Serie A's marks
Aron Winter (Inter) - 6,47
Paramaribo (Sur, Ola), 1-3-67
MIDFIELDER
At the beginning of last summer he claimed: "This year you’ll see the real Winter".
Inter’s fans trusted him and, after a disappointing season, expected to finally see the outsdanding player who used to draw crowds both with Ajax and with Lazio.
To be honest, his first season with Inter was negatively conditioned by an injured knee that caused him the loss of his starting role.
Hodgson, then, had a hand in it.
However, this year, Winter kept his word and quickly revived.
Among so many champions wasn’t easy to find again a starting role, but Aron succeeded by moving a little further from the goal-mouth and turning into a very effective playmaker.
His presence gave Inter more lucidity, intensity and precision.
His consistency made him again one of the best midfielders currently in Italy.
Winter didn’t win the Championship but won his very important, personal, challenge.
Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) - 6,46
Conegliano (TV), 9-11-74
FORWARD
The year of his maturity.
Marcello Lippi was right in considering Del Piero the untouchable pillar of his often changing Juventus.
The golden-boy of the Italian football experienced the Juventus of Baggio, Vialli, Ravanelli, Vieri and Boksic.
All of them are now gone while he is still there with more and more responsibility.
Finally playing as a true forward, Del Piero showed, this season, great guts, determination and condition, scoring as many as 21 goals.
He immediately found the right armony with Inzaghi and showed an incredible consistency and a perfect physical shape.
Step after step Del Piero emerged as the Italian answer to Ronaldo.
Pavel Nedved (Lazio) - 6,45
Cheb (Rep. Ceca), 30-8-72
CENTROCAMPISTA
MIDFIELDER
His second Italian season didn’t start very well.
After Eriksson replaced Zeman (the one who really brought Pavel in Italy) as a Lazio’s coach, Nedved seemed to be destined not to find any room to play.
Eriksson wanted to line up as many as 3 forwards at the same time and Nedved looked to be the first excluded.
However Pavel’s talent and goals didn’t take too long to bring him back to the starting lineup.
Eriksson even modified his strategies to take advantage of Nedved’s great physical and technical skills, quickness and fulminant shots.
He scored as many as 11 goals along with Boksic, in spite of some controversy between them.
Nedved said about Boksic: ìHe tends to save his energies for the national team instead of giving his bestî, and Boksic replied: ìNedved should rinse his mouth before talking about meî.
Personal polemics apart, the Czech star who fans discovered, along with his national team, 2 years ago during the European Championship in England, proved his talent also in Italy, grappling with the hardest football League in the world.
Gianluigi Buffon (Parma) - 6,45
Carraraa (MS), 28-1-78
GOALKEEPER
He is just 20 years old but very soon he will be considered the best one.
For now Peruzzi and Pagliuca are still a step ahead of him but it looks to be just a matter of experience.
In terms of overall performances Buffon already emerged, during the last season, as the best goalkeeper of the Italian Championship.
That was enough for him to become part of the national team that will play the World Cup in France. (Which is a further record, considering the common tendency to call older and more experienced players for his role).
Sometimes his 20 years of age emerge suddenly.
For exemple after Parma-Inter when he stopped a Ronaldo’s penalty kick and showed his fans a Superman’s shirt, worn under his Parma’s jersey.
As a goalkeeper, however, he seems to be really mature.
He has confidence, brightness and quickness of movement.
Every season, then, he parades at least 4 or 5 incredible saves that confirm his absolute talent as a goalkeeper.
If he is not the number one yet, he will become it very soon.
Alessandro Nesta (Lazio) - 6,44
Roma, 19-3-76
DEFENDER
His great performances during the last season enabled him to gain a sure place for the next World Cup in France.
Nesta emerged as the best Italian defender of the season, forming, along with Negro, the brightest central defensive couple in the League.
Until the 27th week, Lazio gave up less goals than any other Italian team and its fans began to dream of winning the Championship.
Unfortunately the last 7 games were much less lucky and also Nesta’s performances became a little less satisfactory.
Altogether, however, it was a crucial season for Alessandro.
Previously considered talented but not enough concrete, he finally found the right mental, physical and technical consistency to become a true leader for his team.