Ciro Ferrara: A TributeThe 2004/005 season marked the end of the career of one of the greatest defenders ever to grace Serie A, Ciro Ferrara. David Morabito remembers him...
Ferrara, with his Caesar-like appearance, marshalled some of the most formidable defensive lines in Serie A history. While the great Napoli side of the late 80's and early 90's is often referred to as 'Maradona's Napoli,' most people didn't realise that while Maradona was scoring goals at one end, Ferrara was putting a stop to them at the other. But such was Ferrara's career that he spent most of his years playing in the shadow of superstars. The likes of Maradona, Baggio and Del Piero stole the spotlight and took the plaudits, while Ferrara toiled away tirelessly at the back.
While most other clubs didn't see value in Maradona's team mates after his career ended, Juventus realised Ciro Ferrara would be a worthy addition to their squad and signed him on for the 1994/1995 season. It took Ferrara only two seasons with the Turin side before he helped them to the Champions League trophy in the 1995/1996 season, against an almighty Ajax outfit. He would go on to score the Bianconeri seven schedutto's, an intercontinental cup, a UEFA cup, a UEFA super cup, two Italian cups and five Italian Super Cups.
As well as his domineering physical presence in his own box, Ferrara was also an intimidating force in the opponent's area, often making space for Juve's strikers and even chipping in with the odd goal. Ferrara was a player who exuded confidence which characterized the Juventus teams of the 90's. This was reciprocated by the cool finishing of Del Piero, and the relaxed demeanour of the silver haired cigar smoking coach Marcello Lippi.
The calm Ferrara displayed under pressure along with his perfectly timed challenges were in stark contrast to his more aggressive, bone-crunching partner in crime Paulo Montero. Their different, yet equally effective styles made for one of the most feared defensive partnerships in European football. One of their most stunning displays came in the 2002/2003 Champions League final, when the aging duo held off AC Milan's almighty strike pairing of Andrea Shevchenko and Pippo Inzaghi for 120 minutes, before Juventus lost on penalties.
At 38 years of age and after 500 Serie A appearances, Ciro Ferrara hung up his boots and called an end to a marvellous career spanning 3 decades. Ciro Ferrara's will not only be remembered for being one of the most gifted defender's of his generation, but also for carrying himself in an exemplary manner on and off the field.
from Goal.com=================================================
a true great, yet always been underated n overlooked.
Oct 1 2005, 01:52 PM
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