With the interruptions in the club calendar becoming more unpopular among soccer fans, FIFA have made the decision to limit just two international breaks next season. Although this time out should prove useful for Juventus and their new manager Luciano Spalletti.
While some supporters may find it hard to get excited by international friendlies and qualifiers, there is no better occasion in the sport than the showpiece FIFA World Cup. Four-time winners Italy are synonymous with the competition, despite having failed to qualify for the past two finals.
Juventus have traditionally had a great relationship with the Italy national team, and records show that the club has supplied the most players to the Azzurri. The Bianconeri has contributed players to every Italy squad since their maiden first appearance at World Cup in 1934. The Azzurri were hosts, and lifted the crown thanks to a 2-1 success over Czechoslovakia.
With such history between Juventus and Italy, and the Azzurri stuttering in their World Cup qualifiers, here is our greatest-ever top 10 Italians to sport a Juve jersey. Fans can always visit the recently opened Museum's Juventus Hall of Fame that features 50 club legends.
10. Antonio Conte
Conte, widely regarded as one of the best managers in Europe and a summer target for Juve, was a midfield maestro for Juventus. He made 419 appearances for the Bianconeri across all competitions during his playing career from 1991 to 2004.
The fan-favorite was handed the captaincy under head coach Marcello Lippi in 1996, and went on to claim 15 major trophies during his 13-season stint. Conte was an important cog during Juve's incredibly successful era of Juve, helping the club to lift five Serie A titles and won all top-tier club titles except the UEFA Cup Winners Cup.
Although Conte only made 20 appearances for Italy, he was in the sides that finished runner-up at the 1994 World Cup finals and in Euro 2000.
He returned to Juventus as manager, having already had the Juve DNA for winning instilled, and transformed their fortunes. The Bianconeri had finished seventh in Serie A before his arrival. Conte was the club's savior by collected a hat-trick of Scudetto crowns that kicked off in the 2011/12 season. rom three consecutive titles from 2011-2014, including an invincible campaign, kicking off a record run of nine Serie A wins in a row ending in 2020.
9. Antonio Cabrini
Cabrini, like Conte, spent 13 seasons as a Juventus player. He won six Serie A crowns and made 440 appearances in defense between 1976 and 1989. Cabrini played at left-back for both Juventus and Italy, lifting the coveted 1982 World Cup trophy.
As one of Italy's best-ever defenders, he was part of the Juve quartet who regularly turned out for Italy that included goalkeeper Dino Zoff as well as defensive Claudio Gentile and Gaetano Scirea.
Cabrini won all UEFA cup competitions with Juventus. His relentless energy, exceptional positional awareness. combination of defensive and offensive skills, speed and stamina made him formidable for opponents. He scored nine goals from 73 Italy appearances.
8. Giorgio Chiellini
Chiellini was one of the world's best modern-era defenders courtesy of physically tough, no-nonsense style of play. At both Juventus and Italy he was part of the defensive trio, alongside Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci, known as BBC. He commanded the Juve defense to zero defeats during their invincible 2011/12 season.
During the Calciopoli saga, when Juventus were stripped of two Serie A title and relegates to Serie B, Chiellii was an enthusiatic youngster whose tenacity at center-back helped the Bianconeri bounce back to the top flight.
On top of his outstanding defensive awareness, versatile Chiellini was a hard-tackler, a natural leader and would often head home goals from set-pieces. He played for Juventus from 2005 to 2022, where he won nine Serie A titles, five Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups.
Chiellini, now part of the club hierarchy at Juventus, retired from international football in 2022 with a whopping 117 caps that makes him Italy's joint fifth-highest appearance holder.
7. Dino Zoff
Zoff ranks high among the all-time greats of goalkeepers, and is the oldest ever winner of the World Cup that he won as 40-year-old with Italy in 1982. His concentration, consistency, leadership skills and positional intelligence were outstanding for club and country.
He was rejected by Inter Milan and Juventus as a 14-year-old for being too small, eventually joining Udinese and finally making his maiden Juve appearance aged 30.
Zoff made 473 appearances with a staggering 227 clean sheets for the Bianconeri, scooping six Serie A titles during his 11 seasons at Juventus. He remains the only Italian to win both the UEFA European Championship and the World Cup, with 112 appearances for the Azzurri.
He had set numerous Serie A records by the time he hung up his gloves in 1983. These included being the oldest player (41), the most consecutive appearances (332), the most appearances (570), and the longest run without conceding a goal (903 mins).
6. Andrea Pirlo
Pirlo is another great example of a player with incredible longevity and consistency for club and country. He is widely regarded as the greatest Italian midfielder of all time. Known for his vision, creativity, elegant passing and mastering of the central defensive role.
