Much has been said about the Azzurri’s ageing team at the recent European Championships, but how do Italy’s old-timers match up against their veteran international counterparts? Time for a bit of fantasy football...
For a number of years now the Italy national team has been criticised for failing to give the country’s youngsters a chance, instead sticking to experienced and seasoned campaigners who have 'been there and done it' more times than Paris Hilton and Ulrika Jonsson put together.
At Euro 2008, 14 of Italy’s original 23-man squad were over the age of 30, while the team that took to the field in the opening game against Holland was the oldest starting 11 in the history of the competition at 31 years and 56 days.
Let’s just say, hypothetically, that Sepp Blatter and his FIFA ‘family’ suddenly decided that it would be a good idea to organise a FIFA Over-30 World Cup (I would not put it past them) - one would expect Italy to fare quite well.
Below I have drawn up a possible over-30s starting XI for the so-called top teams in the world. Every player has to have been born before 31 December 1978, and those who have already retired from international football such as Francesco Totti and Luis Figo are also eligible to play.
Italy: Buffon (30), Panucci (35), Nesta (32), Cannavaro (35), Zambrotta (31), Camoranesi (32), Gattuso (30), Perrotta (31), Totti (32), Del Piero (34), Toni (31)
Argentina: Abbondanzieri (36), Zanetti (35), Ayala (35), Samuel (30), Heinze (30), Veron (33), Ibagaza (32), Sorin (32), Riquelme (30), Crespo (33), Cruz (34)
Brazil: Dida (35), Belletti (32), Lucio (30) Cris (31), Roberto Carlos (35), Gilberto (32), Juninho Pernambucano (33), Ze Roberto (34), Alex (31), Liedson (31), Ronaldo (32)
England: James (38), G.Neville (33), Carragher (30), Ferdinand (30), P.Neville (31), Butt (33), Scholes (34), Lampard (30), Beckham (33), Dyer (30), Heskey (30)
France: Coupet (36), Sagnol (31), Gallas (31), Thuram (36), Silvestre (31), Makelele (35), Vieira (32), Dacourt (34), Pires (35), Henry (31), Trezeguet (31)
Germany: Lehmann (39), Worns (35), Baumann (33), Fahrenhorst (31), Frings (32), Ballack (32), Hamann (35), Schneider (35), Asamoah (30), Klose (30), Neuville (35)
Holland: Van der Sar (38), Lucius (32), Ooijer (34), Bouma (30), Van Bronckhorst (33), Van Bommel (31), Landzaat (32), Seedorf (32), Makaay (33), Vennegoor of Hesselink (30), Van Nistelrooy (32)
Portugal: Ricardo (32), Meira (30), Andrade (30), Carvalho (30), Nuno Valente (34), Petit (32), Deco (31), Maniche (31), Boa Morte (31), Figo (36), Nuno Gomes (32)
Spain: Palop (35), Puyol (30), Juanito (32), Capdevila (30), Senna (32), Albelda (31), Guti (32), Mista (30), Raul (31), Raul Tamudo (31), Morientes (32)
Who do you think would win the Over-30 World Cup? Would Italy and France’s veterans fight it out in the final, just like they did in the real World Cup of 2006? Would one of the South American giants emerge victorious? What about England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Holland, or another smaller nation not listed above? All4All Blog wants to know what YOU think…
For a number of years now the Italy national team has been criticised for failing to give the country’s youngsters a chance, instead sticking to experienced and seasoned campaigners who have 'been there and done it' more times than Paris Hilton and Ulrika Jonsson put together.At Euro 2008, 14 of Italy’s original 23-man squad were over the age of 30, while the team that took to the field in the opening game against Holland was the oldest starting 11 in the history of the competition at 31 years and 56 days.
Let’s just say, hypothetically, that Sepp Blatter and his FIFA ‘family’ suddenly decided that it would be a good idea to organise a FIFA Over-30 World Cup (I would not put it past them) - one would expect Italy to fare quite well.
Below I have drawn up a possible over-30s starting XI for the so-called top teams in the world. Every player has to have been born before 31 December 1978, and those who have already retired from international football such as Francesco Totti and Luis Figo are also eligible to play.
Italy: Buffon (30), Panucci (35), Nesta (32), Cannavaro (35), Zambrotta (31), Camoranesi (32), Gattuso (30), Perrotta (31), Totti (32), Del Piero (34), Toni (31)
Argentina: Abbondanzieri (36), Zanetti (35), Ayala (35), Samuel (30), Heinze (30), Veron (33), Ibagaza (32), Sorin (32), Riquelme (30), Crespo (33), Cruz (34)
Brazil: Dida (35), Belletti (32), Lucio (30) Cris (31), Roberto Carlos (35), Gilberto (32), Juninho Pernambucano (33), Ze Roberto (34), Alex (31), Liedson (31), Ronaldo (32)
England: James (38), G.Neville (33), Carragher (30), Ferdinand (30), P.Neville (31), Butt (33), Scholes (34), Lampard (30), Beckham (33), Dyer (30), Heskey (30)
France: Coupet (36), Sagnol (31), Gallas (31), Thuram (36), Silvestre (31), Makelele (35), Vieira (32), Dacourt (34), Pires (35), Henry (31), Trezeguet (31)
Germany: Lehmann (39), Worns (35), Baumann (33), Fahrenhorst (31), Frings (32), Ballack (32), Hamann (35), Schneider (35), Asamoah (30), Klose (30), Neuville (35)
Holland: Van der Sar (38), Lucius (32), Ooijer (34), Bouma (30), Van Bronckhorst (33), Van Bommel (31), Landzaat (32), Seedorf (32), Makaay (33), Vennegoor of Hesselink (30), Van Nistelrooy (32)
Portugal: Ricardo (32), Meira (30), Andrade (30), Carvalho (30), Nuno Valente (34), Petit (32), Deco (31), Maniche (31), Boa Morte (31), Figo (36), Nuno Gomes (32)
Spain: Palop (35), Puyol (30), Juanito (32), Capdevila (30), Senna (32), Albelda (31), Guti (32), Mista (30), Raul (31), Raul Tamudo (31), Morientes (32)
Who do you think would win the Over-30 World Cup? Would Italy and France’s veterans fight it out in the final, just like they did in the real World Cup of 2006? Would one of the South American giants emerge victorious? What about England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Holland, or another smaller nation not listed above? All4All Blog wants to know what YOU think…
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