Former Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, West Ham, AC Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool and Napoli captains feature in a star-studded XI.
Two great captains: Franco Baresi and Diego Maradona
The role of a club captain and the importance of the man wearing the armband is widely debated in football. A captains only official role stated in the laws of the game is that they must participate in the coin toss prior to the start of a game and once more should the game go to penalties.
Captains are also expected to be motivators though, lifting their team whenever necessary and sometimes being the managers mouthpiece on the pitch. Different captains have different approaches to leading their side. Some adopt a very vocal and aggressive approach, whilst others are more subtle, leading by example and having a quieter authority about themselves.
There have been some magnificent captains throughout footballing history, and this XI celebrates some of the best in every position. Honourable mentions for those who have missed out include Francesco Totti, John McGovern, Tony Adams, Jose Nasazzi, Didier Deschamps, Bryan Robson, John Terry, Patrick Vieira and many, many more.
Iker Casillas
Casillas in goal for Real Madrid
In goal in our captains XI is Iker Casillas. The only player in footballing history to have lifted eight trophies as a captain, those eight include the Champions League, World Cup and European Championships. Real Madrid hero Raul prevented Casillas from taking the armband earlier, but he got his hands on it in 2010, and wouldn’t let go until his departure to Porto. Casillas is one of just three World Cup winning captains to be goalkeepers.
Carles Puyol
From Real Madrid to Barcelona, the Spanish giants are represented early in this list. A one-club man, Carles Puyol injected a bit of grit and nastiness into a Barcelona team better known for their flair and technique. He spent 15 years at the Camp Nou, 10 of which he served as captain. The Catalan-born defender has been lauded by virtually everyone who ever played alongside him as a meticulous and inspirational leader.
Franz Beckenbauer
Quite possibly the greatest captain in footballing history, Franz Beckenbauer – or ‘Der Kaiser’ – as he was aptly known, Franz Beckenbauer won every trophy available to him during his career with Bayern Munich and the German national team. He began captaining Bayern at 23 and Germany at 24. Known for his steely determination as well as his class and elegance, Beckenbauer is the greatest sweeper in the history of the game.
Franco Baresi
Baresi – USA 94 Final
When Franco Baresi was injured early on during the 1994 World Cup, it was expected that he would return home to Italy. That was not in the centre-back’s nature though, and instead he immediately went under the knife, returning for the Azzurri just in time for the World Cup final. Baresi captained AC Milan for some 15 years, twice dragging them from Serie B and ultimately winning six Serie A titles and three Champions League’s.
Bobby Moore
It’s a back five here with Bobby Moore the last of the central three. “He was not a ranter or a raver or a fist-pumping captain,” Geoff Hurst said of Bobby Moore, and he did not need to be. Moore’s authority on the football pitch was assumed without any need to bellow or shriek. Hurst went on to say you knew Bobby wasn’t happy just by a glance; and praise from him was so rare, you knew you had done something of great worth when it came your way. Bobby Charlton described him as a ‘natural captain’ and he captained England to success at the World Cup in 1966.
Paolo Maldini
The man who replaced Franco Baresi as captain at AC Milan, it would take someone special to replace Baresi, but boy was Maldini special. One of the greatest defenders to ever play the game, Maldini began life at centre-back but ended up at left-back. Nicknamed ‘Il Capitano’, for obvious reasons, Maldini captained AC Milan for 12 years and Italy for 8 years, winning five Champions League trophies.
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard celebrates scoring for Liverpool
From the defence to the midfield, we start on the right, where Steven Gerrard has been pushed out to, as he was more than once during his playing days. The Liverpool legend spent virtually his entire career at Anfield, during a rough spell for the Reds, but was a constant source of inspiration, and there can be no finer example of that than Liverpool’s exploits during the 2004-05 Champions League.
Roy Keane
There’s no way you could leave Roy Keane out of this XI. A born winner, Keane had an insatiable appetite for victory, and he ensured that every player who played alongside him had it too. Eleven career red cards arguably isn’t setting the best example, but his mentality was exceptional. Possibly Keane’s greatest performance of his career came in 1998-99 Champions League semi-final against Juventus, when Keane controlled the midfield up against Edgar Davids and Zinedine Zidane, despite knowing he would miss the final after picking up a yellow card.
Obdulio Varela
The man who inspired Uruguay to one of the greatest shocks football has ever seen, Obdulio Varela could be described as the man behind the Maracanazo. When the Uruguayan FA told their team it was all about damaged limitations against Brazil, warning “Four is acceptable,” Varela did not agree. He instructed his team to forget what they had heard, rallied his troops and the team went on to shock the world. One of football’s first players to utilise ‘game management’, Varela spent most of his club career with Penarol.
Francisco Gento
Real Madrid legend Francisco Gento and Liverpool hero Steven Gerrard
From two impassioned midfield generals to a leader of the more subtle kind. A left winger who was always striving to get more out of his own game, Francisco Gento inspired his teammates to do likewise. One of Spain’s greatest ever players and a Real Madrid legend, Gento won a record six European Cup’s, and is now the Honorary President of Real Madrid.
Diego Maradona
Up front on his own is one Diego Maradona. Now El Diego’s past is so chequered that some would argue he doesn’t deserve a place in this team, but that is nonsense. In terms of captains leading by example, Maradona at the 1986 World Cup tops the lot. As well as his extraordinarily inspirational performances with Argentina, El Diego also led Napoli to unprecedented levels of success as captain between 1986 and 1991.
Who would be your captain out of this XI?
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