Soccer Star - Filippo Inzaghi, Italian Footballer

Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [fiˈlippo inˈdzaɡi]; born 9 August 1973) commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan.

Inzaghi became the first striker to score in all international club competitions open to European teams after his double against Boca Juniors during the FIFA Club World Cup final in 2007.

Filippo Inzaghi is currently the second all time most prolific goal scorer in European club competitions with 70 goals only beaten by Raúl's 77 goals. He is also Milan's top international goal scorer in the club's history with 43 goals. He also holds the record for most hat-tricks in Serie A (10), and the UEFA Champions League (three – tied with Michael Owen and Lionel Messi).

Soccer Star - Paolo Maldini, Italian footballer

Paolo Cesare Maldini (born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender, being adept with either foot although naturally right footed. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club. During that period, he won the Champions League five times, as well as seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana, five European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups. He played for 14 years for the Italian national team, making his debut in 1988 before retiring in 2002 with 126 caps and four World Cup participations.

Maldini played at a world class level for his entire career spanning 2 and a half decades, and won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39. He came second to George Weah for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 1995, the closest a defender had ever reached to winning the award at the time. He was also the Milan and Italy captain for many years and was considered a leader amongst leaders by fellow footballers, leading to the nickname "Il Capitano" (the Captain). Paolo's father Cesare formerly played for and captained Milan, and is a successful national U-21 manager.

Soccer Star - Fabio Cannavaro, Italian footballer

Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI (born 13 September 1973 in Naples) is a former Italian footballer. He is considered one of the greatest defenders of his generation and was given the name "Muro di Berlino," which means "The Berlin Wall," by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy. He started his career at Napoli, before spending seven years at Parma, with whom he won two Coppa Italias and the 1999 UEFA Cup. After spells at Internazionale and Juventus, Cannavaro transferred along with manager Fabio Capello from Juventus to Real Madrid, with whom he won consecutive La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. After returning to Juventus for one season in 2009–10, he joined Al-Ahli in Dubai. He retired from professional football in 2011 due to an injury troubled season in Al-Ahli.

Cannavaro has also achieved success with the Italian national team. He was part of the Italy team that won consecutive Under-21 European Championships in 1994 and 1996. After earning his first senior cap in 1997, he eventually became captain. Cannavaro led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, and in 2009 overtook Paolo Maldini as the most capped player in the country's history. He announced his retirement from international football on 25 June 2010 following Italy's failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2010 World Cup, having amassed 136 caps and scored two goals for the senior national team.

Soccer Star - Alessandro Del Piero, Italian Footballer

Alessandro Del Piero (born 9 November 1974 in Conegliano, Veneto) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain. Del Piero was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. Del Piero was also voted in the list of best European players for the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. In the year 2000, Del Piero was the world's best-paid football player from salary, bonuses, and advertising revenue.

Along with three awards in Italy for gentlemanly conduct he has also won the Golden Foot award, which pertains to personality and playing ability.

Del Piero usually plays as a supporting-striker and occasionally between the midfield and the strikers, known in Italy as the "trequartista" position. Del Piero's playing style is regarded by critics as creative in attacking, assisting many goals as well as scoring himself, as opposed to just "goal poaching." His free-kick and penalty taking is also highly regarded. Del Piero has become famous over the years for scoring from a special "Del Piero Zone"("Gol alla Del Piero"), approaching from the left flank and curling a precise lob into the far top corner of the goal.

Del Piero holds the all-time goalscoring record at Juventus. On 6 April 2008, Alessandro Del Piero became the all-time highest-capped Juventus player, ahead of Juve legend Gaetano Scirea. As of May 2010, he is in eighth place in the UEFA Champions League all-time goalscorer records and joint fourth with Roberto Baggio within the Italian national team records.

Soccer Star - Roberto Baggio, Italian footballer

Roberto Baggio (born 18 February 1967) is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of all times (4th at a Fifa internet poll; member of the Fifa World Cup Dream Team), Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time goalscorers for Italy. Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail), for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career and his Buddhist background.

Baggio totalled 27 goals in 56 caps for his national team, the fourth-highest of all time for Italy. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups with a total of 9 career World Cup goals, which puts him even with Christian Vieri and Paolo Rossi as Italy's top World Cup scorers. For all his talent he was never rewarded with a victory in an international competition. He infamously missed the deciding penalty in the final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which contributed to Italy losing the trophy to Brazil.

Soccer Star - Domenico Criscito, Italian footballer

Domenico Criscito (born 30 December 1986), is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Russian Premier League club Zenit Saint Petersburg. He is a versatile defender who started his career as a centre back but now usually plays at left back.

On 14 November 2006 Criscito made his debut with the Italy U-21 squad in a match against the Czech Republic. He was present in two Euro U-21 Championships, in 2007 and 2009. In 2008 he also represented Italy at the Summer Olympics.

On 12 August 2009 he made his senior national team debut in a friendly against Switzerland in Basel. After a promising season he was named in Marcello Lippi's 23 men squad for the 2010 World Cup, where he played as the left back starter. Under the current reign of Cesare Prandelli, he is cementing his position as the primary left back.

Soccer Star - Giorgio Chiellini, Italian footballer

Giorgio Chiellini (born 14 August 1984 in Pisa) is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He started out his career as a left back but made his name as a no-nonsense, hard tackling centre back with a penchant for heading in goals from set-pieces. A popular figure with fans, he is second vice-captain, behind Gianluigi Buffon.

Chiellini made his debut for the Italian national team in November 2004 against Finland, and has since become a regular squad member. He won the European Under-19 Championship with Italy in 2003, and was also a member of the Italy team that won the bronze medals at the football tournament of the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was named in the 'UEFA Team of the tournament' of the 2007 U-21 Championships held in the Netherlands where they qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Soccer Star - Christian Maggio, Italian footballer

Christian Maggio (born 11 February 1982) is an Italian footballer who currently plays as a wing back for Serie A club Napoli and Italian national team.

Called by Marcello Lippi, he made his debut with the Italian national team on 19 November 2008, in a friendly match against Greece. He took part at the 2010 World Cup, where he played in the third group stage match, as the back up of Gianluca Zambrotta.

Under new head coach Cesare Prandelli he became a regular in the right back position.