TOP 20 Central Defenders (2 Viewers)

[Evelyn8]

Eric Addo

Born in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, Eric Addo is one of a number of African players to have prospered playing football in Belgium - indeed, he resisted a chance to represent his adopted country in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, choosing instead to play for his homeland. He began his European career at Club Brugge KV in 1996 after leaving Noble Harrics and, over three seasons at the Jan Breydelstadion, the central defender made 60 appearances, scoring four goals. He was voted the 1997/98 Young Player of the Year by Belgian journalists, and Ghana's overall player of the year the same season, as Brugge claimed the league title. PSV Eindhoven paid €5.9m at the start of the 1999/00 season for Addo at the insistence of the then coach, Eric Gerets, the player signing a five-year contract. However, injuries then severely limited his appearances for both club and country, although he did play to memorable effect in PSV's 2001/02 UEFA Champions League 3-1 victory against Galatasaray SK.

 

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[Evelyn8]

Robert Kovac

Reunited with his brother, Niko, at the Olympiastadion in 2001, Robert Kovac was born in Berlin but has retained his Croatian nationality. Having earned his spurs in the 1. Bundesliga with 1. FC Nürnberg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Kovac developed into a fine physical central defender. With coach Ottmar Hitzfeld often playing him in a central defensive pairing with Samuel Kuffour or Thomas Linke, he has carved out a reputation as one of the best man-markers in German football. A Croatian international, Kovac is a tough tackler with a real will to win, and while his first season at FC Bayern München was something of a disappointing one after years of success and silverware, he still managed to make 13 UEFA Champions League appearances and remains a born competitor who thrives under the pressure of football at the highest level.

 

[Evelyn8]

Sami Hyypiä

The €4.8m Gérard Houllier spent on Sami Hyypiä in 1999 represents one of the Frenchmen's greatest signings for the Finnish international central defender is now revered as one of Europe's great central defenders. Just as the trophies landed thick and fast at the end of the 2000/01 season - Liverpool FC won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and English League Cup - so did Hyypiä's personal accolades. In addition to being named the Finnish sports personality of the year - no mean feat in a country where winter sports dominate the back pages - Hyypiä was voted the continent's leading central defender in uefa.com's Team of 2001 poll. Hyypiä started his league career in his homeland in 1992 with Myllykosken Pallo-47, before joining Willem II in 1995. He left the Netherlands for Merseyside and immediately forged an almost telepathic understanding with Stéphane Henchoz as Liverpool ended the 1999/00 campaign with the meanest defence in the FA Premiership. Hyypiä did not receive a single caution as Liverpool won a famous treble the following term before playing in all but one of the club's UEFA Champions League games in 2001/02, scoring twice, including the only goal in the quarter-final first-leg defeat of Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

 

[Evelyn8]

Christian Wörns

Muscular defender who missed out on a place in Germany's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad at the last minute because of a knee injury. A similar problem meant Christian Wörns was not available for selection for his country's unsuccessful EURO 2000™ campaign. Wörns, whose involvement at France 98 ended unhappily with a red card in the quarter-final defeat by Croatia, was first capped while with Bayer 04 Leverkusen. In 1998 he moved abroad to join Paris Saint-Germain FC but lasted only one season in France before signing for BV Borussia Dortmund in a €6.5m deal. He had plenty of reason to celebrate his 30th birthday in May 2002 as he became part of the Dortmund team which won the 1. Bundesliga title. He was also an integral figure in Dortmund's run to the 2002 UEFA Cup final, where they lost 3-2 to Feyenoord, following their earlier elimination from the UEFA Champions League

 

[Evelyn8]

Ivan Helguera

This versatile Spanish international was seen as an expensive gamble when John Toshack brought him to Real Madrid CF from RCD Espanyol in 1999 for €7.6m. Not long before, Iván Helguera had endured an unhappy spell at AS Roma, who had signed him after only 14 games for Albacete Balompié in the Spanish second division. The Santander-born player lasted only a season in Italy before he worked his way back to form as a sweeper with Espanyol. However, he has impressed sufficiently at Madrid to earn a long-term contract at the Santiago Bernabéu and be able to reject the overtures of FC Barcelona. Despite not always being in the first team, Helguera has claimed two UEFA Champions League winner's medals with the Merengues - against Valencia CF and Bayer 04 Leverkusen - as well as a Spanish first division title in 2001. Capped for the first time against Italy in 1998, he played in all of his country's matches at EURO 2000™ and the FIFA World Cup finals in Korea/Japan as Spain were eliminated at the quarter-final stage in each.

