* Soccer prospects rankings by leagues *

Post here your list! (whichever European league you're covering)


here are the rules and some suggestions:

-The list should be intended as the order you would follow if you had to draft all these players (just like an NHL GM) assuming you will be able to use them for the next ten years.
You can/should take everything into consideration:
of course age, position (one position can be more important than another in someone's opinion), potential, present skills, head (brain)...
so the list should not be based (only) on who you think are the best now or just for the next year.

-to determine which 'prospects' are eligible i would suggest three options to the authors:
a)- Like we have been used to do, use a 1985 cut off until the end of the present season (Summer 2008)
b)- Use an under23 limit.. meaning that with reference to the date you're posting your list, all the players ranked need to not be 23 yrs old yet.
c)- Use a cut-off year that automatically assures no player can be older than 23 during the year in which you're posting your list: this means 2006 would be the cut off for the lists posted in 2008, and so on.

Choose what you prefer, just make clear on top of your list which criterion you chose.
Each player that played last year in a European league and respects that criterion is considered a 'prospects' eligible for the list of that particular country.

-if the prospect played less than 20 games (since joining it) in the last league where he has been playing, then he will be eligible ALSO for the league's list where he used to play before.
There is one exception to this rule:
if the player left for a foreign country before turning 18 and spent abroad at least three full seasons, he won't be eligible for his native land's lists no matter how many games he has played in the foreign leagues since joining (even if less than 20)


-The lists can be as long as you want and should provide some descriptions of the players, from two adjectives to full reports, depending on your knowledge, will, time and..ehm..faith in the readers!

-informations required in the list:
birth date*, position, nationality, team.
Some further infos could help, especially for the countries we will have less lists (Portugal,Spain..):
next team if it's going to change, height, weight (even if this one is rarely reliable).
Also, it could help specify how much closely you have been following that league.

*if writing the birthdate you use numbers for months, follow this standard: day/month/year .


During the next step everyone who posted a list will be asked to compile his overall top 50 ranking ( 50 it's just a try, we will decide later, and keep in mind that descriptions won't be necessary there..)

A further and last step will occur later when we will merge (with a weighted method to be decided) all the overall lists to come up with the ultimate HFboard soccer prospects ranking.



and now, i'm waiting for your lists!! :allears:

ITALY
- List of 15 players + 1 Wild card-


1- Kaka, Attacking Midfielder, Brasil, AC Milan -22/04/1982

He has got it all: pace, vision, finishing and influence in crucial games. A smart and educated guy, he could well become the face of football for the next 10 years.

2- Adriano, Striker, Brasil, Inter-February 17 1982

Powerhouse striker, he has all the attributes to finish top scorer in any leagues in Europe. Deadly on set pieces as well. Will he stay healthy?

3- Antonio Cassano, Striker, Italy, AS Roma-12/07/1982

Horrific attitude but the rest is just pure talent. Creativity, cool in front of the goal, he can unlock defences. He has great instincts, his movement off the ball is generally spot on. Could be the next Italian star player.

4- Alberto Gilardino, Striker, Italy, Parma-7/5/1982

He has impressed us all this season. A tremendous finisher, he works hard and provide good link up play. Was sent to the under 21 championships instead of the Euro and he didn’t say a thing: Great attitude.

5- Obefani Martins, Striker, Nigeria, Inter, October 28 1984

Excellent technique, electric pace but can he be consistent? He has already had issues with his national team, hopefully this will not be recurrent in his career.

6- Daniele De Rossi, Midfielder, Italy, AS Roma-24/07/1983

Great worker in midfield, he is also an excellent passer. He is one of the main reason why Roma will let Emerson go.

7- Valeri Bojinov, Striker, Bulgaria, Lecce, 15/02/1986:

Has played at the Euro and the future looks tremendous for this very young Bulgaria. He has good pace and he fights hard but will he manage to make the breakthrough while playing in the tough Serie A?

8- Gaetano D’Agostino, Attacking Midfielder, Italy, AS Roma-06/03/1982

He is a very elegant player, improving steadily. Clever, he knows what to do with the ball even if I wish he took more risks. Should be interesting to see what Prandelli will make of him.

9- Marco Donadel, Midfielder, Italy, Milan, on loan to Sampdoria, 21/04/1983:

He is another outstanding young player who played last year for Parma. A key member of the under21 which won the euro a month ago, he has excellent upside with his versatility. I expect him to play a lot next season in an intriguing Sampdoria.

10- Christian Obodo, Defensive Midfielder, Nigeria, Perugia, 11/05/84:

Incredibly physical for his age, he has had solid games for Perugia this season. Has a lot to learn but he looked good in front of his defence.

11- Cesare Bovo, Central Defender, Lecce, Italy, 14/01/1983:

A sound defender, he has improved a lot during this season. He has kept the defence tight for Italy under 21. I have read that he is also a leader.

12- Carlo Zotti, Goalkeeper, Italy, AS Roma, 09/03/1982:

I haven’t been particulary amazed by him but he looked solid when he played for Roma during the season.

13- Konan, Striker, Ivory Coast, Lecce, 05/01/1983

Appeared as a substitute a few times last season, he is a speedy striker. He is involved in building attacking movement so he isn’t so often in the box. But he looks clever.

14- Mirko Vucinic, Striker, Serbia&Montenegro, Lecce, 01/10/1983:

Lecce has got such an intriguing crop of young players. Vucinic is an enigmatic one. A make or break player striker, not a very hard worker. Needs to score to be noticed.

15- Diamoutene Souleymane, Fullback, Mali, Perugia, 30/01/83

His great pace and physical presence allowed him to play with Perugia this season, but he is very young and prone to mistakes. He needs to improve his positioning but Italy is the best place for it.

Wild Card- Mourad Meghni, Attacking Midfielder, France, Bologna, 16/04/1984

Tipped by so many in France as the next Zidane, he has such an upside that he could be at least 7th on this list. A marvellous technician, with intriguing passing skills, he has to mature physically and his football sense must develop. Poor finisher but game breaking talent. He could also be a bust.

Edit: Donadel belongs to Milan and will be on loan to Sampdoria next season.

OK guys, I don't post here often but I've put together a list anyway (hopefully I haven't missed something that would stop me participating )

Covering the FA Barclays Premiership (England) as it's where I'm based and watch most of, but tbh I could probably do a few other leagues if I had the time.

ENGLAND

1. Wayne Rooney (24-10-1986, SC, England, Everton)
- Has it all, and has now proven his talent at international level. Pace, strength, power, a pure goalscorer, and creative. Expected to leave Everton sooner rather than later for a potential British transfer record.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (5-2-1985, R/LW, Portugal, Man Utd)
- Has matured from the trickster who made his debut for Man Utd into a dependable yet almost unplayable winger capable of putting in that cross which could break a game. Starting to show more bravery, as shown by his recent flurry of headed goals.

3. Jose Antonio Reyes (1-9-1983, FC, Spain, Arsenal)
- The future of Spanish football. A wonderful dribbler, a wicked left foot, and a tough player who gives his all. Arsenal paid good money for the kid from Seville, and started to get reward at the back end of last season.

4. Jermaine Defoe (7-10-1982, SC, England, Tottenham)
- Many people called for his inclusion in England's Euro squad, with good reason. Just seems to score goals wherever he goes, despite his diminutive size. Very quick, has a great shot, and will be an Englanf regular.

5. Florent Sinama-Pongolle (20-10-1984, FC, France, Liverpool)
- Just ranked above his cousin after making more of an impact on the Premiership in his first season. Amazingly fast, strong for his small size, and scores goals. Voted Player of the Half Season in his final year in France.

6. Anthony Le Tallec (3-10-1984, AMC/L, France, Liverpool)
- More creative than his cousin, but no less talented. Can make things happen. Impressed in first season abroad, showed glimpses of what he can do. Under new manager Rafa Benítez, should shine.

7. Darren Fletcher (1-2-1984, MR, Scotland, Man Utd)
- Solid and dependable midfielder who has had problems with injuries but has recovered and has even captained the Scottish national team. Has loads of energy, comfortable in possession, and has a scoring touch.

8. James Milner (4-1-1986, AMC/FC, England, Newcastle)
- Youngest scorer in Premiership when he scored at Sunderland barely 16. Just made £3.5m move to Newcastle, where his pedigree should show.

9. Jon Stead (7-4-1983, SC, England, Blackburn)
- Kept Blackburn up with half a dozen goals after jumping three divisions from Huddersfield to Blackburn. Lanky, but deceptive, and gets into goalscoring positions.

10. Jeremie Aliadiere (30-3-1983, SC, France, Arsenal)[/b]
- From the fabled Clairfontaine French Football Academy, he's a pure goalscorer. Had injury problems blight his progress, but is capable of going on to score lots more for Arsenal and France. Slightly arrogant, but it comes across as an attribute.

11. Darren Ambrose [i](29-2-1984, MC, England, Newcastle)
- Impressed as he made the jump from Division One to Premiership. Energetic midfielder, versatile too. Can play as an anchor but likes to get forward and create.

12. Hélder Postiga (2-8-1982, SC, Portugal, Tottenham)
- Has a good goalscoring record but hasn't had a chance in a transitional Spurs season. With a new manager and a high profile goal at Euro 2004, Hélder could have a new lease of life and score the goals I know he can.

13. Chris Eagles (19-11-1985, MR, England, Man Utd)
- A surprise choice perhaps, but the right winger who is yet to see League action (played in Cup) is a potential star on the right wing. Is the future of Man Utd and perhaps England.

14. Liam Ridgewell (21-7-1984, DC, England, Aston Villa)
- Composed and assured centre back who made strides into the first team last season. Since David O'Leary likes young players, he should progress well this coming season. Can also play midfield.

15. Glen Johnson (23-8-1984, DR, England, Chelsea)
- Started amazingly at Chelsea - a rock at right back, winning tackles, getting forward, scoring, and making England debut. Got injured and started to fade. If he improves slightly defensively he'll be the complete package before long.

Wildcard

Cesc Fabregas (4-5-1987, MC, Spain, Arsenal)
- So young, yet so impressive. Very small, but a new Guardiola perhaps in that he sits and dictates the play. Barcelona produce these players like they're going out of fashion. Guardiola ---> Xavi ---> Iniesta ---> Cesc. Arsenal stole him and will reap the benefits.

Here is my list. I couldn't cut more so I made a 45 players list.
When no nationality is noted, that means the guy is french.
If he's a foreigner, then his nationality is written.

FRENCH LEAGUE

1- Phillipe Mexes, AS Roma, D, 30/03/1982
Filled with energy, Mexes is a marvelous defenseman. He's excellent defensively, good with the header, and his passing is great. He can also score quite a few goals a year. Simply a wonderful prospect.

2- Nilmar, Brazil, Lyon, ST, 17/07/84
Now we know why he's supposed to be the next best thing in Brazil. First game, he comes up as a sub at the 76th minute, and he scores two goals to give Lyon the victory in Rennes. And two pure striker type of goals. Definitely a future star.

3- Anthony Le Tallec, St Etienne (on loan from Liverpool), ST, 03/10/84
Talent at its best. Has amazing techinque but even better vision. He’s aware of everything, had a pretty good shot, and it tall enough not to be pushed around. I expect great things from him.

4- Eduardo Costa, Brazil, Marseille, MF, 23/09/82
Defensive midfielder is probably already the best midfielder in France apart from Rothen (now that Giuly is gone). He is never tired, and has great offensive upside. His shot is simply a rocket.

5- Petr Cech, Czech Republic, Chelsea, G, 20/05/82
Big, rather agile, he's excellent at using his big frame and at stopping penalties.

6- Florent Sinama Pongolle, Liverpool, ST, 20/10/84
Great feel for the goal, a true striker. Lacks some physical tools, but his talent should get him a star status.

7- Kim Kallstrom, Sweden, Rennes, MF, 24/08/82
Great vision and a knack for amazing passes. He had a very average EC for his talent. Is also excellent on free kicks.

8- Hatem Ben Arfa, Lyon, ST, 07/03/87
Is making a huge impact for a guy his age. Hasn't scored yet, but he can already hurt defenses thanks to his dribbling ability. A future star no matter what.

9- Gaël Clichy, Arsenal, D, 26/07/85
Left back will take Ashley Cole’s spot sooner or later.

10- Franck Ribery, Metz, MF, 01/04/83
THE player of the beginning of the year. He was playing in the third division last year and emerged this year as a star player. He's a small player with great technique and superb awareness. Not only can he pass everywhere, but he can dribble a defense by himself and turn a game around in one single action. He's not physically strong (1,70m, 60kg) and that might be where his biggest difficulty is.

11- Rio Mavuba, Bordeaux, MF, 08/03/84
Another Tigana according to Domenech, Rio was born on a boat people in the middle of the ocean. A great story, Rio's upside is so big that his future seems much brighter than his past.

