend who scored amazing goals.I think he gets the right praise. Misunderstood would be the right world to describe him.

Chilean defender Elias Figueroa should get a mention. He is held in high regard in South America but outside of that continent, it's not the case.

[Excape Goat]

In Florence, he is a God. To the rest of Italy, he seems to be highly rated but not in the same way as the Mazzolas, Rivera or Baggio..


I agreed with you. I should have said outside of Italy, Antognon is not as highly rated.





We can also add Igor Belanov and Murtaz Khurtsilava to that list. Maybe even Oleg Blokhin...

You must be thinking of either Hagi of Romania or Stoichkov of Bulgaria.

I took out Belanov and Blokin because they were European Players of the Year. They already got their credit. I don't think they are bigger than that. Stoichkov aklso won the award, but Stoichkov deserved more credit. He was as good as Romario if not better when they played together at Barcelona, but people usually ranked Romario much higher than Stoichkov.

[rochester rhinos]

http://beefbagel.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/distin.jpg