Sport
Who are the greatest Argentina players to play in Serie A?
Despite being on opposite ends of the planet, there have always been strong cultural links between Italy and Argentina. Through these links, the two cultures shared a love for football that has seen both countries grow into footballing powerhouses. It has understandably led to many Argentina players heading over to Italy to play in Serie A and shine in one of Europe’s top domestic leagues.
In fact, 318 Argentine players have competed in the Italian top flight since Domingo Ferraris became the first playing for Torino in 1929. With so many to choose from, just who are the greatest players from Argentina in Serie A history?
10 best players from Argentina to play in Serie A
Roberto Sensini
Roberto Sensini was never a player who would grab the headlines but he was an integral part of several successful Serie A sides. The versatile player could player either in defence or at the base of midfield and was one of the best tacklers of his era. Alongside that, he very much had a “footballing brain” allowing him to marshal the backline impeccably as well as find passes no one else had spotted.
This form helped Sensini became a key part of a Parma side that won 2 Coppa Italia titles as well as the Lazio squad that won 4 titles in the 1999/2000 season including both the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles that season.
Walter Samuel
Don’t be fooled by the English sounding name, Walter Samuel proved himself to be one of Argentina’s best defenders of the 21st century. Samuel spent over 15 years playing in Serie A for Roma and then Inter Milan and dominated the league throughout his time there. Physically dominant in the air and deceptively quick, Samuel was a nightmare for attackers to get past.
His skillset was only outranked by his consistency and he formed the spine of an Inter side that won 5 consecutive Serie A titles from 2005-2010. Samuel’s form was rewarded in 2010 where the Argentina star was named as Serie A Defender of the Year and was also part of FifPro’s World XI 3 times during his spell at the San Siro.
Gonzalo Higuain
When Gonzalo Higuain ditched Real Madrid for Napoli in 2013, few expected him to be so prolific. However, the slower nature of Italian football suited Higuain perfectly and his lethal finishing was soon on show for all to see. Scoring 71 goals in just 104 games for Napoli, Higuain’s form earned a moved to Juventus where he continued his rich vein in form scoring 48 in 105 for the Turin-based outfit.
This form made “El Pipita” one of the deadliest strikers of the 2010s anywhere in the world winning Juventus Player of the Year twice during his short stint in the club as well as 3 Serie A Team of the Year nominations. Higuain’s form in the 2015-16 season also saw him equal the all-time goal scoring record in a season where his 36 goals in 35 games equalled the feat set by Gino Rossetti in 1926 – a real achievement considering the players who had tried before him and failed.
Esteban Cambiasso
Esteban Cambiasso was the definition of a “tireless” midfielder so it was only adept that he was affectionally known as “Chuchu” by his fans. Aside from that, Cambiasso was perhaps the best box-to-box midfielder of his generation seamlessly linking attacks with sublime passing. Whether it was from set-pieces or in the middle of the park, Cambiasso could find a pass effortlessly giving teammates chance to exploit any holes in defence.
It was a reason why he was a star with Inter Milan for a decade, winning 5 Serie A titles and completing a clean sweep in the 2009/10 that also included the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. His consistency earned him a spot in the Inter Hall of Fame in 2020 forever ensuring a legend status with one of Italy’s biggest clubs.
Daniel Passarella
There isn’t much that Daniel Passarella didn’t achieve during his illustrious career. Alongside captaining Argentina to two World Cup triumphs, the iconic defender was also a dynamo for his clubs including a 7-year stint in Serie A. Most of the time in Serie A was spent with Fiorentina where he proved to be an attacking talent as well as a defensive maestro.
During the 1985/1986 season, Passarella set a Serie A record for most goals scored by a defender notching 11 goals in a season – a record that would stand until 2001. Despite never winning a title in Italy, Passarella is still revered by Fiorentina fans who named him in their all-time XI in 2019. A legend in all forms of football.
Juan Sebastian Veron
Some may see Juan Sebastian Veron as a bit of his journeyman in his career however it didn’t stop the midfielder as being one of the best of his generation. Veron was a sublime passer who could find passes across the pitch with deadly accuracy. Alongside that, he also had a thunderous shot from distance that gave defences and goalkeepers no chance of reacting in time before it found the back of the net.
Having played for the likes of Parma, Lazio and Inter during his career, Veron won a wealth of titles including 2x Serie A titles and 4 Coppa Italia titles. His form with Lazio earned him a spot in the ESM Team of the Year in 1999-2000 underlining his place as one of the best players of his time.
Hernan Crespo
With pace, power and skill, there was very little that Hernan Crespo couldn’t do when he was on the pitch. His pace mixed with an eye for goal made him one of the top strikers at the turn of the century in world football and the acclaim was well-deserved.
The Argentina was deadly for Parma scoring 22 goals in 34 games in the 1999/2000 season which caused reigning Serie A champions Lazio to spend £35.5m in 2000 to bring him to Rome and making him the most expensive football player ever at the time. This was a price worth paying as Crespo would go on to score 26 goals in 32 games earning him that season’s Golden Boot – the only one he would ever win during his career. It was just reward for a player who was never sent off during his career and one of the greatest strikers to ever come out of Argentina.
Javier Zanetti
There are fewer players more revered in an Inter Milan shirt than Javier Zanetti. The full-back spent almost his entire career at the San Siro playing there for 19 years in an era that brought much success to both parties. Zanetti’s pace and tenacity made him an excellent full-back and it was matched by a technical skillset that put many of his peers to shame. It was a reason why Zanetti was a mainstay for Inter for such a long period of time.
During his playing career, Zanetti would go on to win no less than 5 Serie A titles as well as 4 Coppa Italia tittles and one Champions League title. Having captained Inter to so much success, it was only natural for Zanetti to have his number 4 shirt retired by the club and his success earn him a spot in both the Inter Hall of Fame and Italian Hall of Fame in 2018.
Gabriel Batistuta
There have been very few players who could score goals quite like Gabriel Batistuta. With pace to burn and excellent striking technique, Batistuta was always a threat to goal from anywhere on the pitch. It was this formed that earned him the nickname “Batigol” and one that was always backed by the stats. Batistuta never failed to finish a season in Serie A without reaching double figures for either Fiorentina or Roma with a best return of 26 goals in 32 games for Fiorentina in the 1994/95 season.
His 167 goals in 269 games is an all-time record for Fiorentina whilst he was also the recipient of the 1999 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year Award. His consistent form earned Batistuta places in both the Fiorentina and Roma Hall of Fame which also eventuated into a spot in the Italian Hall of Fame in 2013. A true great of his era.
Diego Maradona
Whatever you thought about Diego Maradona off the pitch, there is no denying his skills when on it. His mazy runs and constant goalscoring made him one of the best of all-time and his best form came in Italy during his time with Napoli. Maradona’s form in Italy made Napoli one of the best sides in Europe throughout the 1980’s where he scored 81 goals in 188 appearances in Serie A. He helped Napoli to win 2 Serie A titles in the 1980s and his 16 goals in 28 games during the 1989/90 season cemented his legacy with Napoli fans.
His form has been awarded across all fronts with his number 10 retired by Napoli in 2000 as well as a spot in the Italian Hall of Fame in 2014. Maradona is still revered by the club to this day and after Maradona’s death in 2020, the club renamed their stadium in his honour turning the Stadio San Paolo into the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. This award forever immortalized Maradona in Italian folklore and allowed his legend to live on as one of the greatest players of all time. Undoubtedly the best Argentina player ever to feature in Serie A.
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