12- Jérémy Mathieu, Sochaux, MF, 29/10/83
Sochaux midfielder is one of the most complete player in the league. He’s excellent defensively, and his offensive game is very good as well. He has a great shot and is a guy that will sacrifice for the team.

13- Jérémie Aliadière, Arsenal, ST, 30/03/83
With Wiltord gone and Bergkamp nearing retirement, Aliadière should see more time and he WILL produce.

14- Marouane Chamakh, Marocco, Bordeaux, ST, 10/01/84
Was very effective. Isn’t an awfully talented striker but he positions himself nicely and is deadly in the box.

15- Modeste M’Bami, Cameroon, PSG, MF, 09/10/82
Untiring defensive midfielder from PSG. Very effective and good passing skills.

16- Jérémy Menez, Sochaux, ST, 30/11/84
Another great striker coming up but this time for Sochaux.

17- Ludovic Butelle, Valencia, G, 13/04/83
Metz goalie was so poised so young that Valencia booked him last year.

18- Jaouad Zairi, Marocco, Sochaux, MF/ST, 14/04/82
You think Cristiano Ronaldo can dribble ? Try this guy. He’s just as amazing, but loses less balls. Of course the rest of his game isn’t good enough right now to say he’s the next star. His shot could be better. But he’s explosive as a winger, and is basically “ungardable”.

19- Pablo Francia, Argentina, Bordeaux, MF, 03/12/84
Argentinian midfielder proved stellar this year for Bordeaux. Great shot.

20- Charles Itandje, Lens, G, 02/11/82
Has amazing moves, including his now famous dance before penalties. Can be the best goalie in the world for a game and a pretty bad one in the following game. Needs to find consistency.

21- Albert Reira, Spain, Bordeaux, MF, 15/04/82
Spanish midfielder teamed up with Francia for a very effective one-two punch.

22- Nicolas Karlamoff, Valencia, MF, 20/01/83
A guy that should soon crack the Valencia lineup is something to be aware of.

23- Choukie Ben Saada, Bastia, ST, 01/07/84
Bastia striker has already made his mark in the french league.... for two years already. Great technique, but he has to make his game more simple.

24- Bryan Bergougnoux, Lyon, ST, 12/01/83
Lyon must lick their chops with this guy and Ben Arfa coming up. When France won the Toulon tournament, Bergougnoux scored 4 of his team’s 5 goals.

25- Bartholomew Ogbeche, Nigeria, PSG, ST, 01/10/84
Was called “Superman without kryptonite” by Fernandez two years ago. Has not progressed much since, but the talent is there and undoubtable.

26- Nabil Taider, Toulouse, MF, 26/05/83
Excellent offensive midfielder, and can sure shoot the free kicks. His upside is quite big.

27- Jaroslav Plasil, Czech Republic, Monaco, MF, 05/01/82
“Can do kid” Plasil was a good surprise for Monaco this year. Was effective coming off the bench to finish games because of his passing skills. Is pretty good at “keeping the ball”.

28- Samir Nasri, Marseille, ST, 26/06/87
Is supposed to be a great technical striker/offensive midfielder.

29- Landry Bonnefoi, Juventus, G, 20/09/83
Future star goalie for Juventus.

30- Michael Essien, Ghana, Lyon, MF, 09/06/82
Was known in Bastia for his amazing shot, and good defensive midfield skills. Suffered a bad injury that prevented him to show his stuff in Lyon.

31- Jacques Faty, Rennes, D, 25/02/84
Called “the next Desailly”, Faty is a solid stay at home defenseman.

32- Hossam Ahmed Mido, Egypt, AS Roma, ST, 23/02/83
Mido should be sold by Marseille because mostly of his bad temper. Too bad because the big guy sure has talent.

33- John Utaka, Nigeria, Lens, ST, 08/01/82
Plenty of skills, but so far no consistency. But look out, he can really score.

34- Gilles Yapi Yapo, Ivory Coast, Nantes, MF, 30/01/82
The guy is small, doesn’t have the most powerful shot, doesn’t have the Zidane type of skill, but he can do it all. He has a huge heart, is excellent in ball control and steals balls from opponents all game long.

35- Florent Chaigneau, Rennes, G, 21/03/84
Rennes only bought Cech and Isaksson until this guy is ready to carry the load. During Cech’s injury this year, he proved already that he’s not far from the big show. He put up a “Best” type of save. He also had a miserable game though, and that was probably enough for the Rennes management to seek another goalie for the immediate future.

36- Hassan Yebda, Auxerre, MF, 14/05/84
Great skills for Roux’s protégé. Should see time this year.

37- Mathieu Flamini, Arsenal, MF, 07/03/84
Was a pleasent surprise this year for Marseille. Went from unkown to unquestionnable starter. Not overly skilled, but excellent at taking balls from opponents.

38- Rudy Haddad, PSG, MF, 05/05/85
Big potential with good scoring touch.

39- Mathieu Moreau, Inter Milan, G, 22/02/83
Former Nantes goalie was blocked by Landreau.

40- Stephen Drouin, Nantes, D, 27/01/84
Excellent defenseman once again for Nantes.

41- Jérémy Toulalan, Nantes, MF, 10/09/83
Another Nantes diamond. Has ALL the tools.

42- Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo, Monaco, ST, 26/02/84
“Albatros” has all the tools. Strong, good headers, powerful shot, etc... Can he find the toolbox?

43- Lorik Cana, Albania, PSG, MF, 27/07/83
Was rock solid this year for PSG and gained a starter spot on a deep team.

44- Mickael Fabre, Sedan, G, 15/07/84
Another Nantes goalie playing in Italy. Just came back to Sedan though. We'll see how he fares in Ligue 2.

45- Jérémy Berthod, Lyon, D, 24/04/84
Was not the best this year in his debut. But still, a 20 year old guy being a regular on Lyon, french champions, is impressive, especially at left back.

46- Habib Bamogo, Marseille, ST, 08/05/82
Scored a lot in Montpellier and that rewarded a transfer to Marseille. We’ll learn more about his potential this year.

47- Yoann Folly, Southempton, MF, 6/6/85
Former St Etienne midfield has bright future. But maybe staying in St Etienne would have helped his development.

48- Grégory Lacombe, Monaco, MF, 11/01/82
Tiny offensive midfielder is in the true spirit of the “10” of old time. Is very small, but has great passing skills and good free kicks.

49- Luigi Glombard, Nantes, ST, 21/08/84
Great potential for another Nantes prospect.

50- Jérémy Gavanon, Marseille, G, 20/09/83
Barthez’s backup will carry the load as soon as Fabien retires.

51- Matt Moussilou, Lille, ST, 01/02/82
Came out of nowhere this year to score goal after goal. We’ll see if that was fluke next year.

52- Yann Gourcuff, Rennes, MF, 11/07/86
Son of Christian, the coach. Is touted as the next boss for Rennes’ midfield. Has great awareness, which would be expected from Gourcuff’s son.

53- Alexander Farnerud, Sweden, Strasbourg, MF, 10/05/84
Has talent, but he’ll have to show more than an amazing shot once a year to prove his worth. Still a question mark.

54- David Bellion, Manchester United, ST, 27/11/82
Young ManU forward is multi-talented.

55- Emerse Fae, Nantes, MF, 24/01/84
Tough defensive midfielder with high potential.

56- Achille Emana, Cameroon, Toulouse, ST, 05/06/82
Bulldozer this year for Toulouse. We’ll learn more next year.

57- Souleymane Camara, Senegal, Monaco, ST, 22/12/82
Was great for Monaco two years ago but was burried this year. Expected to rebound next season.

58- Jean-Michel Badiane, PSG, D, 09/05/83
Good shot and otherwise Desailly type of defense.

59- Sébastien Grax, Monaco, ST, 23/06/84
And the rich get richer. A great prospect playing as striker or offensive midfielder. Good technique.

60- Jimmy Briand, Rennes, ST, 02/08/85
Rennes hopes to have the final piece of the puzzle here (Chaigneau, Faty, Kallstrom-Gourcuff and Briand are the core of the future for Rennes). Good finishing touch for Briand.

61- Yohann Pelé, Le Mans, G, 04/11/82
Is capable from the best and worst. He was the starter for a struggling team last season, but in League 2 this year he should prove his worth.

62- Léandre Griffit, Southampton, MF, 21/05/84
Creative offensive midfielder.

63- Hamed Namouchi, Glasgow Rangers, MF, 14/02/84
Another Zidane clone, especially since he comes from Cannes.

64- Samir Bertin d'Avesnes, Comores, Bastia, ST 15/04/86
I heard he had very good finishing skills. Haven’t seen him in person though.

65- Michael Ciani, Charleroi, D, 06/04/84
Solid defenseman.

66- Carl Medjani, Liverpool, D, 15/05/85
Tough physical player. Good at headers.

67- Franck Songo’o, Barcelona, MF, 14/05/87
Son of goalie Jacques, he’s a two way defensive midfielder.

68- Guillaume Valmy, Inter, D, 12/03/87
Too small right now, but has time to grow.

My wild card is :
Claudiu Keseru, Roumania, Nantes, ST, ?-?-86
This guy is my wild card because even though his potential is through the roof, I'm not sold yet on his ability to reach it. He's a lefty and has a knack for scoring goals. We may see him this year in Nantes so I reserve my judgment until I see him against tougher defensemen.


Missed the cut (81 born) : Penneteau (Bastia), Evra (Monaco), Mendy (PSG), Benachour (PSG), Rocchi (PSG), Isaksson (Rennes), Monsoreau (Sochaux), Tall (Sochaux), Hautcoeur (Le Mans), Mansaré (Montpellier), Puydebois (Lyon), Diarra (Lyon), Akale (Auxerre), Mathis (Auxerre), Cissé (Liverpool), Boumsong (Rangers)...


And many more I’m forgetting…

FRENCH LEAGUE

1- Petr Cech, Czech Republic, Chelsea, G, 20/05/82
Big talented goalie. Already one of the top ten keepers in the world.

2- Hatem Ben Arfa, Lyon, ST, 07/03/87
The alleged « Next One ». A terrific forward with amazing technique. Always played with older players and always made fun of them. Has to learn he is not alone on the field.

3- Florent Sinama Pongolle, Liverpool, ST, 20/10/84
Very skilled and quick forward. Has to prove he can really compete at the pro level. If he does, he has world star potential. Member of the French sub20 world champion squad.

4 Claudiu Keseru, Romania, Nantes, ST, ?-?-86
Very talented and strong striker, with an excellent shot, good speed. His game has been compared to Hristo Stoitchkov’s one. In Romania, people talk about him as even more talented than Hagi and Mutu.

5- Jacques Faty, Rennes, D, 25/02/84
A leader. This center back is one of the greatest prospects at his position. Tall, strong, mature and gifted. He has it all. Played many games as a defensive midfielder this year. Member of the French sub20 world champion squad.

6- Emerse Fae, Nantes, MF, 24/01/84
Very talented defensive midfielder. Extremely powerful, fast, disciplined. Often compared to Makélélé, but with more offensive upside. Member of the French sub20 world champion squad.

7- Michael Essien, Ghana, Lyon, MF, 09/06/82
A rock. Extremely strong and powerful defensive midfielder, with a terrific shot. Sometimes plays too much tough.

8- Charles Itandje, Lens, G, 02/11/82
Extremely talented keeper. Very tall and dynamic. Has what it takes to become one of the top 3 French goalies... or more. But has to improve his consistency.

9 Anthony Le Tallec, Liverpool, ST, 03/10/84
I didn't see him a lot since he left for Liverpool, but he has many tools to become a really special talent. His heading is really promising for a kid of his age. Has to improve physically, and Liverpool could be very helpful for that. Member of the French sub20 world champion squad.

10- Kim Kallstrom, Sweden, Rennes, MF, 24/08/82
Great vision and a great passing skills. Great shot also. His arrival in Rennes really lit up the team.

11- Gaël Clichy, Arsenal, D, 26/07/85
Promising left back. Complete player with good offensive instincts.

12- Jérémy Menez, Sochaux, ST, 30/11/87
Great talent, but still very young and raw. Younger player to ever sign a professional contract in France.

13- Jérémy Mathieu, Sochaux, MF, 29/10/83
Strong and complete midfielder/left back. Hard working and disciplined. Decent offensive income, scores a few goals. Plays a game that looks like Sylvain Armand’s (PSG).

14- Habib Bamogo, Marseille, ST, 08/05/82
Very talented, but seemed to lack consistency till this year. Proved to be a clutch player and scored alot of goals this year. Has to confirm. Not sure that Marseille is the right place for a player like him, though.

15- Jimmy Briand, Rennes, ST, 02/08/85
Great striker in the making. Always dominated in his age category.

16- Eduardo Costa, Brazil, Bordeaux, MF, 23/09/82
Tough defensive midfielder. Really mature and complete. Needs to leave Bordeaux to improve and compete for a spot in the seleção.

