Despite the fact that the beginning of the season hasn’t been the kindest to Juventus, there is one player who is giving the fans something to cheer about.
What’s that saying about fine wine and age? Well, apply that to Juventus’ Andrea Barzagli. At the tender age of 35 year’s old, the former Wolfsburg man has been putting in sublime performances for the last four seasons or so. It is only recently, however, that fans are beginning to see the true value of the defender. Before the season started many were calling for Daniele Rugani to start in place of an “old” Barzagli. In theory, easing in the U-21 international is a nice thought but he simply doesn’t provide the guarantees of a veteran like Barzagli. In the last two games, the 35 year-old made it even clearer just how crucial he is to the team as his side claimed consecutive clean sheets against Inter and Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Since strikers and creative midfielders get all the headlines, the importance of a player like Barzagli is often underrated. The reality, however, is that without him in the lineup the team lacks solidity at the back and always looks more prone to conceding. As a result of this, it should come as no surprise that the defender has been a constant figure of this Juventus side under both Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri. In addition to this, there has never been a shortage of competitors for the spot. See: Angelo Ogbonna, Martin Caceres and Daniele Rugani.
TURIN, ITALY – OCTOBER 21: Mahmoud Dahoud of VfL Borussia Monchengladbach competes for the ball with Andrea Barzagli of Juventus FC during the UEFA Champions League group stage match between Juventus and VfL Borussia Moenchengladbach at Juventus Arena on October 21, 2015 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
When Juventus purchased the player from Wolfsburg for 300,000€, he was largely expected to act as a depth player to Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Fast forward four years and Barzagli is arguably Italy’s and Juventus’ best defender. With the quality of defenders going down in today’s game in alarming fashion, Barzagli’s continual improvement and consistency is truly astounding. If you watch the defender closely, you are left somewhat dumbfounded. How can he continuously get better season after season? Is it something he eats?
Despite the fact that Barzagli is relatively quick for a player of his stature and age, the defender doesn’t rely on his speed to defend unlike so many in today’s game. Instead, the former Palermo man is blessed with incredible anticipation and knowledge for the game. This allows him to consistently play at a high level even as he gets older. If anything, it ensures that he gets better as his footballing IQ improves with every season. That said, it seems that it’s something that comes from off the field that means Barzagli can remain at the top level. When watching the Azzurri international play, you wouldn’t know that he’s won a Bundesliga title, four Scudetti and a World Cup because he always seems hungry to win.
I would accuse you of not watching him play if you don’t think that Barzagli has been the best Italian defender for the past few years. While Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are very good in their own ways, Barzagli remains a class above them. The defender boasts a level of grace that is commonly associated with Italy’s great defenders such as Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro. That said, Barzagli is often neglected when talking about Italy’s greats in defence because of how late he has bloomed. Unfortunately, it may take a while before he gets the credit his talent warrants. But make no mistake, Barzagli is Italy’s last true great defender.
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