Juventus: Ranking the five best centre-backs of all time

2. Giorgio Chiellini

In an era where so much is expected from a centre-back, from progressive passes to freakish athleticism, the traditional Giorgio Chiellini has not only survived but conquered.

The veteran Italian simply loves his craft and the incredible consistency he’s displayed over the past 15 years has perpetually put him in the conversation for being Europe’s premier defender. There’s nobody who garners greater satisfaction from a heroic sequence of grit, a gladiator-like block, or goal-saving intervention than Chiellini, who could make a two-hour film of such moments over the course of his career thus far.

At the tender of 36, the nine-time Scudetto victor, three-time Serie A Defender of the Year, and one-time member of the UEFA Team of the Year is still plodding along as well.

However, his projection as an elite centre-half wasn’t immediately apparent. Chiellini’s Calcio emergence arrived as a left-back before he started playing the position he swiftly grew to adore following Juve’s relegation into Serie B for the 2006/07 campaign.

Sound defensive fundamentals combined with his demonic tenacity and distinct aggression ensured he was Juve’s first-choice amid a period of obscurity during the latter years of the noughties before Antonio Conte’s arrival kickstarted an upturn in the Bianconeri’s fortunes – an upturn that would take a decade, and Conte himself, to subdue.

Nevertheless, Chiellini continued to prosper as the fearsome man-marker in Conte’s Turin Wall and his vintage Italian gift of shutting out opponents was celebrated not only in his homeland but across the continent, too. Following Conte’s departure, the Italian persisted as the Bianconeri’s cornerstone under Massimiliano Allegri amid nine straight Scudetto triumphs.

Thus, in an era during which the love for defending is gradually fading, Chiellini emerged as a refreshing anomaly with his contrasting style resembling the archetypal Italian approach of the 20th century.