17- Jérémy Toulalan, Nantes, MF, 10/09/83
Extremely talented defensive midfielder. Strong, fast, good technique and excellent passing skills. Plays an offensive minded game. Has to take confidence in his shot. Injury prone.

18- Jérémie Berthod, Lyon, D, 24/04/84
Good left back prospect. Has already seen some action in UEFA Champion’s league. Made a few mistakes this year. A really safe prospect.

19- Jaroslav Plasil, Czech Republic, Monaco, MF, 05/01/82
Delightful technique, good at crosses, untiring midfield. Rather injury prone, by the way.

20- Jérémie Aliadière, Arsenal, ST, 30/03/83
One of the greatest french prospects. Very talented kid. His early departure for Arsenal probably cost him a few games with the pros.

21- Modeste M'Bami, Cameroon, PSG, MF, 09/10/82
Hardworking defensive midfielder. Very powerful, and quite a precise passing game.

22- Gilles Yapi Yapo, Ivory Coast, Nantes, MF, 30/01/82
Promising offensive midfielder. Seems weak and small, but never stops to run. His game looks like Eric Carrière’s. Was quite a disappointment when he arrived in Nantes in January, but still gave many assists.

23- Juan Pablo Francia, Argentina, Bordeaux, MF, 03/12/84
Argentinian midfielder emerged with Pavon’s arrival in Bordeaux. Very talented, good at free kicks.

24- John Utaka, Nigeria, Lens, ST, 08/01/82
Fantastic start when he arrived in Les, but he has struggled last year. Seems to have lost his scoring touch. If he finds it back, he can be the future for Nigeria.

25- Marouane Chamakh, Marocco, Bordeaux, ST, 10/01/84
The man who saved Bordeaux’s season. Great scoring instinct, great physical abilities.

26- Florent Chaigneau, Rennes, G, 21/03/84
Very promising goalie. Very tall, and talented. Needs 2-3 years to mature.

27- Stephen Drouin, Nantes, D, 27/01/84
Very versatile defender. Can play right back, defensive midfield but is better as a center back. Strong and solid. Member of the French sub20 world champion squad.

28- Lorik Cana, Albania, PSG, MF, 27/07/83
Very clever defensive midfield for PSG. Talented, disciplined. Good player, really.

29- Jaouad Zairi, Marocco, Sochaux, MF/ST, 14/04/82
Very talented winger, excellent at dribbling. Not mature enough though. Often plays a « I know I can get past the entire team and score with my butt » game.

30 Steven Thicot Nantes, D, ?/ ?/87
Captain of the French sub 17 european champion team. Physical stay at home d-man, with great leadership.

31- Samir Nasri, Marseille, ST, 26/06/87
Playmaker of the French sub 17 european champion team. Tons of talent.

32- Ludovic Butelle, Valencia, G, 13/04/83
Good goalie prospect. A little overrated I think, but he played a solid season in Metz.

33- Hassan Yebda, Auxerre, MF, 14/05/84
Strong defensive midfielder. A little late compared to his fellow members of the French sub20 world champion squad.

34- Mathieu Flamini, Marseille, MF, 07/03/84
Good defensive midfielder in the making. Definitely overrated because he plays in Marseille, but a real talent there.

35- Albert Riera, Spain, Bordeaux, MF, 15/04/82
Spanish midfielder from Mallorca. Highly touted when he arrived in Bordeaux, he was quite a disappointment but reacted in the winter.

36- Chaouki Ben Saada, Bastia, F, 01/07/84
Very quick forward, great dribbling, and a certain goalscoring touch. Chaouki lacks consistency. Should already have cracked Bastia's eleven. Member of the French sub20 world champion squad.

37- Emmanuel Adebayor, Togo, Monaco, ST, 26/02/84
Talented, but doesn’t know the meaning of « consistency »

38- Yohann Gourcuff, Rennes, MF, 11/07/86
Talented playmaker in the making.

39- Landry Bonnefoi, Juventus, G, 20/09/83
Good goalie prospect. Will have a hard time to crack Juve’s roster. Maybe an Isaksson type of carreer ? (come back in France ?)

40- Bryan Bergougnoux, Lyon, ST, 12/01/83
Good forward prospect from Lyon. Very sharp and motivated.

Edit:
Forgot Mexès.

I'd rank him second. Behind Cech because of his sometimes cocky attitude. But he has all the tools: powerful, clever, fast, good positionning, good technique... he could become one of the best French defender of all times.

FRANCE
- List of 15 players + 1 Wild card-


1- Philippe Mexes, Central Defender, France, AS Roma (Auxerre)-30/03/1982

Already a class defender, he has all the intangibles of all great and decisive defenders in the game. Reminds me of Nesta. Italy should be the right place for him to fully and quickly develop his hability.

2- Modeste MBami, Defensive Midfielder, Cameroon, PSG - 09/10/1982

This guy is a rock in the midfield. Impossible to knock off the ball, MBami is a very hardworking midfield who has also a good passing hability and when he is confident, he can also dribble guys as if they were not there. International player for Cameroon for quite a while, he looks like a can't miss prospect.

3- Kim Kallstrom, Midfielder, Sweden, Rennes - 24/06/1982

Extremely confident with the ball, Kallstrom is a very commited midfieder with great work rate and creativity. A real scoring touch as well, he has shown at the Euro that he is the type of player who can turn his team around.


4- Petr Cech, Goalkeeper, Czech Rep., Chelsea (Rennes) - 20/05/1982

I am amazed by the physical change of this guy. In two years, he has turn into a Perruzzi type of keeper and knowing his stunning goalkeeping hability, he looks set to be one of the best (if not the best) goalie for the next decade.

5- Eduardo Costa, Midfielder, Brazil, Bordeaux - 23/09/1982

Ligue 1 is full of great central midfield prospects. Costa is not the the least intriguing: His adaptation to Europe didn't take too long and his skills on the ball make him quite special. He has already learnt a lot with Bordeaux and this next season should confirm him a dominant and gritty force in France.

6- Mickael Essien, Midfielder, Ghana, Lyon - 08/12/1982

Essien is another solid midfielder who has had a very impressive time when playing with Bastia. Hasn't reached full speed with Lyon as yet and is somewhat untidy at times. But for all the balls he loses, he is able to recover many too.

7- Jeremy Berthod, Leftback, Lyon - 24/04/1984

A natural leader, he is a very feisty left back. Can deliver good cross and is hard on his man.

8- Samir Nasri, Attacking Midfielder, Marseille - 26/06/87

Such a skillful player, he is a younger Meghni, maybe with a bit less technical hability but with a much better scoring touch. He has good vision on the ball and is very enthuisiastic young lad.

9- Mathieu Flamini, Midfielder, Arsenal (Marseille)- 07/03/1984

Flamini is a good prospect: A good defensive midfielder, he is for me somewhat way too shy with the ball. He doesn't take any risks and when he passes the ball, it is rare that it is a forward pass. Works hard, interesting to see what Wenger will make of him.

10- Emerse Fae, Midfielder, Nantes - 24/01/1984

This guy is a genuine contender for best french defensive midfielder prospect. From the great Nantes academy who produces the likes of Deschamps and Desailly, he is a tiredless force who should crack the Nantes line up this season. Great positioning sense, I feel he is ready for having a bigger influence on his senior team.

11- Jimmy Briand, Striker, Rennes - 02/08/85

A very promising striker, this young lad is a true goalscorer and Rennes should offer him the chance to see plenty of top flight action this season. Attention: he is still a bit far away of being a good player and he has still very much to learn.

12- Jeremy Gavanon, Goalkeeper, Marseille - 20/09/1983

Excellent and rather consistent goalkeeper, he is one who can make the difference in a game by pulling a cracking save. Highly focussed player, he looks like knowing what he wants to become and willing to do all the efforts to get there. Barthez should be an interesting mentor for him.

13- Lorik Cana, Defensive Midfielder, Albania, PSG- 27/07/83

This guy spends the game tackling or repositioning himself: A very mature player tactically and one who can really disrupt the opposite midfield. Do the tough, bad and generally unoticeable work and he is already very good at it.

14- Bryan Bergougnoux, Striker, Lyon - 12/01/1983

Reminds me of Jean Pierre Papin: you can't say he is a technical genius with supreme physical hability but he looks like he can always be at the right time at the right place. He isn't scared, he hasn't got doubts, he just do what he feels is right and generally it is.

15- Jacques Faty, Central Defender, Rennes - 25/02/1984

A great central defender prospect, Faty knows what he takes to win. A sound defender with a great physical presence, it may take a few years to see him fully develop but he should be an accomplished player.

Wild Card : Matt Moussilou, Striker, Lille - 01/06/1982

Coming from nowhere, he has spent the second half of last season scoring goal after goal, most of them game winners. A curiosity as a player, he looks able to finish off moves with untidy shots.
As already scored three goals in two Intertoto games thus far: Intriguing guy.

ENGLAND
- List of 15 players + 1 Wild card-


1- Wayne Rooney, Striker, England, Everton - 24/10/1985

At the Euro was a dominant kid playing with the men, he has so much tools in his game that he can really rattle many defenses. But a few questions emerge: Can he cope with the hype? Is England ready to let him some breathing space to grow up and mature or will the tabloids turn him into another Gazza? Can he consistently deliver in a year long basis?
This is all frightening. Good luck Wayne!

2- Cristiano Ronaldo, Winger, Portugal, Man Utd- 05/02/1985

A very skillfull player, he has developped a lot under Ferguson management(who had the great idea to give him a month off during the december/january period). Looked like a bit of a one dimensional player, he is in fact much more than this: Good football sense, he is a battling winger who is very willing to go in the box to use use his surprisingly above average heading hability. Superb crossing touch.


3- Darren Fletcher, Midfielder, Scotland, Man Utd - 01/02/1984

I believe that he is Ferguson's favourite project: a hard working, overmotivated player who has got the skills to make plays. Great leadership hability, he is set to be Scotland's captain for quite a while. I didn't mentioned Roy keane, did I? ;)

4- Jose Reyes, Striker, Spain, Arsenal- 01-09-1983

Natural talent, excellent flair, he looks set to have an impact on the league this season. Is able to do all his moves at pace, including taking decisions which obviously should turn him into a decisive player for Arsenal


5- Jermain Defoe, Striker, England, Tottenham- 07/10/1982

Superb goalscorer, he could be one of those guys who can beat scoring records in the history of the english game: excellent pace, excellent shooting power and accuracy, he is a nightmare to play against.

6- James Milner, Striker, England, Newcastle(Leeds)- 04/01/1986

He may be the guy who could benefit the most from Wayne's Rooney: While Milner is a tremendous prospect, foccused when going forward with sound positioning knowledge despite his young age, he is surely one of the kid who will benefit of having the media not looking at him to much. With Rooney being the media magnet, Milner should enjoy the ever-optimistic support of the Newcastle fans to gain confidence.

7- Glenn Johnson, Rightback, England, Chelsea - 23/08/1984

A pacy fullback, he has shown flashes of brilliance with Chelsea last season after an impressive start of career with West ham. Willing to move forward, he has to improve his defensive positioning and decision taking.

8- Jermaine Jenas, Midfielder, England, Newcastle - 18/02/1983

Jenas is already a good player, hardworking and committed. He is somewhat inconsistent and injury prone which is a concern. I am unsure if he has reached his best or if he has much more in the tank...

9- Gael Clichy, Leftback, France, Arsenal - 26/07/1985

Surprisingly confident last season when taking the place of ashley Cole, he has shown good agression, good defending hability and has demonstrated some attacking flair on the Arsenal left flank. Considering his age, He looks like a tremendous prospects really.

10- Francesc Fabregas, Attacking Midfielder, Spain, Arsenal - 04/05/1987

He looked marvelous when playing with players of the same generation and promising when in the line up of Arsenal during the League Cup last season.
He understand very well how plays develop during games and can find the unmarked man with ease. Is able to create spaces in defenses, he should become an international star player.

11- James McFadden, Striker, Scotland, Everton - 14/04/1983

Gritty striker, he has had a bit of a slow start with everton after being transfered but he should be more efficient next season. A bit of an untidy player, he compensate by his great drive.

12- Anthony Le Tallec, Attacking Midfielder, France - 3/10/1984

A hardworking prospect with much to learn, he is able to run at the defenses with the hability to make the crucial last pass. Obviously he still plays a lot of wasted passes but the skills and the vision are there. Benitez's management should help his development.
The concern right now is that he isn't very strong physically yet and he can be knocked off the ball way too easily at times.

13- Darren Ambrose, Versatile Midfielder, England, Newcastle - 29/02/1984

A very versatile and useful player, he is an unflashy though effective. A young guy, he is learning steadily and his presence on the pitch should become more felt as his development continue.

