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When it comes to football and soccer players, everyone can have their say and often the arguments, albeit valid, are totally divergent. As for the strikers, however, the statistical data, especially regarding the goals scored in relation to the games played, are irrefutable and, although opinions are often conflicting, it is possible to draw up rankings of the type “the most prolific footballer”.
However, a role in football differs from all the others: the goalkeeper. On the field he is the only player who must have a jersey that differs from his teammates, the only one who can take the ball with his hands and the only one who cannot afford even a minimum mistake, being the last bulwark between the net and the opponents. The goalkeeper figure has often been studied, even psychologically, to explain how important the physical characteristics as well as the charisma and leadership qualities are. But who were the best goalkeepers in history? Let’s find it here.
Lev Yashin
Lev Yashin, in his career, defended the net of Dinamo Moscow and the Soviet National Team, but not everyone knows that his professional career began wearing the ice hockey uniform, always in the ranks of Dinamo Moscow. Ever since he was a child, Yashin, who worked in the factory to make up for the shortcomings of workers engaged in the war, had shown great reflexes, delighting in “blocking” screws, bolts or whatever his colleagues threw at him during working hours.
He is considered by many to be the icon of his role: most of the greatest goalkeepers of all time mentioned the name of Yashin during the interviews. In almost 400 matches played he has been undefeated more than 200 times, saving 86 penalties during his career between Dinamo and the USSR; in 1963 Yashin received the Balon d’Or, imposing himself as the only goalkeeper in history (to date) to be awarded the highest personal recognition in the world of football.
Peter Schmeichel and Oliver Kahn
In the 90s the figure of the goalkeeper with a strong charisma made his mark, endowed not only with athletic skills and feline reflexes, but with courage, leadership skills and, in some way, able to terrify the attacking opponents (and often his teammates): this description fully includes two of the best goalkeepers of all time, certainly the best in their generation, Peter Schmeichel and Oliver Kahn.
The Danish goalkeeper, the historic extreme defender of Manchester United, can boast 5 English Leagues, 4 Danish Leagues, 1 Portuguese League, 3 English Cups and a Champions League won with the Red Devils. In addition to his palmares, the historic 1992 European victory with Denmark must also be added (record attendance in the national team, 129).
The trophies won by Oliver Kahn, Bayern Munich’s last bastion, also speak clearly: 8 Bundesliga, 6 German Cups, 6 German League Cups, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup and a European Championship (more info at mypromocode.co.uk). For his charisma and reactivity he is still considered by many to be the strongest goalkeeper ever.
Gianluigi Buffon
In this article we cannot fail to mention the strongest Italian goalkeeper of all time and probably the most important “Number One” of his generation, or Gigi Buffon. Record of appearances in the Italian Championship, of which more than 400 with the Juventus shirt, Buffon is surely the most successful Italian goalkeeper ever, with the icing of the 2006 world championship won as an absolute protagonist.
