Unlike other leagues, Serie A is not commonly associated with great headers of the ball, even among its defenders. While England and English football bring to mind classic number nines and lumbering central defenders, Italy is more readily thought of for bringing culture to the game and beyond the artistry of play-makers such as Gianni Rivera and Giancarlo Antognoni, even the peninsula’s defenders are seen as smooth operators. Even though for every Gaetano Scirea and Franco Baresi there is a Claudio Gentile or Marco Materazzi waiting to scythe down an attacking player…

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