European All Time Starting XI

I really enjoyed reading the all time world 11 thread, some great input, some great teams as well... that got me to thinking about the best ever European 11 & which of my favourites I`d put in & which ones I`d reluctantly need to leave out in the name of team balance... here is my own personal team in a 4-2-1-3 formation.....


...................................[Schmeichel]..................................


...........................Nesta...................Baresi.........................
Thuram....................................................................Maldini


......................Matthaus.................Beckenbauer...................

.......................................Zidane........................................

....Best...................................................................Cruyff...
.....................................Van Basten....................................



5 Subs - Platini, Johnstone, Kohler, Muller, Rijkaard.

Zoff [Kahn]
Tassotti [Bergomi] Baresi [Costacurta] Nesta [Cannavaro] Maldini [Thuram]
Matthaus [Pirlo] Vieira [Beckenbauer]
Zidane [Figo] Cruyff [Platini] Baggio [Nedved]
Van Basten [Muller]

Some good teams here guys, cheers for the input.

vasanthPato wrote:

Almost the am as mine except I have Zidane where you have Baggio, Van Basten where you have Eusebio & Nesta where you have Scirea.

I don`t really think the goalkeeper matters that much as long as he is one of the greats, Yashin & Schmeichel undisputedly were that.

Potential wrote:Zoff [Kahn]
Tassotti [Bergomi] Baresi [Costacurta] Nesta [Cannavaro] Maldini [Thuram]
Matthaus [Pirlo] Vieira [Beckenbauer]
Zidane [Figo] Cruyff [Platini] Baggio [Nedved]
Van Basten [Muller]

Always good to see Van Basten get his dues, that`s one man I`d always pick first up front, technically brilliant & just so complete with that touch of magic to produce a bit of genius as well, the perfect striker IMO.

have you even watchd the mentioned players??
chosing the players i have watched on television or dvds[not youtube]

schmeichel
thuram beckenbauer nesta maldini

scholes gerrard/pirlo
c ronaldo zidane giggs
van basten

truereddevil wrote:have you even watchd the mentioned players??
chosing the players i have watched on television or dvds[not youtube]

schmeichel
thuram beckenbauer nesta maldini

scholes gerrard/pirlo
c ronaldo zidane giggs
van basten

Every one of the players I put in my team I`ve seen play live outside of Cruyff & Beckenbauer.... I have seen plenty of footage of those 2 players outside of youtube also, not that it matters really, there is plenty of footage on youtube alone & there is always new highlights (long & short) being added all the time.

Ps. you have Beckenbauer in your team but not Cruyff ?... they played in the same era & against each other in some of their biggest games, surely you have seen enough of Cruyff, the best player Europe ever produced.

Only players I've seen, I chose Cristiano over ADP... he is a better player IMO.

I will go for the players i have watched in my time, and some before my time who i have seen on TV with the highlights along with the articles i have read about them.

(4-2-3-1)

-------------------------------------Kahn-----------------------------------------

Thuram---------------Nesta----------------Maldini---------------------Cole-

--------------------------Vieira-------------Xavi----------------------------------

Bergkamp-------------------------Zidane--------------------------Henry------

------------------------------------Van Basten----------------------------------------

Subs (7) Buffon-Raul-Figo-Totti-Ballack-Adams-Zambrotta

I would put Bergkamp on the RW anyways because he has played there and can be equally effective. However Figo would be my 2nd choice after him in that position

Seen so much of Van Basten that i can say i have watched him *live* . My favourite striker of all time probably.

--------------------------------------Buffon-----------------------------------------

--------------------------Scirea--------Baresi---------Maldini---------------------

Zambrotta---------------Beckenbauer------Rijkaard-----------------------Facchetti

--------------------------------Luis Suarez----------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------Cruyff------------------------

----------------------------------------Eusiabo------------------------------------


Sort of mixing the best with some personal favourites.


Cruyff would hate it, but it would make one heck of a catenaccio side with such a defence, defensive anchor, two deep playmakers and great speed and dribbling in attack.

luis suarez??!!!!

lmao the legend Luis Suarez. Not the Liverpool striker

Brush up on your history good sir. Great playmaker of the El Grande Inter side...super rich mans Xabi Alonso.