 

[Evelyn8]

Sebastian Kehl

A tall, elegant ball-playing defender comfortable in defence or midfield, Sebastian Kehl established himself as a regular German Under-21 with Hannover 96 before joining SC Freiburg for just over €100,000 in the summer of 2000. Looked set for a move to FC Bayern München after signing a pre-contract agreement but changed his mind and instead opted for BV Borussia Dortmund. His move was completed in January 2002, giving Kehl plenty of time to contribute to the Westfalenstadion club's 1. Bundesliga success, though being cup-tied prevented him from competing in the UEFA Cup. After overcoming injury problems early in his career, he starred in the SC Freiburg side which surprisingly finished sixth in the Bundesliga and clinched a place in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup. Kehl, who made his international bow in May 2001, made one appearance as a substitute in Germany's 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign before appearing twice in the finals in Korea/Japan. His precise passing and dangerous attacking forays have seen Kehl marked out as an outstanding libero of the future. Comparisons have even been drawn with Franz Beckenbauer, who said of Kehl: "Young players like Kehl are an indication that German football has a future."

 

[Evelyn8]

Matrix Materazzi

The son of ex-Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Giuseppe Materazzi was a late entrant to the realms of senior international football, making his debut for Italy in a friendly against South Africa in April 2001 at the age of 27. The tall central defender has since become highly-regarded by the Italian squad and went to the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals as cover for Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro, making one substitute appearance. Marco Materazzi's rise to prominence began in his second spell at AC Perugia in the 1999/00 season after a one-year stay in England with Everton FC. Perugia had first signed him as a 21-year-old from third division Trapani Calcio in 1995 and his duties as captain second-time round extended to penalty-taking. He scored 12 goals in that first campaign back in Italy, a record for a defender. It was part of the reason why Internazionale FC were persuaded to pay €10.5m for him in the summer of 2001 and in his first season he played a key role in the club's challenge for the championship.

 

[Evelyn8]

Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell suffered the wrath of the Tottenham Hotspur FC faithful after leaving his boyhood club for north London rivals Arsenal FC for free in 2001. The towering central defender failed to let the aggravation faze him during a season in which he matured with the team as they triumphed in both the FA Premiership and FA Cup. Born in Newham in 1974, Campbell made 246 league appearances during nearly a decade at White Hart Lane, lifting the English League Cup in 1997/98. It was his desire not only to win things but to compete at the highest level which saw him join Arsenal, and Campbell duly impressed in his debut season in the UEFA Champions League, appearing in ten of Arsenal's 12 matches. A forceful competitor, Campbell has been a regular for England since his debut against Hungary in May 1996. He was one of England's best performers at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and was equally impressive four years later in Korea/Japan, breaking his international goal duck when scoring his country's first goal in the competition against Sweden

 

[Evelyn8]

Jaap Stam


Jaap Stam a Controversial Defender Who joined Lazio in the 2001/2002 Season. After clashing with former Manager Alec Fergussson of Manchester United. Stam has always been your typical man mark defender who has under later years developed a sense for the dutch way of totalitarian football. Under the guidance of former National Team Coach Frank Reeijkard Stam learned to do more then just to tackle and steal scare his opponenets off the ball. Nowadays he is a threat at every set piece with 191 cm and 87kg his is a strong and heavy player in the air. Stam has also developed a technique for power shooting much like the one used by Ronald Koeman making him an deadly option at free kicks.

 

[Evelyn8]

Roberto Ayala

Roberto Ayala's 2002 FIFA World Cup ended prematurely when the Argentina captain was injured warming up for the first group match against Nigeria. The team's subsequent failure to reach the second round shows how sorely he was missed. Ayala joined Valencia CF from Milan AC in a €6.5m deal in summer 2000, signing a three-year deal. At the San Siro, though he was the Rossoneri's first Argentinian player in 30 years, his first-team opportunities had been limited. At the Mestalla, however, he excelled as Valencia leaked just 34 goals in 38 league games during his first term. Ayala could not cap that campaign with victory in the UEFA Champions League final against FC Bayern München - but the next year he was part of the team that went all the way in the Primera División. In fact, Ayala scored the first goal in the decisive win against Málaga CF which wrapped up the title with a week to spare. Before Milan, Ayala had spent three seasons at SSC Napoli where he had arrived from CA River Plate in 1995.

