THE GREATEST SERIE A STRIKERS OF THE 90s

Aera by OneFootball
7 min readOct 18, 2022

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Serie A has been home to some of the finest strikers to ever grace the pitch. The 90s was a hugely successful era for Italian football, with Italian clubs taking home multiple European titles. So we are celebrating some of the quintessential forwards of the era. To this end, we’re excited to release a collection featuring some of the greatest Serie A strikers of the 90s in Drop 3.

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We have carefully curated 9 incredible Moments from 9 iconic strikers, which are hidden amongst Moments from the 2022/23 Serie A season. This special edition drop will allow you to potentially cop iconic Digital Video Moments from Christian Vieri, Marco van Basten, Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo, Gianluca Vialli, Vincenzo Montella, Oliver Bierhoff, Giuseppe Signori, and Careca. What an epic list of talent.

When taking a deep dive into the background of these incredible strikers of the 90s, there is nowhere else to start….

Christian Vieri

Nicknamed “Bobo” by his footballing father, and his illustrious career saw him pull on the shirt of no less than 12 clubs during his professional career. A little-known fact is that Bobo actually first laced his boots for the Marconi Stallions in Australia, where his father plied his trade at the time. While “down under”, Bobo developed a love for cricket, but ultimately decided to focus on football. Who would have thought, right? One sport’s loss is the other sport’s gain — and we applaud his decision! Back in Italy, he soon ended up in the youth team of Torino and made his debut in December 1991. His first league goal followed shortly thereafter — and what a goal it was, too! The Godfather of Serie A strikers in the 90s had finally arrived! His career path was forged during the 90s at teams such as Torino or Atalanta, ultimately earning him that big move to Atlético Madrid in Spain’s La Liga. He came back to Serie A with Lazio, delivering many unforgettable Moments in that short stint that led to him becoming the world’s most expensive footballer when he joined Inter Milan.

Marco van Basten

The name Marco van Basten instantly conjures up the red and black of AC Milan. Yes, he may have scored more goals for Ajax during his time in his home country The Netherlands, but he was a defining figure of the Serie A during the first half of the 90s. Known for his outstanding technique, balance, and instinct, the Dutchman picked up three Ballon d’Or trophies during his time at the “Rossoneri”. Ranked 6th in the FIFA Players of the Century list, it comes as no surprise that we simply couldn’t overlook “The Swan of Utrecht”. Trust us, his Moment is the embodiment of grace!

Gabriel Batistuta

The hair, the man, the legend! The sight of Gabriel Batistuta in a purple Fiorentina kit is basically the embodiment of 90s Serie A football. The Argentinian spent almost the entire decade with the “Viola”, notching up 167 goals and even helping them regain promotion after dropping down into Serie B in 1993. The nickname “Batigol” was therefore well-deserved in our humble opinion. Known for his immense desire and powerful style, the striker from Santa Fe was immortalised by fans with a life-size statue. In our book, anyone who is such a fan icon deserves his own Moment!

Hernán Crespo

The second Argentinian on our list of legends is Hernan Crespo, who had his most successful spell in Serie A at Parma and Lazio from 1996 to 2002. Arriving with excellent credentials from River Plate, it didn’t take long for him to win over the hearts of fans with his excellent technique, composure, and goal instinct. As someone who was more than capable of finishing with both feet and his head, Crespo swiftly earned a reputation as something of an acrobat. While “Valdanito” was never shown a red card throughout his career, we are excited to show you a carefully selected iconic Moment!

Gianluca Vialli

Gianluca Vialli was born into a wealthy family, but that didn’t stop him from working tirelessly on and off the pitch across the entire front line. In the 90s, the generational talent laced his boots for Sampdoria and Juventus before moving to the Premier League in 1996. The prolific goal scorer and creative assist giver was hailed as a new breed of striker — a “one-stop-shop” for all attacking attributes in the football of the era, including heading ability. If you’re compared with the legendary Luigi “Gigi” Riva, we will definitely place you on our list of iconic Moments!

Vincenzo Montella

Flying in as 6th 90s Serie A legend in our drop is “Aeroplanino” Vincenzo Montella. The diminutive Italian striker, who enjoys spreading his wings in celebration, spent the decade at Empoli, Genoa, and Sampdoria, enthralling fans with pacy and intelligent all-round play. Capable of masterful strikes and passes with both feet, he often dropped back into the role of second striker with equal first-class success. All experts agree that his status would be even more elevated if he hadn’t suffered so many injuries. We are thrilled to elevate him to iconic Moment status!

Oliver Bierhoff

As son of a utility tycoon, German Euro 1996 Golden Goal scorer Oliver Bierhoff’s childhood may have echoed that of Gianluca Vialli. The tall striker from Karlsruhe arrived in Italy in 1991 at Ascoli and subsequently graced the pitch for Udinese and Milan, before moving to Monaco in 2001. Befitting for a citizen of a country known for its precision, Bierhoff is best known for his ability to transform crosses into goals with pinpoint headers. He was, however, also capable of powerful runs due to his excellent physical attributes. Wonder what kind of goal we chose for our Moment? Find out!

Giuseppe Signori

Step up, Giuseppe Signori. “Beppe” used his powerful and accurate shot to enchant the fans (and managers) of Foggia, Lazio, Sampdoria, and Bologna between 1989 and 2004, his most successful stint coming at Lazio with 107 goals in 152 games. His trademark move — apart from being an excellent freekick and penalty taker — was to bury the ball in the far corner with his preferred left foot. He even scored a hattrick of free kicks in a league match — now that’s a feat! This didn’t make it easier to choose a fitting Moment, but we think we made an excellent choice!

Antônio de Oliveira Filho - Careca

Last but not least, we turn our attention to Antônio de Oliveira Filho, better known as “Careca”, and his time at SSC Napoli from 1987 to 1993. He might have only spent three years of the 90s in the Serie A, but his name will be forever whispered in awe by fans, not least because of his excellent partnership with a legend called Diego Maradona. Careca’s dribbling skills and ability to score off-balance were complemented by his aerial strength, earning him a reputation as one of the greatest strikers Brazil has ever produced. We are super excited to include one of his finest moments in our drop!

How mouth-watering does that list of icons sound? We can’t wait to hear what you think about this special drop. We’re certainly very proud. Come join us on Discord, Instagram, and Twitter to stay in the loop. Or register with us right now and get a free Serie A Starter Pack.

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