Ranking the 5 best defenders of the last decade
Italy's triumphant Euro 2020 campaign has once again cast light on the art of defending, especially after world-class performances from Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
The last decade saw the emergence and dominance of some of the best defenders in the world, with teams like Real Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona all fielding world-class players.
While there has certainly been an evolution as far as defending is concerned, the basics remain the same. As shown by Bonucci and Chiellini most recently, any good team is built on a rock-solid backline.
We rank the 5 best defenders of the last decade.
#5 Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci has cemented his position as one of the best centre-backs of his generation after a towering series of performances that resulted in a Euro 2020 triumph.
The 34-year old has been one of the best defenders in world football for some time now. His first spell with Juventus saw Bonucci make 319 appearances in all competitions. The trio of Andrea Barzagli, Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini helped Juventus become a defensive behemoth and laid the path for their incredible domestic dominance.
After a season with AC Milan, Bonucci returned to Juventus in 2018, and has not disappointed. The Italy international's ability on the ball has been applauded by many, and his partnership with Giorgio Chiellini for both club and country is considered to be one of the best in recent history.
#4 Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane has won nearly every possible trophy for club and country, and the centre-back's trophy cabinet is surely a sight to behold.
Varane joined Real Madrid from Lens in 2011, and has been at the club ever since. A backup defender during his initial seasons, the France international blossomed into one of the best in the world and soon began partnering Sergio Ramos on a consistent basis for Los Blancos.
The centre-back has made 359 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid and has won four Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles. Varane was an important part of the France squad which won the World Cup in 2018. The 28-year old has been linked heavily with a move to Manchester United in recent weeks.
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