 

[Evelyn8]

Paolo Montero !

Born in 1971 and a product of the Montevideo club CA Peñarol, Paolo Montero joined Juventus FC from Atalanta BC in 1995. He has since gone on to become a key figure in the Bianconeri success story, operating either as a central defender or at left-back. A no-nonsense player, who counts aggression and determination among his best qualities, Montero's approach makes him the true test of any striker, yet it can also earn the opprobrium of referees. Hence a series of costly suspensions. Injuries, too, have taken their toll, with Montero missing all of Juventus's UEFA Champions League matches in 2000/01, and playing just twice in the competition the next season. Montero was the second Uruguayan to play for Juventus, after Raúl Banfi in 1941/42, and was subsequently joined in Turin by his countryman Fabian O'Neill. Like his father before him, he has also been a stalwart for the Uruguay national team, which he captained at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.

 

[Evelyn8]

Fabio Cannavaro

The annual scramble for the services of Diego Maradona's former ball boy was finally resolved after the 2002 FIFA World Cup when Internazionale FC paid €23m for Fabio Cannavaro. It brought down the curtain on Cannavaro's seven-year stay at Parma AC. The centre-back had been the only Italian player to start all of the World Cup qualifiers and after the tournament, which ended in a second-round defeat by the Korean Republic, he was voted the Azzurri's best performer by the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper. Strong in the air despite his lack of centimetres, and blessed with excellent timing and anticipation, Cannavaro first appeared on the Serie A scene as a 20-year-old with local heroes SSC Napoli, before transferring to Parma in 1995. He won the Italian and UEFA Cups with them and had a major role in taking Parma to the brink of the Serie A title in the late 1990s. He first represented his country in 1997, emerging as a mainstay at international level alongside S.S. Lazio's Alessandro Nesta and starring at both the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals and EURO 2000

 

[Evelyn8]

Walter Samuel

The 2001/02 season was a disappointment for Walter Samuel, at least compared with his debut season in Serie A when he helped AS Roma to their first Italian championship in 18 years. Pipped to the title on the last day by Juventus FC, Samuel suffered another setback in the FIFA World Cup finals as Argentina were eliminated in the group stage in Korea/Japan by Sweden and England. Samuel has played mostly in central defence for Roma - where he was ever-present in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League - and after an uneven start to his career in calcio he has proved a more than worthy successor to the veteran Aldair. Roma paid CA Boca Juniors €19.8m for his services in the summer of 2000, and such has been his impact that he is now touted as a future club and national team captain. In fact, after one outstanding performance against Hamburger SV in the UEFA Cup he was likened to the Brazilian great Falcão, the catalyst for Roma's previous Scudetto success in 1983 when Samuel was just six years of age.

 

[Evelyn8]

Edmilson

Brazilian international centre-back Edmílson signed for Olympique Lyonnais from São Paulo FC for €11m in August 2000. He was a key factor in Lyon's Le Championnat success in 2001/02, playing 18 league games and another eight in Europe. However, he ended the season on an even higher note - playing a major part in Brazil's triumph at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, when he appeared in all their matches including the 2-0 victory over Germany in the final. He also scored one of the goals of the tournament with a scissors kick in the 5-2 group stage victory against Costa Rica. Born in Taquaritinga in July 1976, Edmílson had previously been courted by Arsenal FC, but saw a move to Highbury collapse when his application for a work permit was turned down. It proved to be a double blow for the London club, because Edmílson went on to score a last-minute equaliser against them in the UEFA Champions League in March 2001. The classy defender with an eye for goal has become a huge influence for Lyon, helping them to the French League Cup in 2001 - their first trophy in 28 years - and to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the same season.

