My third article about footballers’ devotion to their clubs I decided to dedicate to Serie A. And face a small problem just in the beginning. The previous articles counted 5 players. Of course there were much more of them, but I could choose top-5. And now I can’t. Although I’m EPL fan, the players bellow from Serie A are so outstanding that I lost my head. So this time I’d like to bring to your attention top-7 of football players who are the legends of their clubs in Italy.

Gabriel Batistuta

Since his childhood Gabriel was rather good at volleyball and basketball. But most of all he succeed in scoring goals. His football career started in 1987 at Argentinian youth Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys. From 1987 till 1991 he changed football clubs every year. And in 1991 he moved to Italy and started a new period of his life. Batistuta became a true legend of Fiorentina and of all Italian football during 9 years in Florence. He appeared in 269 matches and scored 168 goals. Despite the fact that he changed several clubs after Fiorentina the name of Batistuta is still strongly associated with this Florence football club.

Javier Zanetti

One more Argentinian footballer who conquered the love of Italian fans. He became a legend and a symbol of Inter Milan. He was the captain of the team for many years . And all in all he played 19 years with number 4 on his jersey. The amount of the matches with his participation is unbelievable - 615. On May 10 in 2014 Zanetti played his last match. And on June 7 (the same year) it was announced that from July 1 Zanetti would become the vice-president of Inter. Isn't he a devoted player?

Daniele De Rossi

Daniele is the son of the former Roma player Alberto De Rossi. So football was in his blood. To be honest not just football but football in FC Roma. De Rossi began his career at the youth club Ostiamare. In 2000 his father took him to Roma youth club where he was a manager. In 2017 De Rossi extended the contract with Roma till June 30, 2019. So the following statistics can’t be named final. He has already spent 18 years in Roma and appeared in 441 matches where he scored 42 goals. And it's not the end. There is no doubt that his heart will always stay in Roma.

Paolo Maldini

Paolo is one of the best defenders in world football history. He started career in 1978 in Milan Youth Club. The following numbers can sound unbelievable but it’s true. Just imagine: 31 years in Milan. 647 matches in Serie A. Number 3 is assigned to Maldini and at the end of his career it was withdrawn from circulation. However, Maldini agreed that if one of his sons plays for Milan, he will receive this number. It seems that Paolo knows what the word «devotion» means like nobody else.

Alessandro Del Piero

Alessandro’s mother took her seven-year-old son to his first coach - Umberto Presto. You will be surprised but at first Del Piero acted at the goalkeeper’s position. It was also his mother’s choice. She believed that playing at this position would prevent her son from a possible injury. But his talent in scoring goals couldn’t be kept in silence. He spent in Juventus almost the whole career, fighting for the colors of his team for 19 years since 1993 to 2012. During this time he appeared in 513 matches and scored 208 goals. Del Piero keeps the position of the top scorer of Juventus of all times till nowadays.

Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon was born in a sporty family to become a great sportsmen. Before transferring to his native club Buffon played in 4 youth clubs and in 2001 signed a contract with Juventus. There he spent unforgettable 17 years and appeared in 470 games. He became a real icon of the club. May 17, 2018. This day became a real tragedy for Juventus fans. Buffon announced that the upcoming match with Verona would be the last in his Juventus career. The whole world could hardly fight back tears. It’s impossible to describe all love and gratitude to Gianluigi from his fans and teammates. Speaking about devotion to the club Buffon is one of the first whose name comes to the mind.

Francesco Totti

You may be shocked but Totti began to play football at 9-month-old age. Several times he even slept with the ball. Once his father asked the boys to play with his 4-year-old son at the beach. But they refused because of the boy’s age. However the father insisted and Francesco entered the game, where he quickly scored 2 goals. Totti started to play for Roma in 1989 at the youth team. All in all he gave 28 years to the club. Totti performed in 619 matches and scored 250 goals. Totti is the only player in Serie A who scored for Roma 23 seasons in a row. Devotion is his second name.

Do you agree with this list and can you continue it?

Soccer / zanetti

The Icons of Serie A and the Clubs they Are Devoted to.

The Icons of Serie A and the Clubs they Are Devoted to.

The Icons of Serie A and the Clubs they Are Devoted to.