14- Kieran Richardson, Forward, England, Man Utd - 21/10/1984

He did play a few Champions League games two years ago and his record in the Man Utd youth team is magnificient. A bright forward with good skills and well used pace, he can also score a lot of goals.

15- Filipe Oliveira, Forward, Portugal, Chelsea- 27/05/1984

Has been in the Chelsea ranks for quite sometime and has always looked very good playing with guys of the same age. I feel that he will benefit a lot for Mourinho 's arrival at the club.

Wild Card: Wayne Routledge, Att. Midfielder, England, Crystal Palace -07/01/1985

A fast fast fast and small small small attacking midfielder who can create damages in any defense. He is electric and can deliver good passes, good crosses etc. I can't wait to see how he will feature in the Premier League.

Hi, first don't worry, I'm working on my Swiss prospect list. But I had to overcome my disappointment after the U 19 Swiss national team elimination.

I must congratulate you for you french lists. I think these are very good lists.

But I'm a little surprised not to see some names.

Here are a few names I would have add:

1985 :

Guillaume Plessis, Lens, defensive midfielder : comparisons with Patrick Vieira are not exaggerated. If he can improve on his regularity, he could be a big surprise this year.

Saïd Khitter, Lens, forward : small size but good speed, he is a good finisher.

Kevin Lejeune: Auxerre, winger : has a lot of speed, is unpredictable, difficult for a defender to defend on him. Should definitely have minutes on the field with Auxerre this year.

Jonathan Bru, Rennes, midfielder : very elegant player, has already played with Rennes, is intruiging, boom or bust this year ? Lack of regularity.

1986 :

Geoffrey Jourdren, goaltender, Montpellier : one of the best young goaltenders in France. I like him a lot. Is very quick to dive, recovers well, is really good with his hands.

Younes Kaboul, central defender, Auxerre : who says Jean-Alain Boumsong? He has the same style, is very aggressive, has a good positioning, really impressive.

Franck Dja Djedje, forward, PSG : was really impressive with the U 18 French national team. He is still a project. Has already played a few games with PSG. Has a lot of athletic power, can accelerate, and I like very much his hold of the ball, he makes the difference on one touch, this is why he can move on so quickly.

1987 :

I like the names you put on your list. Ben Harfa and Menez will play in la Ligue 1 this year and it will be bery interesting to see what they bring. Thicot, Nasri are two excellent players. Two other names are interesting : El Mourabet and Ducasse

Alright, for the Danish list.. This is slightly rushed as I'm heading away on holiday.. I'll add comments for the lower guys later..

First of all, I'll disclaim this list by admitting it is a rather weak crop of prospects. The cutoff date of 1.1.82 instead of 1.7.81 excluded at least 7 prospects who would have made the top end of this list, among them Esbjerg's Jan Kristiansen & Tommy Bechmann (now Bochum), FCM's technical Egyptian (and possibly soon Danish) striker Mohamed Zidan and Stephan Andersen, the goalie who moved to Charlton this summer. As such, with few of these prospects really standing out, I've found it very hard to decide their rankings, and have left off a few names other might have put in there. Well, I did my best. :P


1. Thomas Kahlenberg, 21, Brøndby.
The central midfielder who has come through the ranks at Brøndby takes the top spot on this list by some way.
Since his debut in the national league late in 2001-02 he has been a key member of Brøndby's ambitious team, coached by the legendary Michael Laudrup.
Laudrup himself has been key to the young midfielder's development, and Thomas has now flourished and become possibly the top central midfielder in the league, displaying great two-way ability and scary playmaking vision. Also netted an impressive 11 times.
He debut'ed for the national team last year and was in the squad for Euro 2004. With the current system and the lack of central offensive talent, Kahlenberg could be put into the attacking midfielder role on the national team in a few years' time.

2. Jesper Bech, 22, FC Copenhagen.
Just 5 months ago, only the most hardcore of FC Copenhagen (FCK) fans had heard of this young forward, who had been in contention for the first team for just a few months due to injuries and suspension. Yet when he made his league debut in early April and played 9 games through to the end of the season in late May, he quickly became the name on everybody's lips.
Through those fatal 9 games, in which his team overtook Brøndby in the standings to eventually capture their second straight championship, Bech played a total of 705 minutes and accounted for no less than 7 goals. And not just dozy tap-ins or garbage pickups. Real beauts, almost every single one of them.
He is a technically gifted player with an incredible ability to score from long range, and with both feet. He can be used anywhere on the top half of the field, and although FCK have preferred to play him as a striker, he is equally useful in midfield.
It remains to be seen whether he can carry the form over to this season, but with an assist in the first game of the season he's off to a good start.

3. Lasse Qvist, 17, PSV Eindhoven.
This young striker made headlines when he in early 2004 scored in his 10th U17 national team game in a row, and brought himself to a total of 18 goals in 19 matches. Days later he was awarded a prize as the top Danish U-17 talent.
Soon he had suitors all over Europe and, according to the rumours, every single Seria A team had offered him a contract. However, he chose to go to Frank Arnesen's PSV, and signed for the club in early March.
Placing such a young player so high on this list may seem unorthodox or even downright dumb, but with the amount of hype sorrounding him, he has earned it. He's somewhat of a known name in Denmark, and his development will be watched closely.

4. Dennis Cagara, 19, Hertha BSC.
Dennis made his debut in the danish league for Brøndby, the team he'd played for all his life, at the young age of 17. He impressed many from his position at left back, and soon caught the eye of scouts from bigger clubs around the continent.
In January 2004 the youngster, who has Filipino roots, signed for Berlin-based Hertha, and joined up with the main squad for the second half of the season. He managed to feature in 8 games during that spell, and in the meantime has featured for the Danish U-21 and U-20 teams, even scoring once for the former.
His strenghts are his pace and natural instincts for going forward, while his physical play still lacks slightly. However, as the only proven left-footed Danish left back behind Niclas Jensen, he could soon find himself in contention for the senior national team, and many predict a good future for him there.

5. Mads Timm, 19, Manchester United.
Mads Timm became a household name amongst Danish football fans when he in the summer of 2001, just 16 years old, moved on a free transfer from OB to giants Manchester United.
A year later he signed his first professional contract with the club, and got his first team debut as a sub in a 3-0 loss at Maccabi Haifa in the 2002-03 Champions' League.
He has since been loaned out to Belgian and Norwegian sides without much success, but refused to give up on his United dream a year ago, despite having the option to leave the club on a free.
He was later awarded with a big contract this spring, and the young striker, who has also been a regular on the U-18 national team, remains a big hope for the future of Danish football.

6. Jeppe Curth, 20, Feeyenoord Rotterdam.
Curth is another offensive phenom who made the move abroad very early in his career. Jeppe came from the ambitious Farum system, a sort of regional capital for talent.
Reports on his progress haven't come by often, but generally the notion is that he is another hugely talented prospect who is making great strides in his development in Holland, and he rounds out the clear cut top 6 that I feel seperates itself from the rest of the pack.
Before the Euro 2004 squad traveled to Portugal, several youngsters including Cagara (who couldn't make it) and Curth were invited to come train with them, a clear acknowledgement of his talent and the hopes for his future.

7. Jakob Poulsen, 21, Esbjerg.
The right-sided youngster impressed many last season, starting all 33 league games for the overachieving Esbjerg side, and playing more minutes than any other player born '82 or later in the league.
He naturally favours right back, but was also used at right midfield at times, making good use of his effortless passing, energetic approach and good instincts for the game. He may not have top 10 talent of the listed prospects, but is a hard worker and already arguably the best at his position in the league.

8. Michael Krohn-Dehli, 21, RKC Waalwijk (formerly Ajax).
The right winger is another youngster who wasn't a well-known prospect in his native country before moving out of it - only Michael still isn't.
He is said to be very strong on the ball and shows confidence and creativity in his offensive play, but may not be the most complete player out there. He was part of the Ajax Reserves (Jong) team that won their championship last season.
Is now with a less profile club where he will hopefully get the necessary playing time to make him a good top flight player. Was also one of the invitees for the pre-Euro 2004 training.

9. Johan Absalonsen, 18, Brøndby.
Absalonsen is a very exciting young winger who has been a part of the Brøndby first team for over a year. He's making a name for himself as a good passer with good speed, excellent ball control and pin-point accurate crosses.
A full 90 minutes a week is still hard to come by for Johan in a strong Brøndby side, but he continues to develop under Michael Laudrup and will most likely soon be considered an impact player in the domestic league.

10. Morten "Duncan" Rasmussen, 19, AGF.
"Duncan" has been surrounded by a lot of hype since he made a name for himself as a dominant striker in the annual grade school competition (for 14-16-year-olds) and when he came through the ranks for local team AGF much was expected for him.
Judging him this early in his career wouldn't be fair to him, of course, but he has so far not become the prolific striker that AGF had hoped. He remains a promising talent, though, and is expected to become a top striker in the danish league, putting his strength and powerful finishing to good use.

11. Sebastian Svärd, 21, Arsenal.
Sebastian was visited by a certain Mr. Wenger four years ago while playing for FC Copenhagen's talent development system (KB) and convinced to make the switch to Arsenal.
Last season was his first real taste of first-team football as he spent periods on loan at FC Copenhagen and Stoke City, the latter spell going MUCH better. He now fancies himself for a chance at breaking into the Arsenal first team squad for the upcoming season, but is so far yet to feature in any league games.
Could have a future as a strong tackling midfielder, but Premier League potential? Not a certainty.

12. Morten Bergvold, 20, FC Copenhagen.
Bergvold has not had much playing time in his time with FC Copenhagen but has made the best of it, showing great passing creativity and an excellent work rate from any position in midfield.
The recent acqusitions of Magne Hoseth and Tobias Linderoth may heavily cut back on his playing time, but he remains a prospect worth following.
Did however just sign a contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2007.

13. Leon Andreasen, 21, AGF.
Leon is a strong and composed central defender who has been very loyal to the club he joined at age 16. He's a full-time regular for the first team and also plays for the U-21 national team pretty much every game. Also has a surprising nose for goal, both through powerful headers and rockets from the edge of the area.

14. Jonas Kamper, 21, Brøndby.
Jonas is natural right winger who has been a highly coveted and well-renowned talent for many years. He holds the danish record for most junior national team games (currently 67).
He posesses incredible speed and a knack for finding teammates with well-placed crosses or through balls, but is not much of a finisher on his own, and can appear doubtful in his decisions at times.
Fun fact: Looks just like NY Islanders prospect Frans Nielsen (except for the hair).

15. Michael Jakobsen, 18, PSV Eindhoven.
Moved to PSV last summer after being awarded the U-17 talent award earlier in the year. Is a smart central defender who reads the game well, and his mature game has already earned him his first appearance for PSV's first team.

16. Mikkel Thygesen, 19, FC Midtjylland.
Much-hailed central midfielder who moved from his childhood club FREM this summer as they were demoted. Now plies his trade for a FC Midtjylland team full of talent, where he supplements dangerous forwards Frank Kristensen and Mohamed Zidan (an amazing talent on his own, but '81 born) and looks very comfortable all over the pitch.

17. Mads Beierholm, 19, Vejle BK.
Mads is a hard-working defensive midfielder, a great talent and a regular on the danish youth teams.
Was heavily hyped when he made his league debut in the top flight for Vejle at age 16 a few years back. When they were demoted a season ago, he decided to stay with them rather than take up several offers from Italy, and is now one of the strongest players in the second-best danish league.

18. Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard, 21, Manchester City.
The tall 'prettyboy' goalie left Farum for Man City 3 years back as a much-touted goalie who'd received plenty of hype for his performances for the national youth teams.
Last season was cast into first team action when injuries sidelined David Seaman and Nicky Weaver, and it wasn't the best start Kevin could have hoped for. Ended up losing most of his games in the Premier League and Cups and City signed David James and Arni Arason to step in ahead of him.
This season has hoped to be loaned out to get some regular playing time, but so far this hasn't happened.

19. Niki Zimling, 19, Brøndby.
A hard-working all-round midfielder that Brøndby snatched from the FCK youth systems, Niki has been a well-known name among danish football fans since appearing (amongst others with Kasper Lorentzen and Mads Timm) in a documentary on danish youth football a few years back. Was perceived as a huge talent but his stock has since dropped and he has struggled to make the BIF first team on a regular basis.

20. Rasmus Würtz, 20, AaB.
Very similar to Beierholm, but slightly more tough in his tackling. Has been a regular with AaB for a while now, and is often among their best players on any given match day.


Joker: Kasper Schmeichel, 18, Manchester City.
The name rings a bell, no? Kasper is still very young, especially for a goalie, but has been hyped as a future hope in net for Denmark. He has a huge name to live up to, though, and this could prove to be a barrier in his development.

Joker: Danilo Arrieta, 17, AGF (formerly AGF (? - 2002) & Valencia (2002-2004)).
Nick-named "The Chilean Michael Laudrup", this young forward has heaps of talent, but failed to adjust with Spanish giants Valencia and has now returned to his original club, AGF. One to watch for the future, but he's still very young.


