🎥 The 🔟 greatest ever free-kick takers in Serie A | OneFootball

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Chloe Beresford·11 September 2022

🎥 The 🔟 greatest ever free-kick takers in Serie A

Article image:🎥 The 🔟 greatest ever free-kick takers in Serie A

Italian football’s top flight has seen some brilliant free-kick takers over the years.

Here’s 10 of the best.


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Roberto Baggio

Despite numerous problems with injury throughout the course of his career, Il Divin Codino could always rely on his supreme natural talent and of course that meant that free-kicks were just one of many specialties for this gifted player.

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Miralem Pjanić

Pjanić has scored a total of 21 goals from free-kicks during his career, with his best coming during the 2015/16 season for Roma. That year, he netted five and it was no surprise when he was snapped up by Juventus that summer for a fee of around £29m.

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Gianfranco Zola

He may be best remembered for his spell at Chelsea but Gianfranco Zola was doing the business for Parma back in Serie A before he even arrived in London. The pint-sized forward fired in an incredible 49 goals in 102 league appearances for the Ducali between 1993 and 1996, and wowed the crowds with his free-kick technique.


Alessandro Del Piero

The ball goes spinning into the top corner. The goalkeeper can’t get near it. Del Piero peels away in delight, tongue out, as he celebrates with his Juventus team-mates.

It was a familiar sight that was repeated over and over again by a dead-ball specialist whose technique was so refined that he could score for fun, even at the very highest level.

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Siniša Mihajlović

One of the league’s best-ever free-kick takers, Mihajlović helped Lazio to a Scudetto, Cup Winners’ Cup and Uefa Super Cup under Sven-Göran Eriksson.

Even long after retirement from playing, Mihajlović the coach could still be seen taking brilliant set-pieces on Bologna’s training ground before being diagnosed with leukaemia in 2019.

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Dušan Vlahović

Another Serbian with a talent for free-kicks is Juventus No. 9 Vlahović.

The 22-year-old has already netted with two inch-perfect strikes from dead balls for the Bianconeri this season and it looks like there’s plenty more to come from him too.


Francesco Totti

Some players smash free-kicks with power beyond the flailing goalkeeper, some go for pinpoint precision, or even the element of surprise. Totti could apply the swerve, the power and the placement – even from distance – all at once.

The legendary number 10 scored 23 free-kicks throughout his career, and even at 43 years old was still smashing them home.


Andrea Pirlo

Pirlo scored 13 goals from dead-ball situations during 10 seasons at Milan, and in fact all of his five goals in the 2005/06 season were direct free-kicks.

If that wasn’t enough, Pirlo’s move to Juventus in 2011/12 saw his skills in this regard honed even further, as the midfield maestro delivered 15 goals from free-kicks in just four seasons for the Old Lady. Time and time again, Pirlo used his gifted feet to strike the ball perfectly, frustrating defenders and goalkeepers all over Serie A.

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Paulo Dybala

Now embarking on a new challenge under José Mourinho at Roma, Dybala has been a real weapon for Max Allegri from set-pieces.

His cultured left-foot has curled in 12 free-kicks in a black and white shirt and that’s even more impressive considering that he’s had to compete with the likes of Pjanić and Cristiano Ronaldo to be handed the responsibility of taking them.

We will undoubtedly be seeing more from him at his new club.

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Gabriel Batistuta

Could we have any Serie A goalscoring list without Batistuta?

The Argentine could score with any part of his body, from any angle, including a famous indirect free-kick inside the box versus a star-studded Milan side lined up in a vain attempt to stop the rocket that followed.

In the end, Batistuta scored 18 free-kicks in Serie A across Fiorentina and Roma, some from more than 35 yards out. Some were touched on by an opponent to get the very most from his ultra powerful shot.

Unstoppable.