Can you Italian folks let me know who is regarded as the bigger legend in your homeland??? Do you guys have any links/videos to share? Thanks
Even though I've never seen them play except for the odd Italy game each on videotape, for Juve fans, Scirea was better, for Inter fans I'm sure Facchetti was better. Both played different roles (sweeper for Scirea, as opposed to LB for Facchetti) so the comparison may be a little unfair. As well, both played in different decades. For classyness and composure, you'd have to go with Scirea. A player that in all his years never earned a red card, despite being a central defender. A player that won every trophy possible (except EC with Italy). And sadly to say, that Scirea's death may contribute to his "martyrdom", as is natural that happens with people that tragically die at a young age. For longevity, I'd give it to Facchetti. (more caps than Scirea)
Thank you so much. I always hear how Facchetti was as good "if not better" than Paolo Maldini. But according to many footy experts "Nilton Santos" was better than Facchetti... I hear people say, Facchetti was a SUPERB defender and he later switched to the sweeper/libero role. If this is true, was he as good/great at defending as Scirea-Nesta-Maldini-Moore-Baresi were?
You might be interested in the profiles that were created for each player in the many drafts that have taken place on BS. The former is from the All-Time Draft and the latter the Italian All-Time Draft. Both are great sources of information. Giacinto Facchetti https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7311545&postcount=47 Gaetano Scirea https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7942391&postcount=8
Giacinto Facchetti you know those "Jose + 10" adverts Adidas ran during the WC where they interviewed footballers past and present to name their starting 11 ? Franz Beckenbauer named Facchetti as his starting LB just to mention
The national team has gone thru longevity of great left backs or the traditional #3. The Azzurri have had, Facchetti, Cabrini, Maldini and now Fabio Grosso. Out of all of them I think Cabrini-Maldini were in a class of their own above and beyond everyone else. Although Maldini's Azzurri career was excellent as he had 126 and 7 goals, unfortunately he can not ever claim the title of being a world champion at the national team level like Cabrini & Grosso can. Grosso had a great WC and has had a crazy run since coming up from the 6th division in 98 to the 4th in 2002, to the 2nd in 2003/04 and to the 1st division and the national team/World Cup title in 2006 at the age of 28. Facchetti I believe won the Euro Cup at home in 1968 and was runner up in 1970. I don't remember much about Facchetti other than from what my Interista freinds always brag about. I do know he scored an own goal in his last match ever for Inter. I do think this thread should read Scirea vs. Baresi. Enzo Berzot had two fixations in his day. One was Baresi whom he never preferred as he always liked Scirea better. The other was Roberto Pruzzo. Scirea was a class player and had this incredible knack for commander of the defense and he also played in 3 straight World Cups. Baresi was a sort of late bloomer becoming the Kaiser in 1989 with Milan and winning many of the scudettos throughout Milan's great run. He was more of a master at calling the offside trap as opposed to Scirea. He was the man of the match on 7/17/94 against Brazil at the Rose Bowl. I never saw a more dominant defender than he and Maldini on that day. Romario and Bebeto were stopped in their tracks just looking over their shoulders. Baresi played in 2 World Cups and was on the bench in 1982 but did not play. They both had two different contrasting styles. I remember Scirea was involved in the attack against West Germany in the WC final in 82 and was involved on one of the goals. I can't remember Baresi being all that offensive, however.
Facchetti is the one who is more highly regarded in Italy. He was at Inter for a long time and he was one of the first European defenders to go forward. Franz Beckenbauer said that Facchetti inspired him to create the attacking sweeper position. I like Scirea more. There was something about the way he played was better. Greater composure and grace. Such as? I wouldn't rate Nilton Santos better than Facchetti.
Scirea was one of the most difficult defenders to beat. He was great reader of the game with the ability to anticipate an opponents move. He would attack up field with the ball as graciously as any offensive midfielder. He could do it on both ends of the pitch. Many compared him to Franz Beckenbauer and Ruud Kroll. Those 3 are probably considered the best libero/sweepers to ever play the game. Some may add Baresi but later in his career he played less as sweeper with the use of the flat four back, which does not encourage the central defender to push up into attack as the sweeper system did. I don't think you can compare Scirea to Facchetti. They played two different positions.
Someone told me once the Scirea was never red carded. That wasn't hard to believe when you consider refs did not give red or yellow cards, for that matter as easily as they do in today's game. I doubt Claudio Gentile can claim the same resume. In my opinion the best Italian defenders I ever saw after Giacinto Facchetti already retired in the late 70's, 80's & 90's were, Scirea, Vierchowod,Baresi, Maldini, Gentile,Cabrini, Costacurta and Ferrara.
Bump... great thread and it appears one of @Falc 's first postings ever. @Sal you were about, what? 9 years old at the time of this posting? And yes, I have a lot of time on my hands today.
Might be my first one. Scirea was my idol. @Sal probably needs to look it up on the internet what age he was when I posted that.
My father has a picture at Coverciano standing in the middle of Facchetti and Mazzola with his friend beside him who had the connection to get him in. I think the photo is sometime in the early 70's , possibly even right before the 1970 World Cup. I know it had to be at least in the early 70's because my pop was only in his early 20's in the photo. Anyway if you guys want to see it I can ask him next time I'm at my folks house and get the full story behind the photo. Fiacchetti was a very imposing man, my Dad in his early 20's was easily 182-183cm ( 6 ft ) and Giacinto in cleats still towered over my pop in 1 inch heel shoes. I remember my dad being a little taller than Mazzola in the picture, though I haven't seen the photo in quite a bit. Sad to lose Facchetti and Scirea, legends , so soon....May God bless them and keep them
I met Facchetti in 1996 when he was part of the delegation with the Italian Olympic soccer team. The Olympics were in Atlanta but group games were played in different cities in the US. Italy played Ghana at RFK in DC (lost). A group at my church arranged to host the team for a lunch in our hall. The team did not show but the delegation instead, including Fachetti. He was a tall man and I stand at 6' 1".