Other interesting names: Mikkel Bischoff (Man City), Christian Traoré (FC Copenhagen), Kasper Lorentzen (Brøndby), William Kvist Jørgensen (FC Copenhagen), Jacob 'Taz' Sørensen (AaB).

I'm finally done with the Finnish list, which only features 10 players + a wild card as the best Finnish talents have usually spent years abroad by the age of 22 and the depth here isn't that huge. Moreover, and due to the reasons I just mentioned, the players are quite a bit younger on my list. I decided to value potential over current abilities, although I naturally tried to take the players' progress into consideration.

And now, without further ado, the list. Nothing spectacular, no new Maradonas or even Litmanens, but some pretty good talents:

1. Alexei Eremenko Jr
Born: 24.3.1983 -- Position: AMC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 183 cm -- Team: HJK->Lecce

The son of a still active Veikkausliiga legend Alexei Eremenko; moved to Finland along with his family in 1991 and obtained Finnish citizenship in 2003. Was relatively hyped throughout his junior career but showed only glimpses of his potential until this year when he finally started to dominate the Finnish Veikkausliiga. Is already close to a starting spot in the national team and widely considered the heir apparent to Jari Litmanen, although no one expects him to fully replace Finland's greatest ever footballer. Was transferred to Lecce a few weeks ago for a modest price of ~ 250 000 euros - a bargain like most Nordic talents.

Eremenko Jr is a fairly typical #10: flashy, creative, attacking minded and good in dead ball situations. He also has a decent shot from long range. Weaknesses include lack of speed, inconsistent work rate and a hot temper. Needs to get rid of some extra weight and improve his 1st touch. The much faster tempo in Serie A might prove to be a problem at first.

2. Niklas Moisander
Born: 29.9.1985 -- Position: DL -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 181 cm -- Team: Ajax

Joined Ajax in the summer of 2003 along with his brother Henrik (a goalkeeper). The twins were supposed to play for the U19 team, but were quickly promoted to the reserves after impressing in their very first practice. That was the good news - the bad news came in October when Niklas injured his left knee and was sidelined for months. After reinjuring the knee in a bizarre accident he ended up missing the rest of the 2003/04 season.

I've never seen Moisander play (apart from a 3-second highlight...based on that he reads the game well and has an accurate left foot ;)), but last year he was considered the biggest Finnish talent since Mikael Forssell. The injury was a major setback of course, but barring a miracle the Finnish national team should finally get themselves a decent if not excellent full back.

3. Kasper Hämäläinen
Born: 8.8.1986 -- Position: MC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 184 cm -- Team: TPS

Was completely unknown before the U-17 World Championships last year, but received plenty of hype after being Finland's most consistent player in the tournament. Was invited to training camps by Ajax, Udinese and AS Roma (twice) and made his breakthrough in the Veikkausliiga this year, impressing in just about every game. Was unfortunate to broke his leg in late May but should hopefully recover well before the Veikkausliiga season 2004 ends.

Hämäläinen is a hardworking, skilled, smart and explosive 2-way midfielder who can also play on the wings as he has done for TPS this season. Needs to add more muscle to his 70-kg frame and make faster decisions with the ball. Whether he can reach the levels of Teemu Tainio or Mika Väyrynen in the future remains to be seen, but so far so good.

4. Tim Sparv
Born: 20.2.1987 -- Position: MC/ML -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: ??? cm -- Team: Southampton

Never seen him. Joined Southampton in late August 2003 and spent most of the last season playing for the Saints' U17 team. A smallish left-sided midfielder with lots of skill from what I've heard.

5. Roman Eremenko
Born: 19.3.1987 -- Position: AMC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 180 cm -- Team: FF Jaro

Never seen him either. Is said to be a fairly similar player to his older brother and, according to some, perhaps even more talented. Has yet to make his Veikkausliiga debut though. Plays for the same club as his father.

6. Joona Toivio
Born: 10.3.1988 -- Position: DC/DMC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: ??? cm -- Team: HJK

Never seen him. Has been one of the standout players of his age group in Finland for quite a few years now. Was first checked out by Ajax at the age of 14 and just recently received an invitation to be tested by Manchester United. A skilled defensive player and exceptionally smart and mature for his age. Being in the best club in Finland has its drawbacks - Toivio hasn't played for the 1st team just yet.

7. Pekka Lagerblom
Born: 19.10.1982 -- Position: DMC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 180 cm -- Team: Werder Bremen

Spent his junior career in Mika Väyrynen's shadow but had a surprisingly convincing debut for the eventual Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen last season. Went on to play in a few more games for them and should be getting more playing time in 2004/05.

An all-round defensive midfielder with no major strengths or weaknesses apart from a good work rate. Already close to making the national team's subs bench, but edging out Tainio or Väyrynen will be a very difficult if not impossible task.

8. Ville Taulo
Born: 14.8.1985 -- Position: DC/MC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 184 cm -- Team: FC Lahti

Never seen him. A former midfielder who was turned into a centre back and earned a starting spot at the heart of FC Lahti's defense last year, at the age of 17. Has done etremely well in all sorts of technique competitions in Finland (then again so did Aki Riihilahti...) so should have plenty of skill for a defender.

9. Aapo Kiljunen
Born: 24.1.1986 -- Position: GK -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 187 cm -- Team: MyPa

Like Kasper Hämäläinen, Kiljunen first earned fame in the 2003 U-17 World Championships with his calm presence and quickness in one-on-one situations. After being unquestionably Finland's MVP in the first two games, however, he was completely humiliated - along with the rest of the team - in the 9-1 defeat (no, it's not a typo) against Colombia.

Although Kiljunen is big enough for a goalkeeper and probably the best Finnish shot stopper since the magnificent Antti Niemi, he is still raw and has a truck load of weaknesses to fix. Somewhat of long shot, but at least the upside is there.

10. Eero Korte
Born: 20.9.1987 -- Position: D/M -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: 178 cm -- Team: FC Lahti

Never seen him. From what I've heard though, he's another defensive player with a soft touch - which applies to both the ball *and* his opponents. Debuted for FC Lahti in April and participated in Chelsea's training camp a few days later.


Wild card:

Ümit Menekse
Born: 13.2.1986 -- Position: AMC -- Nationality: Finland -- Height: ??? cm -- Team: HJK

A Turkish-born playmaker who moved to Finland at the age of 2 (or 4; I'm not so sure about it) - a home made product that is. Was used as a sub in the U-17 tournament and made a good impact with his flair, passing and heading. Has played in the Finnish 3rd tier men's league this year. Extremely slow, but makes that up with his creativity. A long shot.

Here is my list for Swiss prospects. There are only players who are born between 1982 and 1987 and who are Swiss eligible. The most important players who are too old to be included are Marco Streller, Daniel Gygax and André Muff.

This is always difficult to establish a standing. I know that if I had to make another list in two weeks, there would be a few differences. The top 5 is pretty obvious.After that, it's obviously more controversial. And I must admit that I'm surely influenced by the recent U 19 European Championship.

01. Johan Vonlanthen 01.02.1986 PSV Eindhoven Forward

A pretty obvious choice. Vonlanthen is so skilled, he is the youngest player who has ever scored in an European Championship. Not a lot of size but a lot of quickness, and is so bright when he gets the ball, he has the ability to create a lot of danger because his skills enable him to make every movement with speed. He can really accelerate when he has the ball.


02. Davide Chiumento 22.11.1984 Juventus Turin Midfielder

When I think of him, the first thing is his incredible vision. He understands the game better than other players and he has an excellent feeling to make the good choice. His quality to find a player makes the players around him better. His passing is really excellent. And he protects the ball very well, with his centre of gravity very low.

03. Johan Djourou 18.01.1987 Arsenal Midfielder

All the people who watch him play can't help comparing him to Patrick Vieira. Was instrumental in the semi-final against Turkey in the U 19 Euro. Has a lot of size, his maturity physically is impressive, plays simple, makes the good choices very often, is able to bring danger when he has the ball because he has a very good acceleration on the first meters and it enables him to cross the first opposing definding line.


04. Tranquillo Barnetta 11.05.1985 Hanovre Left-back or midfielder

A very complete player. Knows how to defend, ability to eliminate an opponent 1 on 1, plays very well on a wing. He has a very good shot, and he likes to score from distant range.

05. Reto Ziegler 16.01.1986 GC/Tottenham Left-back or midfielder

Reto Ziegler is an excellent left foot player. He has been heavily scouted for four years. I know that four years ago, french teams were interested in him. Is very good in small rooms, can eliminate a player when he has the ball with ease, thanks to his technical qualities, especially the flipper. It's very difficult for an opponent to take the ball from him when he makes the flipper because he does it very quickly. He defends well. He is very clever. But he must mature physically. If he does it, he'll be a heck of a player.

06. Stefan Lichtsteiner 16.01.1984 GC Right-back

Lichtsteiner is another player who plays really well when he plays on the wing. A lot of enthusiasm, a good speed, he can nevertheless still improve on his technical abilities. Sometimes, he loses two many ball in one game. But he is a competitor. But he must absolutely avoid to be booked because he gets angry. Four things are the basis of football : technique, tactics, physical condition and mental qualities. He can improve in nearly every aspect. But it's interesting. He has a lot of room to improve. He should soon leave GC because a lot of french and german teams are interested in him.

07. Steve Von Bergen 10.06.1983 Neuchâtel Xamax Central defender or right-back

It can surprise a few people that Von Bergen is so high. But I watch him play very often, and he often impresses him. He is a complete defender, he can play full-back or central defender, he is the boss, he speaks a lot to help his teammates, has always a very good positioning. He can just improve on his passing. Sometimes, he has a lack of precision. But this is less and less the case. Will be one of the leaders for the U 21 Swiss team this year.

08. Fabrizio Zambrella 01.03.1986 Brescia Midfielder

Two months ago, I would have ranked him better. But he had a poor showing at the U 19 Euro, and he must confirm his qualities now with Brescia. I hope he won't suffer from the sophomore jinx. Because he had a career year with Servette. Is very skilled, has an excellent vision on the field and is able to score goals.


09. Valon Behrami 19.04.1985 Cagliari Right-back

Valon Behrami is an excellent player who plays extremely well on the right wing. Is a very offensive right-back with a lot of versatility. But sometimes he makes the wrong choices, and loses too many balls in one game. But he has a lot of room for improvement. Definitely a good possibility for him to play soon for the Swiss national team because we lack good right-backs actually. He could be challenged for this spot by Lichtsteiner, Degen and Barnetta.

10. Marc Lütolf 24.06.1987 GC Midfielder

My first wild-card. Marc Lütolf is not well known actually. But it could change soon. He has not a lot of size but he so skilled, he has eyes behind his back, has impressive technical abilities. He is the captain of the U 18 GC team, and he impresses me. Can create danger just with his passing qualities. He is a central midfielder and if you don't know what to do with the ball, just give it to him. You are sure he'll use it properly. His opponents are impressed by him, too. He is with the 86 generation with the Swiss national team (the new U 19 Swiss team). I'm really high on him.

11. Philipp Degen 15.02.1983 FC Basel Right-back

Was able to secure a spot with FC Basel. It tells the story. A very good right-back, likes to crash into the opposing defense, has a lot of heart, is not shy, he defends well and his passing has improved. Must be more constant. But a really interesting player.

12. Veroljub Salatic 14.11.1985 GC Central defender

Was impressive with the U 19 Swiss team at the Euro. A lot of serenity, a lot of calmness, he is an excellent central defender. Has an excellent air game, can score on the corners, especially with his header. His quality for the first pass when his team recuperates the ball is interesting and it enables his team to go quickly on the opposing goal.

13. Philippe Senderos 14.02.1985 Arsenal Central defender

Has he lost a year ? It's the question he will have to answer next year. Was injured for most part of the year and it slowed his evolution very much. Is a central defender who likes to compete, who likes physical game, and he has very good mental abilities. Was the captain of the U 17 Swiss national team two years ago when it won the Euro championship. This year will be very important.

14. Blerim Dzemaili 12.04.1986 FC Zürich Midfielder

He came from nowhere this year (with exaggeration). He was central defender with the U 18 Swiss national team and finally he secures a spot with the U 19 team as a defensive midfielder. He is a regular with FC Zürich at 18. It's impressive. Has a good agressivity, has good passing skills. It will be interesting to see his improvement this year.

15. Guilherme Afonso 15.11.1985 FC Twente Forward

A big forward. His principal qualities are his play when he is back to the opposing goal and his play without the ball. Likes to go up deep. It's difficult for the defender to defend on him because he uses his body very well. Has a good protection of the ball. Must improve on his last gesture.