Could of put Xavi there as he was better and more of a favourite of mine of course, but I like remembering the old guys.

INB4 JD, I am one of the old guys.

it was a joke my dear..i knw who luis suarez was

phew

I'm biased so I had to have Sami in there. Nesta probably should be in there. A.C Milan and defenders.

I'm a massive fan of Iniesta.
Gerrard is just a god.
Makelele I feel is one of the most underrated I've seen. He made Zidane.

last ten years

4-3-1-2
------van der sar---
thuram-puyol-nesta-maldini
----xavi---pirlo--viera----
---------zidane-------
----messi---C.ronaldo---

pewpew wrote:last ten years

4-3-1-2
------van der sar---
thuram-puyol-nesta-maldini
----xavi---pirlo--viera----
---------zidane-------
----messi---C.ronaldo---

The title says European All Time Starting XI. Last time I looked, Messi is South American...
I could be wrong though...

The Sanchez wrote:

pewpew wrote:last ten years

4-3-1-2
------van der sar---
thuram-puyol-nesta-maldini
----xavi---pirlo--viera----
---------zidane-------
----messi---C.ronaldo---

The title says European All Time Starting XI. Last time I looked, Messi is South American...
I could be wrong though...

He may be Italian.

Gentile deserves a shout. He was a part of Italy's historic WC winning side in '82. And he's a Juventus legend. Known for his fighting spirit and aggressive style.

ynwa wrote:

The Sanchez wrote:

pewpew wrote:last ten years

4-3-1-2
------van der sar---
thuram-puyol-nesta-maldini
----xavi---pirlo--viera----
---------zidane-------
----messi---C.ronaldo---

The title says European All Time Starting XI. Last time I looked, Messi is South American...
I could be wrong though...

He may be Italian.

Goalkeeper: Casillas - No keeper has won as much or been as clinical when it really counts. Has never conceded a goal in any final he has been a part of. Leading Caps for Spain and most clean sheets in international history.

CB: Beckenbauer - Won every trophy he competed for, considered by many to be the best defender to ever play the game, four time German footballer of the year and two time ballon d'Or winner.

CB: Moore - Another World Cup winning captain and imo the best defender to ever come out of England. Pele considered him to be the best defender he played against and that's more than good enough for me.

CB: Baresi - The great AC Milan legend, and yet another World Cup winner and the greatest Italian defender of all time, considering the list that's a pretty mean feat. 3 time Euro Cup winner as well as 6 time Serie A winner when the league was considered to be the best in the world.

DM: Matthhaus - Yes another World Cup winner, ballon d'Or winner and record cap holder for Germany. The man that could do it all proving a key player when ever his team took to the pitch.

CM: Xavi - The late bloomer has proved to be one of the best passers of the ball of all time, winning everything and being a key player in what many consider one of the best club and international teams in history. Oh and yeah another World Cup winner

ACM/CM: Cruyff - 3 time European footballer of the year and 3 time Euro Cup winner, Cruyff is still considered by many to be one of the best attacking midfielders to have ever graced the game, mentioned in the same breath as Maradona and Di Stefano. As he is the only European in that list he easily gets the nod.

ACM: Platini - One of the best passers of the ball to ever grace the game (like Xavi), was also one of the best dead ball specialists to have ever played, also a 3 time European player of the year award winner and most famous for utterly destroying everything in France's 1984 Euro win.

ACM: Zidane - Yet another world cup winner multiple player of the year winner Euro winner and all around freak of nature. On his day he could do it all and one of the best players to watch with the ball at his feet the world will ever see.

CF: Puskas - Probably the greatest European striker of all time, he may not have the numbers as some of the others but he hit them in when they counted most, a key figure in multiple Euro Cup wins for Real Madrid and one of the best international teams of all time he gets the nod up front for me.

CF: Eusebio - For me the greatest Portuguese player to ever play the game, the black panther scored 733 goals in just 745 competitive games in his career at a time when European football was very competitive.

Coach: Mourinho - A choice not many will like but his track record at multiple clubs speaks for itself.