Having played the majority of his career at AC Milan, where he won two Serie A titles and two Champions League trophies, he was snapped up Juventus when his contract expired.
Pirlo made 164 Juventus appearances and bagged 19 goals between 2011 and 2015, winning eight trophies including four Serie A crowns. He delivered defense-splitting passes, mesmerising dribbling and was a free-kick expert.
Capped 116 by Italy and being a serial winner with Juventus helped him land the head coach role for the 2020/2021 season. With Igor Tudor as assistant manager, the pair won both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, but were sacked because of the club's Serie A struggles. Pirlo is currently the head coach of UAE First Division League club Dubai United.
5. Gaetano Scirea
Scirea was signed by Juventus following two impressive seasons at Atalanta, and was part of arguably Juve's and Italy's best-ever backline that included Zoff between the sticks as well as defenders Cabrini and Claudio Gentile.
He stayed until the end of his playing career with the Turin titans, having amassed 550 appearances from 1974 and 1988. Scirea became a scout for Juventus before moving into coaching and suffered an untimely death following a car crash in Poland aged 39 in 1989.
Elegant yet pacy Scirea was renowned for his sportsmanship, tactical nous and technical skills. He managed to winning every UEFA Club and domestic competition during his time with Juventus that comprised seven Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns, Cup Winners' Cup, European Cup, Intercontinental Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
He made 18 appearances at the World Cup finals, winning the 1982 final, and represented the Azzurri 78 times between 1975 and 1986.
4. Roberto Baggio
Baggio boasts an impressive tally of 115 goals from just 200 games during five seasons with the Bianconeri. His world record transfer to the club in 1990 caused riots in Fiorentina, as fans fumed about in him leaving for a rival.
His unhurried yet creative style of play was a joy to watch with his fearless dribbling and prowess to bag goals whether employed as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder. Baggio's impact at Juventus helped the club claim two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia crown and the UEFA Cup.
Nicknamed Il Divin Codino for his iconic ponytail of curly hair, his sublime skills and technical ability have rarely been surpassed by a player sporting a Juventus jersey.
He made 56 appearances for Italy between 1988 and 2004, scoring 27 goals. Yet Baggio is probably best known to non-Italy fans as the player who missed the penalty that would have kept the Italians in the 1994 World Cup final shootout against Brazil.
3. Giampiero Boniperti
Versatile attacker Boniperti played his entire career at Juventus, kicking off in 1946 and hanging up his boots in 1961. He scored 178 goals in 444 matches, which set new club records that were overtaken by Alessandro Del Piero.
As he was versatile, Boniperti could be utilized as an an attacking midfielder, center forward to as an inside forward. His prolific scoring ability with either foot or powerful header along with tactical intelligence and direct play to set up team-mates made him a defender's nightmare.
Boniperti was selected for Italy after playing just 14 Serie A games and went on to score eight goals from 38 international appearances. He collected five Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia crowns during his 15 seasons in Turin.
2. Alessandro Del Piero
The title of best Italian Juventus player of all time can surely only be between two stalwarts, and Del Piero lost out just marginally. He made a record-breaking 705 appearances for the Bianconeri, and is the club's leading ever scorer with 290 goals. His heading skills and physically were his only flaws seen over 19 impressive seasons.
Technically gifted Del Piero played as a creative attacking midfielder or second striker. He oozed elegance, with eye-catching dribbling, pinpoint passes, precise and powerful free-kicks and fearless finishing.
He stuck with Bianconeri through their Calciopoli scandal, and savored the glory days before finally bowing out by lifting the 2011/12 Serie A title.
Del Piero ignited excitement for supporters when turning out for club or country, with 27 goals from 91 appearances for the Azzurri that included being crowned a 1996 World Cup winner.
1. Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon just snatches the top spot on this list and remained loyal to the club during Juve's darkest hours. He was a reliable set of hands between the sticks, with his agility and positional sense frustrating opponents.
His leadership skills and ability to assure his defense of the dangers helped lift confidence, which often gave Juventus the edge to win matches. He became a dressing room personality at Juventus.
Buffon made a total of 685 appearances and kept 322 clean sheets for the Bianconeri, mastering the famous BBC defense and playing pivotal part in the domination of the Italian top-flight. Having joined from Parma in 2001, Buffon ended his journey at Juve by lifting the 2017/2018 Serie A crown, their seventh Scudetto on the spin.
He is the most capped international goalkeeper of all time with 176 international caps, and since he retired was appointed as the head of delegation by the Italian Football Federation.