Ranking Juventus' Players on Their Performances at Euro 2016
No club had more players at UEFA Euro 2016 than Juventus, the Serie A side providing 13 members of various squads who travelled to France, with Liverpool one short of matching that tally and then Tottenham Hotspur on 11.
Indeed, had Alvaro Morata not rejoined Real Madrid, that figure would have been even higher for the Bianconeri, a reflection of the quality that is found throughout coach Massimiliano Allegri's current side.
Those players enjoyed varying levels of success, and what follows here—ranked in order of impact upon their team and the tournament itself—is a look at each one in turn, analysing how they performed this summer.
12. Hordur Magnusson (Iceland)
1 of 12
Appearances (sub): None Goals: None Assists: None
Iceland were the surprise package of Euro 2016, notching wins over Austria and England while holding eventual winners Portugal to a 1-1 draw.
Eliminated 5-2 at the quarter-final stage by France, they will enjoy a fine legacy from this tournament, but Juve-owned Hordur Magnusson did not get a single opportunity to take to the field.
11. Simone Zaza (Italy)
2 of 12
Appearances (sub): 1 (2) Goals: None Assists: 1
Simone Zaza struggled to find space in Antonio Conte’s Italy side, the coach instead preferring to deploy Graziano Pelle and Eder in attack. Yet he did make a vital contribution, creating the latter’s goal in the 1-0 victory over Sweden and earning his only start in the next outing against the Republic of Ireland.
However, Zaza would also play a major role in Italy’s exit, his stuttered run up in the penalty shootout against Germany eventually leading to the loss.
10. Mario Mandzukic (Croatia)
3 of 12
Appearances (sub): 3 Goals: None Assists: None
Croatia were expected to make an impact at Euro 2016, and for a while it looked like they would. Topping a group that contained holders Spain—whom they defeated 2-1—they ultimately fell to a disappointing 1-0 extra-time loss to Portugal in the last 16.
Mario Mandzukic embodied their poor overall form, failing to find the net despite WhoScored.com showing he averaged 2.7 shots per game.
As discussed in this previous post, Juventus need him to quickly return to his best when he turns out for the Bianconeri in 2016/17.
9. Patrice Evra (France)
4 of 12
Appearances (sub): 7 Goals: None Assists: None
France made it all the way to the final, but Patrice Evra offered far more intangible qualities to Les Bleus than anything he displayed on the pitch.
While his veteran leadership was clearly helpful in steering this young vibrant team to the showpiece in Paris, the full-back, 35, often looked off the pace and was beaten repeatedly by opponents.
Exposed as a weak link in the France defence, Evra ultimately suffered heartbreak as Portugal won the Henri Delaunay trophy.
8. Stefano Sturaro (Italy)
5 of 12
Appearances (sub): 2 (1) Goals: None Assists: None
The fact that Stefano Sturaro sits so high on this list is not down to him, but rather a nod to the disappointing performances of those below him.
The 23-year-old made a brief substitute appearance against Sweden before starting and playing the entire match against both the Republic of Ireland and Germany.
The first of those two games was poor overall as the Azzurri had already qualified to the knockout stages as group winners, but Sturaro was subpar against Germany when Italy were eliminated on penalties.
Standing in for the injured Daniele De Rossi, he failed to exert any real influence with WhoScored statistics showing he averaged just 14.3 passes per game.
7. Stephan Lichtsteiner (Switzerland)
6 of 12
Appearances (sub): 4 Goals: None Assists: None
As always, Switzerland proved to be tough to beat, a mindset embodied by new captain Stephan Lichtsteiner.
The full-back led his side to the knockout stages where they were beaten on penalties by Poland, meaning they never lost a game outright, with the Juve man slotting home his side’s first spot-kick of the shootout.
6. Paul Pogba (France)
7 of 12
Appearances (sub): 6 (1) Goals: 1 Assists: None
Paul Pogba has been constantly in the news throughout Euro 2016, although much of that had little to do with his performances on the field.
He was not in terrible form, netting against Iceland while also creating Antoine Griezmann’s second goal against Germany to help the hosts earn their place in the final.
Yet he remains the subject of intense transfer speculation, with Sky Sport Italia and the Daily Mail (h/t Football Italia) reporting that Manchester United are preparing a bid of €120 million and a five-year contract for the 23-year-old.
The prospect of selling him was discussed at length in this previous post, but he certainly wasn't at his best this summer.
5. Andrea Barzagli (Italy)
8 of 12
Appearances (sub): 5 Goals: None Assists: None
The rock at the back of Italy’s impressive performances, Andrea Barzagli remains somehow underappreciated by the wider footballing world.
According to WhoScored, he averaged 0.6 tackles, two interceptions and five clearances per game, helping the Azzurri progress calmly through the tournament.
He scored in the shootout against Germany but could not prevent Italy’s ultimate exit.
4) Sami Khedira
9 of 12
Appearances (sub): 5 Goals: None Assists: None
Just as Barzagli performs his duties without fanfare, Sami Khedira continues to be a hugely important but uncomplicated player for both Germany and Italy.
WhoScored shows that the 29-year-old averaged 0.6 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 55.8 passes per game, providing excellent balance to the side and making Joachim Low’s team difficult to beat.
3. Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
10 of 12
Appearances (sub): 4 Goals: 1 Assists: None
Playing at a far higher level than he did at any point in 2015/16, Giorgio Chiellini proved this summer that he remains capable of being a supremely talented defender who opposition strikers should rightly fear.
He scored a crucial goal against Spain, and his impact on that match was discussed at length in this previous post.
2. Gigi Buffon (Italy)
11 of 12
Appearances (sub): 4 Clean Sheets: 3
Gigi Buffon was simply brilliant at Euro 2016. The Italy and Juventus captain made some incredible saves at vital times for the Azzurri, underlining his quality and helping the side progress to the quarter-finals.
“We did the most that we could do and it was almost enough, which means that when you are a team with values, organisation, tactics, then nothing becomes impossible,” Buffon told Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia) after Italy were eliminated, and it is impossible to argue with the iconic goalkeeper’s opinion.
1. Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)
12 of 12
Appearances (sub): 5 Goals: 1 Assists: 1
While both Evra and Pogba took part in the final of Euro 2016, Leonardo Bonucci is a clear winner as Juve’s best player at the tournament.
Controlling and leading the Italy defence with superb authority, he enhanced his growing reputation with a string of high-quality displays this summer.
It began with a brilliant pass for Emanuele Giaccherini’s goal in the opening game against Belgium and ended with him scoring a penalty against Germany. In between, WhoScored shows that Bonucci averaged 1.1 tackles, 2.3 interceptions and six clearances per game, while being clearly impressed with what he had seen from his team.
“We had said at the start of this adventure that if we went out, we had to do it with heads held high,” a visibly emotional Bonucci told Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia). “I think that over 120 minutes this Nazionale went toe-to-toe with the World Cup winners.”
All statistics taken from WhoScored.com unless otherwise indicated.
