Regardless of the score, this is a player I wanted to feature for some time now. Maybe it helps further establishing him in the draft pool, as I think he absolutely deserves it.
Riccardo Ferri
or: the man who kept Vierchowod out of the national team
Why not start out with arguably the best defensive unit of all time? From 1988 to 1992, Italy's A defense under Azeglio Vicini was entirely a Milan affair: two AC players, two Inter players. (Franco) Baresi, Maldini, and Bergomi are legends of the game (and in terms of drafts: absolute top picks). But the fourth man wasn't named Vierchowod or Ferrara – it was Riccardo Ferri.
The reasons for this may have been clear back then, but must be somewhat reconstructed today. Ferri certainly suffers the fate of a number of great Italian defenders: The upper ranks of that historic group are so utterly iconic that they tend to unfairly outshine their compatriots of "lesser" profile. Not so much in Italy itself though, where Ferri is well known as an Inter legend and prolific NT player.
But seeing Ferri play for Italy, it's immediately clear that he was an integral part of that defense. He was absolutely at home in that company. I'll try to describe what kind of defender he was, and why he had that status during his playing days.
Match compilation vs Uruguay, 1990 World Cup
I begin with an all-touch compilation of Ferri in his prime, as part of aforementioned Italy defense. Youtube/FIFA blocked it, so a sendvid link must do.
https://sendvid.com/wcnexn4w
This is Italy's first knockout match of the 1990 World Cup vs the Uruguayan team of Enzo Francescoli and Ruben Sosa. Italy won 2-0 in dominant fashion, fueling the (ultimately futile) hopes of a triumph on home soil.
All of Ferri's features and virtues are on display here, both defensively and on the ball.
Player profile
I'll just describe what I see in that video: a quick, highly mobile defender with a great sense of timing and distance, and allround situational awareness (as a showcase, see the breakdown from 6:20 to 7:20). He was well accustomed to the physicality and roughness of 1980s defending, but at the same time a classy footballer who combined physicality and aerial ability with anticipation and a certain tidiness.
Many of his clearances are down to quick reading of the opponent's movements, and just sticking a leg out at the right time. I've come around to see this sort of unspectacular, low-key defending as a sign of a great defender –less effort signifies more control.
But of course Ferri was also that tenacious, rock-hard stopper who went head to head with elite center forwards, and had the prowess to hold his own in these duels – or come out on top.
The best known quote about him is certainly
the one from Marco van Basten. Several versions and sources exist, and I've also seen the exact meaning being discussed. But in essence, the Dutch GOAT striker named Ferri among the top markers he faced in his time in the Serie A, alongside Kohler, Vierchowod, and Bergomi. (I'm working on a compilation of a direct duel between Ferri and van Basten, but it will take a bit longer.)
Another feature to talk about is Ferri's control of the ball and passing range. While Baresi was the principal ball progressor in that backline, Ferri was a fine footballer and passer himself. His ball control and body coordination was smooth and effortless, his passes had the right speed, weight, spin, and he could hit precise long and diagonal balls.
Ferri vs Vierchowod
I think all of the above can offer an explanation why Vicini opted for Ferri over Vierchowod for the stopper role in his Zona Mista defense.
Vierchowod may be the most athletic defender ever, and to me he was at his best when he could hunt down and dominate a player, including using that amount of calculated brutality permissible in the '80s and early '90s. If you want someone to mark Maradona, there's your man.
Vierchowod wasn't a one-dimensional player, but Ferri still seems like the more well-rounded option – and nevertheless one of the world's best man-markers of his day. And since Vicini's defense was one that heavily relied on control and versatility, an assumption can be made why Ferri got the nod ever since his debut in 1986. A similar argument can probably made for Sacchi's choice of Costacurta over Ferri and Bergomi, when he took over and installed a modern zonal defense inside a pressing system in 1992.
But to focus on Italy's defense under Vicini one last time: What I love so much about this backline is the fusion of individual and collective excellence – Bergomi and Maldini could be center back, while Ferri could go to the outside – Baresi could track down a forward, with Ferri or Bergomi acting as temporary sweeper. The sense for mutual assistance was outstanding, and that thicket of world class defenders was the main reason this defense was so hard to crack. And more, each defender could progress the ball with ease, and rely on the others as safe recipients of difficult passes in (albeit sporadic) instants of facing pressure. The level of collective coordination and flexible, seamless interaction is just beautiful. For me, that backline was the pinnacle of classic defending.
Bits and facts
Ferri was a graduate of Inter's academy and made his professional debut in 1981. He therefore spent his career right inside the greatest period of the Serie A, and club football altogether. His career peak certainly being a key part of the great Inter side of the late '80s to early '90s, which (probably not coincidentally) matched with Ferri's stint in the national team. He left Inter in 1994 and retired at Sampdoria in 1996.
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Ferri's direct record vs van Basten is pretty dope:
I'm usually not so much into these kinds of "played against" stats, as they're ultimately a matter of XI vs XI. I think they often suggest a causality that is hard to prove at best, or may not be there entirely. (Also, not scoring =/= bad game.) But since Ferri was actually the primary marker of van Basten, this statistic makes some sense, I guess.
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In the 3626 minutes (in 45 games) Ferri was on the pitch for the national team, the Italians conceded 12 (!) goals from open play, plus one penalty and direct free kick each. That's a goal against every 259 minutes (302 from open play). This is again never down to one player, but testament to the insane defensive quality of Italy's team in that period.
Attempt on placing Ferri among the plethora of great historic defenders - and in drafts
Based on footage and research, I have the impression that the main reason Ferri is rarely named among top defenders of similar profile is probably that he's Italian. Rosato and possibly Collovati (I know little about the latter) come to mind. Outside of local lore and historically interested football discussion, even names like Ferrara and Vierchowod aren't as prominent as they should be.
So my hunch is: if Ferri, as the very same player, was of any other nationality, there's a good chance he'd be right up there with the top names of that nation, like, say, Karlheinz Förster for Germany. I'd also argue he's one of the pre-2000s defenders who'd still be comfortable in the modern game. While he was clearly a product of the 1980s era of man-marking, I don't think he'd depend on this modus of the game in the way others likely would. Neither in terms of defending, nor when it comes to ball-playing ability. Other qualities of his would come into the foreground. In that sense, I see him alongside cultured classic stoppers like Kohler and Bergomi, of whom I'd say the same.
To put it all into a statement: Based on ability, a case can be made that Ferri should be placed somewhere in the range of acknowledged great defenders like Costacurta, Vierchowod, Ferrara, Förster. His selection over Vierchowod by Vicini seems practical proof that top level coaches of his time have seen it that way. His draft status is obviously not there at all, so I want to open up the discussion, and also listen to contrary views. Overlooked top defender, or not
that good?
Finally: some cool videos
Ferri wasn't a prolific scorer, but some of the long range goals he did score are fun, and testament to his fine overall technique:
