Although we’re talking about a 34-year-old, Angel Di Maria’s transfer to Juventus is being perceived as one of the hottest switches of the transfer market. The Argentine has travelled all around Europe during his illustrious career, and now he’s finally set to embrace Calcio. Nonetheless, the winger won’t be the first veteran to try his luck in Italian football at a relatively advanced stage of his career. In fact, Serie A history is filled with glamorous stars who made late landings in the peninsula.
But while some managed to prolong their glory days by finding success in Italy, others struggled and left with few happy memories.
So let’s take a look at ten of the most famous stars who made late-career moves to Serie A, and rank their time in the Italian league based on the level of success found on the pitch.
N.B: The list will only include players who made their Serie A debuts at a relatively late age. Therefore, the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic who made late returns to Calcio will be ineligible to the list.
10- Nicolas Anelka (Juventus, 33)
In a recent article, we named Nicolas Anelka as the worst free agent signing at Juventus in the past decade or so.
Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he lands at the very bottom of the list once again. The well-travelled striker joined the Bianconeri in the middle of the 2012/2013 campaign but only featured for a total of 55 minutes for Antonio Conte’s side without making any meaningful contribution.
9- Ashley Cole (Roma, 33)
Following his glory days at Arsenal and Chelsea, Ashley Cole decided to try his luck in Calcio. Nonetheless, his time at Roma started in an bizarre team photo with him awkwardly standing on the outside, and things didn’t exactly pick up afterwards.
The former England international only took part in 16 matches during his time in the Italian capital, before being handed an escape route by LA Galaxy.
Frank Lampard signing old team mate Ashley Cole for Derby.
Here's that photo of him with Roma. pic.twitter.com/Lzh5sCsNpO
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) January 17, 2019
8- Nemanja Vidic (Inter, 32)
During his heyday at Manchester United, Nemanja Vidic was arguably the best center back in the world. Unfortunately for Serie A fans (Inter supporters in particular), the Serbian’s best version never left the Old Trafford.
Perhaps it was due to advanced age, injury concerns, the new culture or Walter Mazzarri’s three-man defense, but the bottom line is that the defender’s time in Italian football was utterly forgettable.
7- Diego Godin (Inter, 33)
Five years removed from Vidic’s arrival, Diego Godin almost endured the same fate at Inter. Once regarded as the best in the world, the Uruguayan had little left in the tank and struggled to maintain a starting spot in the presence of younger teammates.
Interestingly, the Atletico Madrid legend decided to prolong his time in Calcio by signing for Cagliari, but his Sardinian experience ended in a controversial manner.
6- Luis Figo (Inter, 32)
Once a part of the unforgettable Galacticos at Real Madrid, Serie A fans were delighted with the arrival of Luis Figo. The Ballon d’Or winner stormed into Italian football from the gates of Inter.
Although he had his moments during his four years at the Giuseppe Meazza, the Portuguese legend was at that point a far cry from the menacing winger who bossed Spanish football during his prime.
Honorable Mention: David Beckham (Milan, 33)
During Silvio Berlusconi’s later years at Milan, the patron was no longer able to splash the cash for the best players in the world. Nevertheless, Adriano Galliani still managed to pull off occasional publicity stunts, and perhaps signing David Beckham was one of the those.
The Englishman shared a love-hate relationship with Fabio Capello from their time together in Madrid. So while he was a Galaxy player at the time, the winger opted to join a European side to stay active during the MLS off-season and subsequently attract the interest of the manager, who was at the time in charge of the English national team.
Truth to be told, Beckham’s two stints with the Rossoneri weren’t terrible by any means, contributing in two goals and nine assists in 33 appearances, by they only receive a honorable mention due to their brief and unusual nature, as he would only dwell for around three months at Milanello.
5- Franck Ribery (Fiorentina, 35)
Following his lengthy and highly-celebrated spell at Bayern Munich, Franck Ribery had nothing left to prove. Yet, he couldn’t resist Florence’s unique charm.
The legendary winger became an inspirational leader at Fiorentina for two years, acting as a mentor for the likes of Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic.
The Frenchman then made a surprising decision by signing for the newly-promoted Salernitana last summer. Although his first season with the Granata was a tough one on a personal level, he has recently extended his contract for another term.
4- Pedro Rodriguez (Roma, 33)
Perhaps his fame pales in comparison with some of the other stars on the list, but Pedro Rodriguez is one of the most decorated players in his generation. The World Cup, European Championships, the Champions League, the Premier League… You name it, he won it.
In his debut season in Serie A, the Spaniard had a decent if unspectacular campaign at Roma. However, he decided to add another twist to his exceptional career by making the extremely rare jump from the Giallorossi towards their hated crosstown rivals Lazio.
The winger is now enjoying an Indian summer with the Biancocelesti, delivering sublime performances last season.
3- Dani Alves (Juventus, 33)
After eight long years at Barcelona, Dani Alves needed to challenge himself in a new environment. The Brazilian star thus made the switch to Serie A, but the main objective was of course guiding Juventus towards Champions League glory.
Though he fell just short during his lone campaign at he Allianz Stadium, he still showcased his prowess on the field. He contributed with six goals and seven assists, which is an impressive tally for a right-back.
2- Miroslav Klose (Lazio, 33)
When Miroslav Klose made the switch from Bayern to Lazio in 2011, most observers didn’t expect his spell at the Stadio Olimpico to last long, perceiving it as a temporary switch before the legendary hitman calls it a day.
Yet, the German lingered in the Italian capital for five years, and according to Transfermarkt, he represented the Biancocelesti more than any other club in his career and collected the highest goal tally as well (63 goals and 35 assists in 171 appearances).
He also remained in shape to take part in Germany’s triumphant World Cup campaign in 2014.
1- Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, 33)
In the summer of 2018, Juventus spent 100 million euros for the services of a 33-year-old, yet no one budged over the hefty fee. That’s because Cristiano Ronaldo remains a unique enigma.
Similarly to Dani Alves, the Portuguese couldn’t help the Old Lady in her quest to clinch the Champions League, but the man was a goal-scoring machine who was able to surpass the 100-goal mark despite only spending three campaigns in Turin.
Although fans and observers alike still argue whether he helped the club’s project or hindered it, his scoring charts tell an undeniable story of an immortal bomber.