Giuseppe Signori

A deadly left-footed striker with unusual mechanics and a wonderfully awkward kind of genius, Giuseppe Signori was never the standard Italian centre-forward. He played with short steps, sudden changes of rhythm and a shooting technique that felt almost personal, especially from free kicks and penalties. At Lazio, he became one of Serie A’s most feared scorers of the nineties, mixing movement, instinct and cold finishing with a body shape defenders never quite read in time. He was not a classic target man, nor a complete modern striker, but a devastating goal specialist who could strike early, low and cruelly from angles that looked half-closed. With Italy, he remained slightly underused, which still feels like tactical vandalism with paperwork attached. A strange, sharp, brilliant finisher.