 

[Evelyn8]

Cristian Chivu

Born in Resita in 1980, Romanian international Cristian Chivu was a relative unknown when he signed for AFC Ajax from FC Universitatea Craiova in a €4.7m deal in 1999. The youngster soon left his mark on the Eredivisie, however, making 23 appearances and picking up four red cards in his first term at the Amsterdam ArenA. Three years later and he was the club's player of the year. He had led Ajax to league and cup success, scoring once in 32 games, having been handed the captaincy by coach Ronald Koeman in December 2001. A former under-20 international, he took his senior bow against Cyprus in 1999. It was at EURO 2000™, though, that he really caught the eye, scoring against England as Romania reached the last eight in the Netherlands and Belgium. A left-sided defender, he can also operate as a sweeper or in midfield. According to the former Romania coach Mircea Lucescu, he will be a worthy successor to Gheorghe Hagi as captain of the national team.

 

[Evelyn8]

Alesandro Nesta

When S.S. Lazio fans heard of Alessandro Nesta's €30.2m transfer deadline day move to Milan AC in August 2002, they demonstrated on the streets of Rome at the departure of one of their own. Born in the Italian capital, the defender was first given a trial at Lazio as a ten-year-old, and until his move north to Milan had spent his entire senior career at the Stadio Olimpico, where he was a hero to the supporters. Able to play anywhere along the back four, Nesta progressed through the ranks at Lazio before becoming a first-team regular during the 1995/96 season, and made his full international debut against Moldova in October 1996. As Lazio captain, he became the first player in the club's history to lift a European trophy when they claimed the last UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1999, and the following season led the team to the Serie A title. Nesta then helped Italy to reach the final of EURO 2000™, where he was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament, and continued to star for Lazio in the UEFA Champions League and Serie A. Regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe, Nesta is powerful yet extremely mobile and possesses an impeccable positional sense.

 

[Evelyn8]

Lucio

Perhaps the greatest legacy of former Bayer 04 Leverkusen coach Berti Vogts was the €8.9m deal which took Brazilian defender Lucio and Diego Placente of Argentina to the BayArena from Internacional Porto Alegre. Like many Brazilian defenders, Lucio is at ease pushing forward as he in his customary role in the centre of defence. Coach Klaus Toppmöller made devastating use of Lucio's attacking talents in the 2001/02 season, giving him a license to drive forward at will when his side were in need of an extra dimension upfield. Indeed, it was Lucio's timely goalscoring that was his greatest contribution to Leverkusen's campaign - scoring three goals in 16 European games including an equaliser in the UEFA Champions League final. Heading a goal against Real Madrid CF, who triumphed 2-1, at Hampden Park could easily have been the most notable achievement of Lucio's season were it not for the fact that he also became the only Leverkusen player to lift a major trophy in 2002. While the European Champion Clubs' Cup, German Cup and 1. Bundesliga title eluded Leverkusen, Lucio was in the Brazil team which beat a Germany side including three of his BayArena team-mates 2-0 in the final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

 

[Evelyn8]

[SIZE=4[B]]Rio Ferdinand[/B] [/SIZE]

English international centre-back who moved to Manchester United FC after starring at the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals in Korea/Japan. His performances there persuaded Sir Alex Ferguson to pay Leeds United AFC a record €46.9m for their captain. Born in London in 1978, Ferdinand's career began at West Ham United FC, where he made his league debut in 1996. He subsequently had a loan spell at AFC Bournemouth before returning to Upton Park to play regular Premiership football from January 1997. Ferdinand would make 152 starts for the Hammers before agreeing a big-money move to Leeds in November 2000. Ironically, his last game for the Londoners came at Elland Road, his new home ground. Ferdinand's first term in Yorkshire gave him a real taste of European football, as Leeds reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before bowing out against Valencia CF. His development continued into the next campaign, and as Ferdinand gained in maturity and consistency, so he began to fulfil the rich expectations they had had of him at West Ham. It was no surprise, then, when the elegant defender was first-choice for England in the Far East, and he scored his first goal for his country in the 3-0 second round victory against Denmark.

 

[Tom]

Mr.8 rocks

 

[Ian]

++ [ originally posted by Evelyn8 ] ++
Come on Ciro Ferrara on numner 20

It's an opinion.

++ [ originally posted by Evelyn8 ] ++
Ramelov plays in midifeld

Ramelow (spelled with a w), can play defence, and when he does, he is among the best.

++ [ originally posted by Evelyn8 ] ++
Patrick Andersson (spelled with a o)

has been injured for 10months....

He has been injured, but before his injury he was among the best, and there is no saying that he won't come back to that form.