16. Sandro Burki 16.09.1985 Young Boys Midfielder

Maybe he made the wrong choice two years ago when he left Switzerland for Bayern München. It slowed his progression. Is a very good midfielder, a sort of metronome. He has excellent passing skills and a good vision. A little too soft, he must grow up physically.

17. Goran Antic 04.07.1985 Forward

He is a pure goal-scorer. He is very good from close range. Plays well back to the opposing goal. Can execute things very quickly, is able to find a good position to strike. He has no team actually. But he is on a trial with Neuchâtel Xamax. I really hope it will work for him. He must grow up physically.

18. Arnaud Bühler 17.01.1985 Aarau Left-back or midfielder

"Left Back to the future" ? He is a good player. He understands the game very well, plays well on the left wing, he is a left foot player. A lot of complicity with Ziegler with the U 19 Swiss team, and it shows he understands every tactical aspect of the game. Signed with Liverpool two years ago, but nobody knows if he'll rejoin the big club in the future.

19. Alain Rochat 01.02.1983 Young Boys Left-back or midfielder

Can play defensive midfielder or left-back. The only knock on him is his lack of size and power. But he has excellent qualities, techinically gifted.

20. Antonio Aiello 17.10.1987 GC Forward

My second wild-card. A very good forward, likes to score. Has good speed, is able to play as a pivot, it could be one of the stories this year. He should make waves around him.

21. Roland Schwegler 03.02.1982 GC Central Defender

Too many injuries slowed him down a lot. Is an excellent central defender. Is very smart. A lot of elegance.

22. Patrick Baumann 08.01.1982 Neuchâtel Xamax Midfielder

Three years ago, he would have been a top 5. But had difficulties to confirm the hype around him. Coachs of foreign juniors national teams were impressed by him a few years ago. But he disappared a little from the radar, lost his spot with Thun and the U 21 national team. But he had a coach in Thun who was not able to take advantage of his skills. Because he is so skilled. He is a number 10 who is better than other players technically, who has an excellent vision, ... This year will be boom or bust

23. Davide Calla 06.10.1984 Servette Midfielder

Has improved a lot last year. A good midfielder. Did he make the right choice by signing with Servette ? Only time will tell. Good skills.

24. Rijat Shala 26.09.1983 GC Full-back, midfielder, ...

OH my God! One of the brightest prospects in Swiss football two years ago. But his improvement was nearly non-existent. And his position on the field is another problem. Is he right-back? Midfielder?

25. David Degen 15.02.1983 FC Basel Midfielder

His minutes on the field are much less important than his twin. Has difficulties to secure a spot with Basel. But he has skills, too. Is a midfielder. A lot of versatility, wants to improve. But there are a lot of midfielders in Basel.

26. Henri Siqueira-Barras 15.01.1985 GC Central defender

I could have ranked him higher. I really like him. A central defender with very good technical skills, but his easiness can have a nasty effect, to do too many things on the field and lose balls in the defensive zone.

27. Xavier Margairaz 07.01.1984 Midfielder

A left foot player with good skills. Has an excellent shot, is very elegant, but a little slow. And he was often injured last year.

28. Alem Abdi 21.10. 1986 FC Zürich Midfielder

A good midfielder who has a bright future. Should have a lot of minutes this year with FC Zürich.

29. Steven Lang 03.09.1987 FC Basel Midfielder

A future star ? Yes if he has the opportunity to show his skills, which are obvious and great. Basel snatched him from Team Jura two years ago. A brillant midfielder. I could have ranked him higher.

30. Marco Wölfli 22.08.1982 Young Boys Goalkeeper

A goalkeeper. Difficult to compare goalkeepers with players. Is very good in his goal, has really good lateral movements, but he must improve a lot his game with his feet, and his passing skills.

31. Thierno Bah 05.10.1982 Servette Midfielder

Not a good year for him. He was often injured. Defensive midfielder with good speed, must be more constant.

32. Kim Jaggy 14.11.1982 GC Left-back or central defender

Same story. He was often injured. He has a lot of vivacity, very interesting physically, he must improve on his positioning. He plays left-back or central defender. Boom or bust this year

33. Leonel Romero 28.01.1987 GC Midfielder

A good midfielder from GC. Has a lot of room for improvement.

34. Claudio Megna 06.10.1986 FC Basel Right-back

A right-back for FC Basel. Must be more constant. Has good speed.

35. Sven König 03.09.1985 Aarau Goalkeeper

Goalkeeper for the U 19 National team. Had a solid tournament until ... the semi-final. Two goals allowed on free-kicks. He must stop the second-one. He doesn't make the two small steps that a goalkeeper has to. Very good with his feet.

ITALIAN TOP 85

1- Kaka Izecson Ricardo- attacking midfielder, Brasil, Milan- 22/04/1982
God blessed talent.
Kaka literally took apart the Italian league in his first season as a 22yrs old like only Ronaldo in his best days did for what i can remember( to tell the truth Ronaldo did even better) .
He possesses outstanding acceleration, i've never seen a midfielder with similar pace with the ball. This, combined with his marvellous and lethal shot, is what truly separates him from the rest.
When Kaka goes towards the net, if the defender confronts him he gets burned, if he concedes him some room, the Brasilian can score with ease by 20 metres or more.
This combo makes him very difficult to stop on those situations. I think his perfect position is in the middle behind two forwards like he played the most with Milan. So far with Brasil he has been usually used too far from the net to show his true value.
Of course, there is more.
Izecson is a very clever player and man, showing flawless attitude, and possesses powerfull legs. He can turn wonderfully burning the defender behind him with superb first touches to then fly away, obviously has very good technique, can also attack the space without the ball and make great passes.
To find some lacks in his game i have to think about the comparisons recently made with Platini and Cruijff; it seems he doesn't possess the long outstanding passes of the first and leadership qualities of the latter, but with his talent and head i would not be surprised if he will learn both in the future.

2-Adriano Leite Ribeiro- center forward, Brasil, Inter- 17/2/82
The guy is an absolute BEAST. He has unbelievable power in his body, so much that frequently you see charging defensemen flying away off his shoulder while he keep running with the ball on his feet. Adriano is a center forward endowed with great running progression who needs some room to fully use his cylinder capacity (that's why it would have been better if Vieri was sold), but in the last two seasons he has significantly improved his technical skills, adding good dribbling skills to his running and power to become more of a threat in 1 on 1 situations.
Since this is an hockey site, think about a young Eric Lindros with less passing skills for comparison.
He also possesses a good nose for the net and is a strong header, even if should improve his jumping.
And now, since i've not started to do it yet, let's talk about his best asset!
Adriano has a DEVASTATING shot. I've never seen a more powerfull shooter in my whole life.
His left-leg is going to terrorize keepers for many years. He can protect the ball with his strong body, turn to the left side and deliver missiles towards the net. He should perfect this movement and use it more. With Mancini he now has the right coach to benefit from proper offensive game by his team and could outscore everyone else. He just needs to take care of his weight for the future and hope the serious muscular injury he suffered last year (and that opened the door for Gilardino's explosion) will never come back.

Note: his recent performance in 'Copa America' didn't count making this ranking, he was stacked at #2 in my mind way before he made his country realize how good he is.

3- Antonio Cassano- striker, Italy, Roma- 12/7/82
The greatest talent to grow in Italy in many years, Cassano is finally delivering with some concistency his outstanding instincts and skills. His crazy head overcame a good test in Portugal, but it's in situations where he is already confortable that it must go on working properly..hopefully it will happen under new coach Prandelli, who looks specialized with youngsters and who has always been the only one able to make play headcase Morfeo as he can.
For MORE by me on Cassano see http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=56222&page=1&pp=40

4- Alberto Gilardino- center forward, Italy, Parma- 5/7/82
Still unknown where he will play next year (i fear Juventus), the perfect place would be Roma with his former coach and especially with Totti and Cassano behind him and no others serious contenders for the center forward position.
Hopefully that trio will play together anyway constituting for years the attack of Italian national team. His past season has been unreal, will that be his standard?
His capability to make the most possible out of any ball he receives during a game let me be optimistic.
For MORE by me on Gilardino see
http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=63911

5- Obafemi Martins- striker, Nigeria, Inter- 28/10/1984
This Nigerian is a true r-o-c-k-e-t! Everytime there is a vacant ball in the space the opposite defense is in trouble. For that reason he can be devastating acting as center forward in counter attacking situations, relying also on an already good endurance. Overall he is better suited for a second forward position, in fact he is short and not a good header. This year his ball control and technique looked much improved (even if they will never be his forte) and he is starting to be effective attacking drawn up defenses too. Another of his assets is he can shoot with both feet.
Oh, and personally i like his attitude.
Where he has to improve is his passing, or better, his vision; in fact the guy can deliver good passes, but the problem is he usually is so aiming towards the net that he can't realize (or care) if there is someone completely open in front of the net.
All in all, another can't miss prospect, which is something pretty obvious to say since he already is a great striker.

6- Daniele De Rossi- central midfielder, Italy, Roma- 24/7/83
De Rossi is at #6 only because i still don't see him as a completely sure thing.
Talking about his upside..well, think about a much more skilled version of Roy Keane!
This guy is the more promising Italian midfielder in a long time. His first appearances this year have been literally outstanding. Unfortunately he soon started suffering from groin problems which sidelined him for most of the season. What he showed before is enough be excited.
He plays as defensive midfielder, but that's only good to explain his position, he is much more.
From day one with the big club he showed personality and even leadership. He has very good vision, possesses an outstanding long pass, is sound technically, is great joining the offensive rush and is a lethal scorer especially in clutch situations (i can't remember such a young midfielder so good at finishing), i think what separates him from most players is how determined and resolute he is, doing what it takes at the right moment. Has tremendous shot from the distance and can score with his head too.
What worries me a little bit is his pace without the ball. As a def. midfielder sometimes he was beaten too easily in 1 on 1 situation and had to resort often to fouls, getting booked very often.
Then again, the physical problems he had this year could be the reason for that.
Next season he should be a regular starter since Emerson has gone, even if Roma is purchasing Perrotta.


* These are clearly the top 6 prospects in Italy right now. I would be very surprised to see Italian lists with a different top 6 and in fact PSG had the same six names on top of his ranking.
After that, there is a huge drop off, i would say in terms of certanties more than in terms of potential. (even if considering sure anything related with Cassano sounds weird) *


7- Riccardo Montolivo- offensive midfielder, Italy, Atalanta- 18/1/85
Montolivo is the new name of Italian soccer coming off this past season.
Joining the big club off the outstanding juvenile programs of Atalanta in the last part of 2003, he has never looked back since, becoming a regular right away on a team strongly chasing promotion (and eventually taking it) despite his body still looks better suited for Junior competitions with his 65kgs distributed on 181cms.
Fact is, Montolivo is still way too soft and sometimes disappear from the play for too long for a midfielder, but with his instincts and his talent he supplied his team with the necessary offensive creativity, outshining for the role Alex Pinardi, another brilliant talent.
Montolivo's right foot is simply a sweetie, he is a classy passer and can join the offensive rush as well as igniting it.
Anyway, i've definitely seen not enough of his game as i still don't know what to think of his running. A couple of times he looked slow, another one showed some quickness...
Surely he is still green athletically, but in that department (physical) it looks like he is quickly improving, it's really promising that recently he is showing more energy and very good dynamism!

8- Valeri Bojinov-striker, Bulgaria, Lecce- 15/02/1986
If i can remember correctly, Bojinov started out in serieA with Lecce at the whopping age of 15 while regularly playing with the primavera team. Being so precocious, he is ahead of Montolivo as for development but probably not as for upside.
After a couple of seasons of stints with the big club he has just enjoyed his breakthrough season.
Moreover he was outstanding in a stretch of five or six games around mid season, when he looked like a better version of Saviola provided of extra power in his legs. After that period he was back on earth, flirting with inconsistency like all other young forwards of Lecce (aside from Chevanton, of course) and being invisible at times, going down too easily.
What's special with Bojinov is his quickness, especially while turning. One moment the defender is on his back, an instant later, if Valeri is on his game, he is turned, running with the ball, using his great agility. He has surprising strenght in his legs for his age and frame as well good scoring instincts in the box. As a header he is penalized by his stature and must improve his shot accuracy.
Next year he should benefit from Zeman presence on the bench.

9- Gianpaolo Pazzini- striker, Italy, Atalanta- 8/2/1984
Pazzini is a name well known by the experts, considered a top prospect by some years by now.
Growing up as a center forward, he has reached 180cms but never got a further growth, so is a bit on the small side to play that role at top level; anyway he is a top header who compensate his not great stature with brilliant elevation and Jordanesque sospension capability.
Pazzini is agile, turns well, has good positioning, nose for the net and can finish; a brave and definitely complete striker. He is probably ahead of where Gilardino was at the same age (even if Gila started out before in serieA, at 17), he could be one day that kind of player, even if that huge final step is not guaranteed at all, of course.

