Calcio Debate: Vieri – The Biggest ‘Has-Been’ In Serie A?

What is a has-been? Well I personally like to describe it as a player who was once one of the top players in his league, continent or even in the world, but whose levels have unfortunately now dropped to the point of no return.  

Many stars choose to bow out while they are at the top of their game, sparing the public the embarrassment of seeing them in their declining years. Two examples perhaps are Michel Platini and Eric Cantona.  

Others, however, continue to soldier on, like an ageing boxer who loses to opponents he would have knocked out in round one back in his prime.

I begin my assessment of Vieri with a simple question: Why did Italy win the World Cup in 2006?  

Was it due to the brilliance at the back of Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon? Was it the tenacity of Gennaro Gattuso and the invention of Andrea Pirlo in midfield? Or was it the tactical genius of Marcello Lippi and the unity of the squad?  

The answer is none of these.  

The real person who won Italy the trophy was Christian Vieri, who got himself injured weeks before the tournament, thus missing out on a place in the squad.

Okay I admit I am taking this joke too far, but would Italy have triumphed if they had been forced to turn to this bumbling roll of clumsiness as a substitute? Just remember how Lippi’s replacements proved decisive in the games against the Czech Republic, Australia and Germany.    

Vieri has probably been a ‘has-been’ for at least four years now, dating back to Euro 2004, when he was the biggest reason for Italy’s exit, along with another ‘has-been’ Giovanni Trapattoni, and a purely coincidental 2-2 draw between Nordic neighbours Denmark and Sweden in the final game of Group C.    

I have never in my life heard a person’s name cursed by so many of my friends than that of Vieri’s during those weeks in June in 2004. The cricket-mad striker headed so many chances over the bar during the Azzurri’s three games that you would have bet your life he would have been able to nod Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s back-heeled effort off the line during the match with Sweden. Unfortunately he mistimed his jump, and Ibra’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw ultimately sent Italy out.  

Prior to 2004, Vieri was one of the best forwards in the world, and for a while was arguably the best target man striker in the world. He scored nine goals in the two World Cups of 1998 and 2002, and at the time of Euro 2004 had a brilliant international scoring record of 22 goals in 43 games.

Vieri was quite simply a beast of a striker. He had all the attributes that a defender fears – pace, strength, heading ability, striker intelligence, and an absolutely lethal left foot.  

He is one of the few Italian players in the history of the game to have succeeded in Spain, scoring 24 goals in as many games for Atletico Madrid in La Liga in 1997/98 to win the Pichichi, while his scoring record for nearly all of his pre-2004 teams was quite superb, Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio and of course Inter all included. The transfer fees he commanded moving from club to club requires a calculator to add up, and at the time of his £32m switch from Lazio to Inter in 1999, he was the world’s most expensive player.  

These days are long gone though, as anyone who saw Fiorentina’s exit to Rangers last week will tell you. The 34-year-old missed a host of fantastic chances to take his team to Manchester but squandered them all, before going on to miss the most decisive penalty in the ensuing shootout.  

It is surely time for Vieri to hang up his boots and let us remember him for the great player he was during his prime.  

What are your views on this topic? Is Vieri the biggest ‘has-been’ in Serie A? What other players do you consider as past their sell by date? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think…  

Carlo Garganese