The hard player: Josip Šimunić
Born on 18 February 1978 in Canberra, Australia, Josip Šimunić is a Croatian international centre-back whose career spanned several decades and continents. He started at Melbourne Knights in Australia (30 games, 3 goals) before making his way to the Bundesliga, where he became a fixture at Hertha Berlin: 275 matches and 5 goals at the Olympiastadion. He later joined 1899 Hoffenheim (42 games) and ended his career at Dinamo Zagreb (116 games, 8 goals).
In the Croatian national team shirt, Šimunić racked up 105 caps and 3 goals, cementing his status as one of the most capped defenders in his country’s history. A career built from Melbourne to Zagreb, with 275 games in Berlin at its very heart.
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PlayThe medium player: Edwin van der Sar
Born on 29 October 1970 in Voorhout, Netherlands, Edwin van der Sar was a goalkeeper who played from 1990 to 2011. Developed at Ajax Amsterdam, where he made 312 appearances, he then tested himself in Serie A with Juventus (88 games) before crossing the Channel to join Fulham (154 games). It was at Manchester United, however, between 2005 and 2011, that he truly peaked: 266 matches and four European Club Goalkeeper of the Year awards to his name.
With the Dutch national team, Van der Sar earned 130 caps, making him the second-most capped player in Netherlands history, just behind Wesley Sneijder. He is also a member of the Club van 100. After hanging up his gloves, he switched to the boardroom, serving as CEO of Ajax Amsterdam from 2016 to 2023. In March 2016, he even laced up his boots again to help out his hometown club, VV Noordwijk.
The easy player: Iván Zamorano
Born on 18 January 1967 in Maipú, Chile, Iván Zamorano is a Chilean international footballer. A natural centre-forward, he carved through Europe’s biggest clubs with lethal efficiency: 101 goals in 173 games at Real Madrid, then 41 goals in 150 games at Inter Milan. Not the numbers of a lucky cameo, but those of a genuine predator.
After his European years, he headed to Club América in Mexico, netting 38 goals in 73 appearances, before returning to his homeland to finish his career, including a spell at Cobresal. With the Chilean Olympic national team, he even managed to score 6 goals in just 5 matches. With Zamorano, the goals always came first.