Michel Platini – Won three Ballon D’Ors and three Serie A highest goalscorer awards in a row from 1983 to 1985 while at Juventus (1982-1987). Within that time, he got France to a World Cup semi-final in 1982 before winning the 1984 Euros, won Serie A twice in 1984 and 1986, running up in the European Cup in 1983, before winning it in 1985.
Diego Maradona – Serie A top scorer in 1988, the Argentine led Napoli to two league titles in 1987 and 1990 during his stay (1984-1991), also winning the Uefa Cup in 1989. The closest the club have come to replicating such success was last season when they finished second. Diego never won a Ballon D’Or despite winning the World Cup in 1986.
Marco van Basten – A two time league highest scorer in 1990 and 1992 and three time Ballon D’Or winner 1988, 1989 and 1992 while at AC Milan (1987-1993), the Dutchman won three league titles 1988, 1992 and 1993 and back-to-back European Cup titles in 1989 and 1990. He also shone for Holland in this time winning the 1988 European Championship.
Andriy Shevchenko – Two-time Serie A top scorer 2000 and 2004, who also won the Ballon D’Or in 2004 with AC Milan (1999-2006 and again 2008-2009 while on loan from Chelsea). While there, he won one league title in 2004 and the Champions League in 2003. The fact he won a Ballon D’Or despite only playing internationally for the Ukraine speaks volumes.
Ronaldo – Only won the Uefa Cup in 1998 while at Inter Milan (1997-2002) but did enough to win the first of two Ballon D’Ors in 1997 before earning himself a move to Real Madrid, where he got his second Ballon D’Or in 2002, the year he won the World Cup with Brazil. Returned with AC Milan (2007-2008) but wasn’t the same.
Zinedine Zidane – Won two Serie A Player of the Year awards in 1997 and 2001 and the Ballon D’Or in 1998, the year he also won the World Cup with France, all while at Juventus (1996-2001). Won two Serie A titles there in 1997 and 1998 and was recently linked with a return as coach after leaving the club he left Juventus for – Real Madrid.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – A three-time Serie A Player of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2011, and two-time league top scorer in 2009 and 2012. The Swede played for three Italian clubs, Juventus (2004-2006), Inter Milan (2006-2009) and AC Milan (2010-2012), clocking up a total four league titles, three at Inter 2007, 2008 and 2009, and one at AC Milan in 2011.
Gabriel Batistuta – Goes down as Serie A’s all-time highest scoring foreigner in the modern era with 184 goals in 318 games split between spells at Fiorentina (1991-2000), Roma (2000-2003) and Inter Milan (2003). During this time, the Argentine won a league top scorers gong in 1995, the league’s best player in 1999, the Serie B title in 1994 and Serie A in 2001.
Javier Zanetti – All-time highest appearance holder for a foreigner in Serie A and fourth overall with 615 games. All of these appearances were made for Inter Milan (1995-2014). During this time, the Argentine stalwart won five league titles in a row from 2006 to 2010, the Champions League in 2010 and the Uefa Cup in 1998.
Pavel Nedved – Like Shevchenko, another Ballon D’Or winner from an unfancied football nation, the Czech won his gong in 2003, the year he also won Serie A Player of the Year, while at Juventus (2001-2009). Before that, he played for Lazio (1996-2001). Honours include three league titles 2000, 2002 and 2003, running up in both the 1998 Uefa Cup and the 2003 Champions League.
