The hard player: Zvonimir Boban
Born on 8 October 1968 in Imotski, Yugoslavia, Zvonimir Boban is an attacking midfielder who built his name at Dinamo Zagreb (111 matches, 45 goals) before crossing the Adriatic. A brief spell at AS Bari (17 matches, 2 goals) served as a stepping stone to the top of European football.
It was at AC Milan where he made his biggest mark: 251 matches, 30 goals, and a decade spent in the rossoneri colours. On the international stage, he represented Yugoslavia at under-20 level: 6 matches, 3 goals.
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PlayThe medium player: Mikel Arteta
Born on 26 March 1982 in San Sebastián, Mikel Arteta is a Spanish midfielder who came through the FC Barcelona B ranks (42 matches, 3 goals). His professional career took him to Paris Saint-Germain (53 matches, 5 goals) and Rangers FC (60 matches, 13 goals), before he settled in England.
He spent his longest spell at Everton FC, making 196 appearances and scoring 34 goals, then moved to Arsenal FC for 150 matches and 16 goals. His only recorded international experience was with Spain under-16s: 10 caps, 4 goals.
The easy player: Franz Beckenbauer
Born on 11 September 1945 in Munich, Franz Beckenbauer built his career around the libero position and spent the bulk of it at Bayern Munich, where he played 584 matches and scored 72 goals.
He then crossed the Atlantic to join the New York Cosmos (105 matches, 21 goals, then a second spell with 27 matches and 2 goals), before finishing his European career at Hamburger SV (38 matches, no goals). With the West Germany national team, he earned 103 caps and scored 14 goals. Franz Beckenbauer passed away on 7 January 2024.