10- G. Luis Jimenez- offensive midfielder, Chile, Ternana- 17/6/84
This diminutive funambulist enjoyed his breakthrough year with Ternana this past season, adding with 9 goals in 34 games a scoring dimension to his set of tricky plays.
A creative and entertaining player, Jimenez possesses an outstanding first touch, which is probably his main asset imo.
His sweet right foot can deliver good passes and shots as well, and the left foot is surprisingly sound and properly used; the main flaw is maybe that sometimes he overplays the ball in tight situations.
To play the ball that way even in physical engagements would requests more strenght in his body even for such a smart player.
Adding some speed along this eventual athletical improvement ( still possible for a 20yrs old with a green looking structure) could mean adding star dimension to this gifted prospect.


* another drop here, many of the following players are very talented but offer few certanties.
I had many problems making the rankings from #11 through #20 and then from #21 to # 40-45...
advice: there is more distance in my mind between #6 and #7, or between #9 and #14 than between #11 and #20 or even #40 *


11- Alessio Cerci -striker, Italy, Roma- 23/7/87
I'm taking some risks in making a just 17yrs old my 11th selection but the fact is i feel like this guy has more chances to be a star than the other left players. Of course a player this age has many uncertanties to overcome to develop into a true player, nonethless a star.
Those related with Cerci could be:
a lack of further growth, being as strong as he is phisically could mean he has already almost completed his physical development at 17.
being already treated like a star in his hometown could hamper developing a proper attitude..
But so far, he has been superb and often decisive with Roma's primavera as an underager, has already started out in serie A, has shown pure talent and technique that combined with his strength, acceleration and pace constitute an amazing mix.

12- Mourad Meghni -offensive midfielder, France, Bologna- 16/04/84
The Algerian born French is probably the biggest enigma of this list.
For what Meghni has accomplished so far, probably he would deserve a lower position;
For what he can do when he touches the ball, he should deserve to be higher, even if it's definitely more what has been said about his supposed capabilities than what he has been able to show on the big stage.
He failed to become a starter for Bologna year after year with different coaches and his last season has been quite alarming. After impressing in some of the few games played the previous season, he opened the year with a denouncement for group theft that spread doubts about his associates and apparently hurted his status in the team's depth chart. Reappearing after some months, he experienced his annual muscle sprain that sidelined him for a couple more months. When finally found some room in the last part of the seasons he failed to make an impact.
But the fact is, he is still so young and blessed with pure, rare talent.
The guy has superb technique, unusual dribbling skills, can throw with mocking easiness a perfect long pass. On the downside, he looks a bit slow to be consistently effective in 1vs1 situations, is weak (hopefully just unripe) phisically, can miss with equal casualness by metres an easier pass.
I would say phyisical and agonistic presence are still completely lacking in his game at this point.
His first step is kinda slow at the moment, be it because of an athletical matter or a lack of determination.
On an encouraging note, i would say Pirlo some years ago showed the same kind of lacks.
Mourad can still become a star, but could easily be a bust.

13- Isah Eliakwu -striker, Nigeria, Inter- 25/10/85
Nationality, team, size (172cm for 73kg), colour, moment of birth and more importantly speed. All this particulars make inevitably to think about Martins. Eliakwu possesses good shot outside of the penalty area too and despite scoring 38goals in the 39games this year, he is supposed to be more than a pure scorer. After this outstanding season with Inter junior squad he should be ready to play and contribute for a senior team (*edit:loaned to Ascoli,serieB) next year.
It will be interesting to see how he will react when stronger opposition will/should force him to rely less on one on one battles (speed races).

14- Ignazio Abate- midfielder, Italy, Milan- 12/11/86
About this exciting lateral midfielder i've listened comments made by two or three of the main characters in Milan staff that force me to put him this high even if with his age he is still a project. That means he could be a bust as well becoming the 'new Donadoni' as suggested by some.
Anyway he has already started out with the big team in Italian cup and even in the Champions league despite his green body.
*edit: just loaned to Napoli (serieC).

15- Sulley Muntari - central midfielder, Ghana, Udinese- 27/8/84
This black guy has made a name for himself playing so young almost as a regular for a decent team in serieA, showing the potential to become a very complete midfielder.
First of all he runs a lot. Second, he has good technique for a defensive midfielder.
Then he has a powerfull shot, can do long passes and has good 1 on 1 skills. Of course, something is still lacking. The most important thing is improving his decision making, sometimes he makes very risky unnecessary plays, or he shoots from 45 metres without any reason. Consistency is not still there as well and i'm not sure about how good his head is, but fact is last season he delivered a couple of games where he left me saying: wow!

16- Ianis Zicu - striker, Romenia, Inter- 23/10/83
This guy has been the one i felt less confortable with while choosing the proper position in my rankings. Loaned by Inter to Parma along the Adriano deal, he came from Romenia with the label of 'new Adrian Mutu'. Unfortunately he failed to gain much room in a succeeding team and was a bit disappointing when playing. That said, his technical skills are evident and he definitely possesses a wicked left foot. He is not slow, but didn't look particularly speedy either. In Romenia they say he will be a star, in Italy they are more suspicious..but even Mutu took a year before starting delivering his best..

17- David Chiumiento- striker, Italy/Switzerland, Juventus- 22/11/84
Chiumiento is a juggler.
He has great technique, unusual dribbling skills, is able to keep balls which would be prohibitive for most players, is a good finisher and has very good continuity for a creative second forward.
I don't know about his passing. Also, he is quick but his pace or acceleration are good enough to make the difference at top level for a 1 on 1 specialist?
Given the team and his peculiarities the comparison with Del Piero is inevitable; he could be that kind of player, even if Alex as an 18yrs old was not still playing with juveniles and usually true stars strikers, barring injuries, are already playing in the big show at 19. Chiumiento will play on loan for Siena next season where he will find a good coach for youngsters in Gigi Simoni.

18- Alberto Aquilani-defensive midfielder, Italy, Roma- 7/7/84
After a good season with Triestina (serieB) he is back to Roma, but i guess he will be loaned again to another serieA team.* He seems to have a good head for the game, improving athletically and getting stronger like it seems, he should develop into a reliable central mid who can play the ball and join the offense.
*edit: will stay in Roma!

19- Giorgio Chiellini -defender, Italy, Fiorentina/Juventus- 14/8/84
Just acquired from Livorno where he experienced a breakthrough year contributing to a miracle season ended with an unespected promotion, Chiellini is a rising raw prospect that Juventus could loan for this year to another serieA team.
His main asset is his physic. He is big, strong and with very good run progression.
His limit is definitely his poor technique.
Used to play as a lateral defender or even as a lateral midfielder, he will have to improve his foot sensibility and kicking coordination to contribute offensively and succeed at top level in that position. That's why i wouldn't be surprised to see him develop into a central defender, where he has already played sometimes, as he is a good header and strong on the back of the striker.
On the other hand, that would mean to not make full use of his great energy.
*edit: Foirentina acquired him in co-ownership on August 31st

20- Axel Konan - striker, Ivory Coast, Lecce- 5/1/83
For what this second forward has showed in some games this year, he should be much higher. For example in Turin he mocked Juventus defense and scored two absolute beauties.With his talented left leg Konan is sometimes capable of outstanding shots from the distance and wonderfull one-timers with rare cohordination; the guy possesses also good dribbling skills and very good pace.
The main problem is i think he doesn't even know the existence of the word 'consistency'. He can do the most difficult things with ease and then disappear for games. His performances are disorienting by years now.
Should improve his movements and ball protection, show some grit and score some garbage goals once in a while instead of only few highlight reel ones!
I don't know precisely why, but at the moment i can't figure out this guy as a main character of next years European soccer; probably i feel like his attitude is better suited for mid-quality realities, like a medium team of the French league where the pressure is not so strong to deliver his talent in every game.

21- Mirko Vucinic- striker, Serbia, Lecce- 1/10/83
On the contrary the reason why Vucinic is not higher on this list is perfectly clear.
After a few games of a promising season, last year he suffered an ACL injury. Doctors decided it didn't required surgery and after three months of rehab he was back to play 10 minutes before reinjuring the same knee in the same self-made fashion. A few months more of rehab and he was back: this time it went better, he was able to play some games before reinjuring the same knee for the third time in a row and finally undergoing surgery! That really sucks.
This year he is supposed to be the starter as center forward for Lecce after Chevanton sale, but that question mark about his knee will fade away only with true games..
From a technical standpoint, he is a complete package: has good pace, he is tall and can score with his head (poor as for head assists anyway), he is a good dribbler and possesses sound technique and shot.
He needs to work harder and improve his consistency as well his agonistical presence, but injuries definitely worsened the situation in that department.

22-Christian Obodo - central midfielder, Nigeria, Fiorentina- 11/5/84
The age when he started out (16 ) makes me wonder if the birthdate is correct, anyway he is a regular by two season for Perugia in serieA and has never looked out of place.
A well built geometrical midfielder used to play in front of his defense and to take it simple, this past year showed some offensive upside too, letting sense more potential than in the past.
Just acquired by resurgent 'viola', it will be interesting to see how he will react with more competition in a more demanding reality.

23- Federico Agliardi- keeper, Italy, Brescia- 2/11/1983
With two keepers ready to battle for the starter spot in Brescia, the odd man out was the winner in the end. Taking advantage of Castellazzi and Srnicek struggles early in the past season, Agliardi (189cm) got his chance to play and became a regular with his steady play. This unspectacular keeper is in my mind the more promising youngster for the role at the moment. I think he should become a reliable goalie, using more of his unexploited potential.
I'd like to see him coming out more and improve his feet play.

24- Luigi Della Rocca- striker, Italy, Bologna- 2/9/84
A bit of a homer pick here. After his last season could be surprising to see him ahead of many more known prospects, but i like his potential and i can't forget the couple of clutch goals he scored in great fashion something like two years ago for Bologna. This year Mazzone choose to acquire Albanian hard worker Tare and Della Rocca was loaned and lost on Catania and Atalanta depth charts.
Luigi is a good header in the box with his 185cms and possesses a dangerous left shot.
He can also keep high long passes from rears, has good strenght and goal scoring instincts, must get quicker.
I don't know why he has played so little in the last two season, there might be something wrong i ignore (just injuries?) and he could be a bust, of course; but fact is, i wouldn't rule out star dimension for his future yet.
*edit:loaned to Pisa (serieC)

25- Marco Borriello- striker, Italy, Milan-18/6/82
The upcoming season looks like the typical make or break year for this promising forward.
Borriello apparently has all the tools to be a very good striker, but his performances along the last couple of seasons have been completely disorienting. Used to warm the bench for Milan, when playing he has often looked soft; a couple of times he seemed to be the real deal, just to be back to his lack of fire status the next games.
A stylish header with sound technique, he doesn't show clear flaws in his game.
Next year he will play for Reggina, where curiously there are already two other center forward like Bonazzoli and Dionigi; add that Borriello just got meniscus surgery and you can see the start is not so encouraging, but new coach Mazzarri did miracles last year for Livorno displaying an offensive system that could be perfect to give the proper confidence to this young striker, the skills are definitely there.

26- Gaetano D’Agostino- inside left, Italy, Roma- 6/3/1982
Technically impeccable, well built body, gifted left foot, good vision and passing.
Despite these skills and his elegance i can't see D'agostino become a star player as an offensive midfielder, where he have been used so far. He lacks acceleration and change of pace and more scoring to be decisive at top level in that position. He should try to move back some metres to be the director in the middle. With his physic he has the chance to develop decent defensive play even if to think of him playing in the position of a defensive midfielder is definitely a reach at the moment.
It's interesting to see where Prandelli will try him, with the system he employed last year (4-2-3-1) it seems to me D'agostino won't have many chances to shine and anyway, on paper on his team there are other players ahead of him in the charts.

27- Nicola Pozzi-striker, Italy, Milan- 30/6/86
I like this young forward acquired by Milan in January. The guy was playing with men in Cesena (serieC) where he scored 4 times in 17 appearances as a 17yrs old when Milan took out 2 milions to buy him.
Pozzi is a quick center forward (without the body to play that position in the big show right now) who likes flirting with the off-side line (a la Inzaghi), is great attacking the space behind defensive line without the ball and excels in hooking up long passes from midfielders. Obviously needs to get bigger/stronger.
*edit: just loaned to Napoli (serieC).

28- Mauricio Pinilla- striker, Chile, Inter- 04/02/1984
Coming off an awful season where he struggled to play on loan with both Chievo and Celta Vigo, i've still faith in his qualities. With his 187cms Pinilla is very dangerous in the box; that's definitely his best asset, but is not motionless outside of it.
Probably he will never reach star dimension but i think in the future he will be a reliable scorer for years, maybe starting as soon as next year with Sporting Lisbona.

