Andrea Pirlo is Brazilian, Ramires is English & Jose Mourinho is Argentine - 10 football stars who fit the stereotypes of another nation

According to Dunga, the Italy midfielder plays like a Selecao hero. Goal.com looks at the other global names whose style fit an international stereotype

17 Nov 2011 13:49:00

More On :  AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Brazil, Italy, Juventus, Real Madrid
Ronaldinho-Pirlo - Italy-Brazil Emirates Stadium (PA)
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By Carlo Garganese

This week, former Brazil coach Dunga hit the headlines when he spoke of his admiration for Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo and remarked that the Juventus star's style of play was more reminiscent of a Brazilian rather than an Italian.
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"Juventus have a Brazilian in their team - and it's not Amauri. I am talking about Andrea Pirlo. He's the most Brazilian player of all Europeans and is Juve's true Brazilian," said the 1994 World Cup winner.

"His positional sense, technique, rhythm and accurate passing. He's fantastic. He's the first player on the paper if I had to make a dream team.

"Like we say in Brazil: Pirlo has turned this Juventus into what they are now. You can see that his team-mates respect him as their new leader."

But if Pirlo does play like a Brazilian, he certainly isn't the only football-related figure who possesses some of another country's characteristics. Here are 10 other examples ...

10. GENNARO GATTUSO | ENGLISH
As the camera moves across the Italy team singing the national anthem, female fans drool over Cannavaro, Nesta and Buffon, before wolfman Gattuso comes into shot.

The AC Milan man is anything but typically Italian - his British Bulldog, heart-on-the-sleeve, in-your-face hardman image - as opposed to pretty, ladies man/mama's boy has won him many English admirers over the years. 'One of us, one of us'.
9. GERVINHO | BRAZILIAN
Gervais Yao Kouassi is his real name, but so Brazilian is his style of play that he has assumed the nickname Gervinho. The Arsenal attacker's creative cunning and silky skills are certainly comparable to South American samba.

There is one thing about Gervinho that isn't Brazilian, though - that dreadful hairstyle, which is transplanted straight from a young girl's doll.
8. JAVIER ZANETTI | GERMAN
Zanetti is now less than two years short of his 40th birthday but his indefatigable lung-busting runs show no signs of slowing down. German athletes are often stereotypically depicted as machines, and there is no footballer more engine-robotic than Zanetti.

Win or lose, the Inter legend always conducts himself with the utmost class and professionalism - again very German-like.
7. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC | ITALIAN
Ibrahimovic is the complete opposite of your average Swedish footballer - he is hot-blooded, super-confident (arrogant), individualistic, and not blonde!

His latin traits and temperament certainly have Italian written all over, and having spent more than half of his career in the peninsula he can certainly claim to be an honorary Italian.
6. MARK VAN BOMMEL | BALKAN
The countries that used to make up the former Yugoslavia are notorious for committing numerous petty fouls, and receiving countless yellow cards.

When they are holding onto a lead, then tactical fouls, breaking up the rhythm, and time-wasting tricks are very common, as are X-rated tackles when things are going against them. Van Bommel must have some Balkan ancestry!
5. RAMIRES | ENGLISH
He can run and run and run and run and run, and run some more, but he has the technique of the fat Sunday League centre half on your local pub team.

So bad is Ramires' passing that one attempted through ball during the Copa America was 50 yards overhit. Must have been secretly trained in the English youth system where all skilful midfielders are expertly told they are not good enough.
4. FERNANDO TORRES | BRAZILIAN
Ramires aside, who we know is English, there are certain guarantees about Brazilians. They're all stylish, they all prefer attack to defence, and they can all dance.

But they're also finished as footballers before the age of 28. It happened to Ronaldinho, Adriano ... and now to Chelsea hitman Fernando Torres, whose downward spiral has been more spectacular than Michael Douglas in Falling Down.
3. LUCA TONI | NORWEGIAN
Norway has become a footballing synonym for 'long ball', with Egil Olsen's side of the 1990s deploying the ugly tactic to varying degrees of success.

This style of play suits giant target-men in the mould of Jostein Flo and John Carew, who win everything in the air but have the foot coordination of a drunkard. Juventus benchwarmer Luca Toni certainly fits the bill.
2. CARLOS TEVEZ | DUTCH
The Dutch have boasted some of the most talented squads in international history, but they have often been let down at major tournaments by in-fighting and a lack of team harmony.

So if Holland could pick one player in the world to destroy their dressing room ahead of Euro 2012 next summer, who would they choose? Surely none other than Manchester City runaway Carlos Tevez?
1. JOSE MOURINHO | ARGENTINE
Machiavelli infamously wrote that "the end justifies the means", and, for all its flair, fantasy and individual geniuses like Maradona and Messi, this pretty much sums up Argentine football.

Jose Mourinho's win at all costs mentality is perfectly in sync with this philosophy. He is also notorious for being a bad loser and blaming (and poking) everyone but himself in defeat - other typical Argentine traits.

Any other football-related figures who contain the characteristics of another country? Leave your suggestions in the comments box below.

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