Felipe Melo is a defensive midfielder who plays for Italian side Juventus and Brazil.
Melo started his career at Flamengo and had several successful seasons for various Brazilian club sides. He then moved first to Mallorca then to Racing Santander in Spain, where things were off to a slow start. Eventually he found some form again and stayed two seasons with Racing. This was followed by an impressive season with Almunia before deciding on a move to the Italian Serie A. He played the 2008/09 season for Fiorentina, again impressing with his robust playing style. This resulted in Melo being called up to the Brazilian squad and several clubs being interested in his signature. In July 2009 he signed for Juventus. The 2009/10 season was at times disappointing for Melo but he kept his plaze in the Brazilian team going to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In their quarterfinal loss to Netherlands Melo started with an assist for the goal putting Brazil ahead. He then touched the ball which gave Netherlands the equalizer, initially being accredited as an own goal. Bad went from worse when Melo was sent off from having stamped Arjan Robben. Melo was subsequently blamed by many supporters for Brazil’s World Cup exit.
The new Brazilian head coach has so far preferred Chelsea’s Ramires and Tottenham’s Sandro at the central defensive midfield position.

Giorgio Chiellini is a centre back who plays for Italian side Juventus and Italy.
Chiellini was born in Pisa but came up through the youth squad at AS Livorno (arch-rivals of AC Pisa). He signed for Juventus just days before his 20th birthday in 2004, in a contracted co-ownership with Fiorentina. He played an excellent 2004-05 season for Fiorentina and also made his full debut for the Italian national team. That summer he had been in the Italian bronze medal winning team in the Olympics and the year previously he was in the winning team of the U-19 European Championship. Chiellini has since been a regular in the Italian squad and he enjoyed an excellent Euro 2008 tournament.
Since the 2005-06 season Chiellini has played for Juventus where they in the 2008-09 season were runners-up in Serie A. He was named Serie A Defender of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Gianluigi Buffon is a goalkeeper who plays for Italian side Juventus and the Italian national team. Buffon is widely recognised as currently being the best goalkeeper in the world. He has been Serie A’s Goalkeeper of the Year a record 8 times. He has numerous individual top awards in international football.
Buffon came up through the ranks at Parma but moved to Juventus in the summer of 2001. With Parma he won the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup in 1999. With Juventus he has won Serie A four times. Buffon made his debut for his national team in October 1997, at the age of 19. He won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy after having played a brilliant tournament, only conceding two goals.

Kanouté is a French born striker playing for Spanish side Sevilla. He started his professional career for Lyon before heading to West Ham in England. After 84 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 29 goals, he brought his services to Tottenham Hotspur. He had mixed success during two years at Tottenham and was sold to Sevilla in August 2005 for €6.5 million. At Sevilla Kanouté has played his best football. He has also played 41 times for his country, Mali, and scored 29 goals. In 2007 he was named African footballer of the year.