29- Cesare Bovo- central defender, Italy, Roma- 14/1/83
Coming off a very good second half of last season with Lecce, this guy suddenly switched from underrated to overrated status in my mind.
He has good personality, is a very good header, dangerous offensively on corners and even on free kicks, can play the ball better than how defenders usually do because of his past as midfielder and shows very sound positioning.
So why i think he is overrated?
Because he is slow. Playing on a defensive team that lack could be hidden more, but on a big club, where defenders leave much room behind, this could be lethal.
Of course positioning can minimize problems, but i really wouldn't be confortable with him exposed in 1 on 1 situations against the big guys. His changes of direction is where he struggles more, imo. I think he has to improve his quickness in that department to have a chance to develop into a top defender. He could play with Parma next year.

30- Giandomenico Mesto- lateral midfielder, Italy, Reggina- 25/5/82
He has experienced a very good second half of last season becoming a regular starter for Reggina and contributing to U21 European title.
An energetic lateral midfielder, Mesto possesses great running progression, is strong beyond his age and is a good crosser. He could improve his ball control, his technique is not with the bests and he has limited dribbling skills at the moment; for that reason he seems better suited to play that role on a minor team, where he finds space to attack behind his opposite leftback. He has showed good defensive attitude and could be effective on 3-5-2 system or even, who knows, as a defensive mdifielder in the future.

31- Felipe Dal Belo- defender, Brasil, Udinese- 31/07/84
This is an interesting prospect. In the few appearances he made recently, even if still raw, he showed some potential. Tall, with decent pace and above average ball control and poise for a defender, can play as central back as well leftback. As far as he is still a project at the moment, he has a chance to be a starter next year for Udinese.

32- Inacio Pia´- striker, Brasil, Atalanta- 22/03/82.
This guy could fly but sadly his wings are regularly broken. With his 67kg distributed on a 179cm frame, Pia´ looks as light as a sparrow and what's worse, his muscles seem to be as fragile as glass. For a couple of year his development and his great speed have been hampered but recurrent muscle (thigh) sprains. This past season he looked a bit stronger and despite a couple of more muscle injuries he was able to play 35 games ( missing 11) with Ascoli (serieB) and finally enjoy some success. A true talent, Pia´ must improve his finishing ability and his composure around the net along with his shot to become a consistent scorer. His play without the ball and positioning could still be better, as well as his first touch; he should take more care of it to be able to turn faster to then run with the ball, where he excels thanks to his amazing speed and fakes.
He needs good coaching(teaching) and HEALTH to have a good chance to be one day the star he was once supposed to become. For next year he is back with Atalanta and should stay there to take his chances in serieA. IF he stays healthy, you should see him in some highlights..

33- R.Alfonso Delgado - striker, Spain, Lazio- 7/5/86
Very difficult to say where he belongs. Despite being so young, in the past he started with the big guys without looking out of place at all and displaying crystal talent.
After a full season with Lazio's primavera he could see more action with the big team this year considering the financial troubles Lazio is currently facing.
A starring second forward in the making or just an early bloomer?

34- Giovanni Pasquale- leftback, Italy, Inter- 5/1/82
Coming off an awful season with Inter, but who is not on that team? The year before he did well showing he can play on the big stage, last season let see all his present defensive limits.
He has good pace with the ball and is a very good crosser, still a solid prospect in a role where Italian competition is very thin, but must improve drastically defensively.

35- Ruben Olivera- offensive midfielder, Uruguay, Juventus- 5/4/1983
Some time has passed now since when he was surprisingly acquired by Juventus, but Olivera is still a pretty misterious object. Last season, despite it was clear he would have not find any room, he refused several loans to minor Italian teams before ending up with Athletic Madrid just to warm a different bench. Back with Juventus this year, hopefully he will better set up his head and enjoy a place where going to play. Anyway, even if his attitude so far looks well suited for a big bust, i still think he has all the opportunities to become a good player.
In fact he has good pace with the ball, pretty good technique and could develop into a good lateral midfielder who is good cutting towards center and penalty box; think about Ljundberg for what i mean as for position and as for what he lacks to be there: grit, attitude, strenght, endurance, scoring resoluteness.

36- Ibrahim Razak-midfielder, Ghana, Empoli?- 18/4/83
The mistery. I'm still not ready to give up on this guy.
After watching him a couple of time two years ago, i thought of a very promising defensive midfielder in the making, with good offensive skills and great athletical attributes. Great potential there.
Then came a season in the second league in France (Saint Etienne) before coming back to Empoli, apparently ready to make some impact.
Some injury troubles sidelined him at the beginning of the season and then......he DISAPPEARED! No where to be found. I don't know if he played any games last year, where he will play the next one and if he is still Empoli's property or not.

37- Marco Donadel- defensive midfielder, Italy, Sampdoria- 21/4/83
Much more ready than many propects already picked by me, he would probably be higher if this list was stricly related with present capabilities.
What i doubt is his upside. He is a complete defensive midfielder but i'm not sure he will ever be much better than what he is now.
Also, he makes too many unnecessary fouls.
One good chance to take a step towards proving me wrong will come next season. Just acquired by Sampdoria (joint ownership?) he will play alongside experienced Volpi and for a demanding coach (Novellino) who could help him to gain more personality.

38- Marco Amelia- goalkeeper, Italy, Livorno- 2/4/82
Had a very disappointing year in my book. Despite ending up winning European title as the starting keeper of the U21 national team, failed to meet expectations in his first season in serieA. Was replaced as Lecce starter early in the season and was loaned to Parma to serve as a back up of Frey.
Has size (188cms), talent, explosiveness, is capable of amazing save but is unreliable. After seeing his inconsistency, i've doubts about his head, which is the first thing for a keeper.

39- S.Ayodele Makinwa- striker, Nigeria, Genoa- 26/7/83
Left good impression in his first games with Modena last year. Back in serieB should be a key part for Genoa's battle for promotion (and redention).
Makinwa at 21 is still a raw prospect, but definitely has some tools with his speed and his athletical body (tall 186cms). Better suited at the moment for counter attack he is pretty dangerous in the box too, but must improve his accuracy. If he will improve his technique he will be a very good forward.

40- Arturo Lupoli- striker, Italy, Arsenal- 24/6/87
So young, but worth enough for Arsenal to offer him a strong salary to secure his services for the future.
This second forward dominated his juvenile category last year for Parma together with fellow G.Rossi (#42), but the financial situation prevented Parma to sign him to a professional contract.
Speed, technique, and goal scoring instinct let this entertaining second forward to score a lot of goals for national juveniles too.

41- Christian Ledesma- central midfielder, Argentina, Lecce- 24/9/82
Sound technique, able to do decisive passes, but suspect pace. Even if this was a succesfull season for him, i'm still not sold on his potential to become a solid defensive midfielder like some suggests.
Must improve athletically and defensively.

42-Giuseppe Rossi- striker, Italy, Manchester U.- 1/2/87
Born in the USA and recently acquired by Manchester U. for the same reasons as Lupoli.
A very promising but very young center forward with great technique, cleverness, quickness.

43- Souleymane Diamoutene- defender, Mali, Lucchese- 30/1/83
A positive surprise last season with Perugia, showed explosiveness, determination and great sprint.
To become a top defender more is required..he lacks in terms of malice, positioning and play in the air. For this upcoming season he is expected to play for Lecce.

44- Houssine Kharja- midifelder, Morocco/France, Ternana- 9/11/82
An exciting midfielder comig off a solid season, has good technique.
Still uncertain if he will stay or not with Ternana.
Apparently there are some serieA teams interested.

45- Daniele Corvia- center forward, Italy, Roma- 22/11/1984
A specialist of the penalty box, he has won the scoring title at the primavera level showing the uncanny capability to go on target in every possible way; being 188 cms tall, he can score with his head but he is also pretty quick in the crease. Has already started out both in serieA and Uefa cup.
Must improve his play far from the net.

46- Emanuele Calaio´-striker, Italy, Pescara- 8/1/82
After years spent without finding proper room, playing sparingly for several teams, he has finally made the most of his chance with Pescara (serieB) this past season scoring 21 goals in 43 games.
Calaio´ is a very good header despite not overly tall and possesses a very good left-leg. Maybe he is not physically strong enough to play as center forward at top level and could end up serving as a second forward, anyway i think he has a fair chance to be a regular scorer in serieA in the future.

47- Alessandro Simonetta- Striker, Italy, Roma- 17/3/86
I saw him just one time and that was enough to like this lanky guy. In the future i see him as a talented second forward, he is a good finisher and passer as well, has definitely interesting potential. He wasn't a main character at such a young age for Roma primavera only because of Corvia and Cerci.
Has good agility for his height, should improve his dynamism.

48- Alessandro Rosina- lateral/attacking midfielder, Italy, Parma- 31/1/84
The few times i've seen this speedy small prospect play i've asked to myself: 'why he doesn't play more?'
He has never looked out of place with Parma or U21. No star potential, but with his excellent technique a good player in the making.

49- Alessandro Potenza- defender, Italy, Parma/Inter- 3/8/84
A starter for Parma in the second half of last season, didn't impresse me, but deserve some credit for where he is at such a young age. Can play as central back as well as left back, like he did with Parma so far; he should improve technically to contribute more in that role during ball possession phases.

50- Carlo Zotti- keeper, Italy, Roma- 9/3/82
A sound keeper prospect who didn't play enough games to be properly judged. Must get more confidence.
A probable starter in serie A for the future, but i would be surprised to see him become a star.

51- Andrea Lazzari- midfielder, Italy, Atalanta- 3/12/84
Latest young name to surface on Atalanta's planet.
This 19yrs old reportedly has strong temper and a good head to go along with his talent. He is an eclectic midfielder who goes for the net and seems to have a knack to score.
After his last month i won't be surprised if he will see some serieA action soon.

52- Felice Piccolo- fullback, Italy, Juventus- 27/08/1983
Still property of the team where he grew, he has just be loaned to Reggina to play in serieA in a season that will be the most important of his career so far; in fact considering the actual roster of the Calabrian team, i think there are good chances he will be a starter. Tall and strong, he is a good header and is used to anticipate his man. He has decent potential.

53- Michele Pazienza- defensive midfielder, Italy, Udinese- 5/8/82
Making a BIG jump from Foggia (serie C2, substantially the fourth league) to Udinese, he took advantage of some injuries of his fellows to show he belongs to the big stage. He is an unspectacular player and chose to take it simple in these first appearances, but i think he has the tools to play the ball with more poise after gaining confidence and to be a more complete midfielder. He seems to have good attitude and head for the game, but no star potential.

54- Andrea Alberti- center forward, Italy, Brescia- 15/1/85
A tall center forward with sound technique, made a couple of appearances with the big club, but his status (team) for next year is a question mark. Worth keeping an eye on.

55- Devis Nossa- defender, Italy, Inter- 7/2/85
Fellow-townsman of Giancinto Facchetti, Inter hopes that means something for his future.
His career so far has been encouraging (even if not comparable, of course), with a leadership role on the primavera team. He is a central back with good frame very able in the air who can play also as a right back. Next year he will play for Vicenza (serieB).

56- Christian Maggio- rightback, Italy, Fiorentina- 11/2/82
Has pretty good pace and as a former midfielder can play the ball . I'm curious to see him tested defensively by the big guys, that's where he could fail.

57- Mario Cassano- keeper, Italy, Empoli- 8/10/83
With his 183cms he is a bit on the small side for a keeper. But the main problem is another one; he has been too error prone the last two years when he had his chances and this prevented him to gain the spot as a starter on a team with beatable competition for the role.
That said, he has considerable talent and is capable of amazing saves.

58- Raffaele Palladino- striker, Italy, Juventus- 17/4/84
This guy has some class. Good keeping the ball and shifting it to teammates. He looks like a very complete striker who desperately needs to get bigger and stronger to become more than another good forward in the minors and to have a chance to be a star one day.

59- Hugo Mareco- defender, Paraguay, Brescia- 26/2/84
In the last two seasons there have been serieA games where he looked rock solid in the middle, just to fail completely the next ones. A good header, apparently he needs to gain some quickness.

60- D.Adewale Wahab- defensive midfielder, Nigeria, Roma- 10/4/84
A dynamic, aggressive midfielder successful with primavera, just loaned by Roma to Ternana. The upcoming season will tell us about his potential.

61- Abduoulay Konko- lateral midfielder, France, Juventus- 9/3/84
After a disappointing year he has come back with a strong, promising and successful second half with Juventus' primavera. Could be a dynamic lateral in 3-5-2 system in the future.
Will play next season with Crotone (serieB).

62- Fabio Quagliarella- striker, Italy, Torino- 31/1/83
Coming up strong from serieC after adding some kilograms, he could be the surprise of next year serieB.

63- Riccardo Meggiorini- striker, Italy, Inter- 4/9/85
This quick forward came out of nowhere to be the revelation of the last primavera championship. A late riser, recently called up by the big team.

64- Giuseppe Scurto- de