Italian veterans. How many associations this phrase causes! Their names we remember from childhood, sometimes at all from the first read texts about football or reviewed reviews of Serie A. "Is he still playing?" - how many star or, on the contrary, relatively little-known footballers were the subject of such a question. Oh, these miraculously surviving dinosaurs, fragments of a bygone era, the glory and honor of Calcio. In different years they became a support for major victories (Milan-2007!) Or, on the contrary, caused a desire to see in the composition of more young people (Italy-2010. ), But always turned out to be a source of unique coloring.
Times change, and stereotypes go into oblivion. It's funny to talk about the Italian catenaccio, when in one round, 4.8 goals per game. Similarly - talk about the "championship of retirees". Series A rejuvenates, many teams do not have a single veteran, but a lot of promising youngsters. However, as the current Juventus can play on reinforced concrete 0: 0, and in dusty chests of Kalcho still there were football players pleasing fans of "old school".
The criteria of our selection: not younger than 35 years and the availability in the current application of the team of Serie A. The scheme is original, 5-2-1-2, our old men will act on counterattacks.
Goalies Gianluigi Buffon (39 years old, Juventus) Reserve: Marco Storaro (40, Milan), Christian Pujoni (36, Sampdoria), Rafael (35, Cagliari), Roberto Colombo (41, Cagliari), Stefano Sorrentino (38, Chievo), Albano Bizzarri (39, Pescara) The most obvious position. Of course, the great Gigi, leader, captain and record holder. Age does not prevent Buffon from remaining top-level goalkeeper, although Allegri this season often provides him with rest - whatever one may say, the years begin to affect. In our conditional team, Buffon would be someone to replace, goalkeepers, super-veterans - one of the business cards of Serie A. Especially highlight Raphael, who perfectly took root in Cagliari, even 11-meter beats. Statistical joke: the only out of season exit 41-year-old Colombo in the 90th minute of the game with Chievo when the score was 4: 0. Colombians at the World Cup 2014 similarly gave a play to Mondragon.
Central defenders Andrea Barzagli (35, Juventus), Bruno Alves (35, Cagliari), Paolo Cannavaro (35, Sassuolo) Reserve: Emiliano Moretti (35, Torino), Alessandro Gamberini (35, Chievo), Dario Daynelli (37, Chievo) , Nicholas Burdisso (36, Genoa), Hugo Campagnaro (36, Pescara), Guillermo Stendardo (35, Pescara).
Impressive abundance! There is no doubt the candidacy of Barzagli. Because of Allegri's move to play in four defenders, the 2006 world champion lost his place in the base, but he does not stay on the bank either: rotation, main ligament injuries, outs in the end to strengthen defense. The reliability of Barzagli is also in demand in the Italian team, until Romagnoli, Caldara and Rugani.
Bruno Alves - the only legionary at the heart of our Calcio dei pensionati. Star footballer, the current champion of Europe, he was first in the top championship. Not to say that the game at a new level is given to him easily, the conceded balls of Cagliari are the best evidence of the reverse. However, it is the Portuguese who can safely be called the leader of the islanders' defense, and his place in the base is beyond doubt.
On the third position, the mass of candidates. Moretti, a reinforced concrete base in Torino - than not an option? Or the most experienced Nicholas Burdisso, Captain Genoa? Or the defenders of Chievo, the true preserve of veterans? We risk to put in the basis of Paolo Cannavaro. He, of course, did not reach the heights of his brother Fabio, but in itself is a respected player - in making a bet on the young Sassuolo, Cannavaro Jr. wears a captain's armband.
Flank defenders Christian Maggio (35, Napoli), Manuel Pascual (35, Empoli) Reserve: Christian Raimondi (35, Atalanta), Massimo Gobbi (36, Chievo).
Here the choice is much poorer: the flanks need speed, but where does it come from 35-year-olds? Maggio, who played for Napoli for more than two hundred matches and was summoned to the Azzurri's Squadron, is now far from the main. In the best years, he would easily run across the entire crook, now we are considering this possibility only theoretically. Pascual feels more confident, another ex-collection. The team he does not equal Neapolitans, but in Empoli he is absolutely the main, and recently even scored from the 11-meter decisive ball into the goal of Fiorentina, his former team.
Central midfielders Angelo Palombo (35, Sampdoria), Giulio Migliaccio (35, Atalanta) Weak place of our selection. Tsentrhavy doing a tremendous amount of work, and it is difficult for veterans to maintain a level in this position. For a long time Muntari and De Rossi do not go here by age, so there are people in their teams polishing shop. Palombo, of course, the player is more than deserved, his devotion to the club is admirable, but this season he has only three matches. One less for Miliaccio - where in today's Atalanta break through Cassie with Froyler?.
Attacking midfielder Francesco Totti (40, Roma) This team had to be at least for his sake. The Emperor, who evokes ecstasy at the stands of Stadio Olimpico, is just an appearance at the brow. These appearances in the current season were much more than hits in the base: Totti, as a rule, symbolically comes out in the end, except that in the LE he was given four full matches. Of course, he has not run for a long time. Only sophisticated programs sometimes remind us of a player that can be used to compare how in 1996 the graphics in football simulators changed. Perhaps this season will be for Cesco the last in his career, the decision has not yet been announced. Let's give Totti a position fantasy, where he shone in his best years.
Forwards Sergio Pellissier (38, Chievo), Massimo Maccarone (37, Empoli) Reserve: Rodrigo Palacio (35, Inter).
Rows of dinosaur forwards are scanty. We hung the boots on the nail of Di Natale and Toni, there is no analogue of Miroslav Klose in the present Kalko. Remained the last of the Mohicans. Pellissier is a man without age, at 38 he plays exactly the same as in 28 (the current season - while eight goals, season-2006/07 - nine). His colleague Maccarone, alas, gave a few: only 4 goals against the 13th season earlier. An interesting alternative is the starry Palacio, but the Argentine plays much less and in the current championship was not different.
Summarize:.
Buffon - Maggio, Bartsali, Bruno Alves, Cannavaro, Pascual - Palombo, Migliaccio - Totti - Pellissier, McCarone This old guard could well compete for a place in the Europa League! And in the best years.