Legendary Teams | Palermo | Serie A
Long before financial trouble and a 2019 demotion to Serie D, Palermo acted as a springboard for some of world football’s biggest names. If every standout graduate and bargain signing had stayed in Sicily, the Rosanero could field a side to trouble Europe’s elite. Here is that not-so-alternate XI—and where each player is now.
Goalkeeper
Salvatore Sirigu
A product of Palermo’s own academy, Sirigu made 80 first-team appearances in five seasons before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 and winning his first silverware. He returned to Italy with Torino in 2017, had a year at Genoa, and now provides veteran depth at Napoli.
Defence
Andrea Barzagli
The former Azzurri iron man patrolled Palermo’s back line from 2004 to 2008, clocking up 165 games. A stint at Wolfsburg preceded eight glorious seasons and a truck-load of trophies with Juventus.
Kamil Glik
Signed in 2011 but barely used, the Polish centre-back was loaned to Bari and then moved permanently to Torino, where his rugged style and sharp reading of play won admirers. He later marshalled Monaco’s defence and, since 2020, has anchored Benevento.
Simon Kjær
Brought in during 2008 to replace Barzagli, Kjær impressed for two campaigns before adventures with Wolfsburg, Roma, Lille, Fenerbahçe and Sevilla. Today he is a mainstay—and occasional captain—at AC Milan.
Matteo Darmian
Darmian’s lone 2009/10 season in pink featured just 16 outings. His real breakthrough came at Torino, leading to a move to Manchester United that never quite caught fire. Back home since 2019, the reliable wing-back now alternates flanks for Inter.
Midfield
Javier Pastore
Two seasons of dazzling runs and back-heel assists earned “El Flaco” a record switch to PSG, where he collected trophies for seven straight years. A 2018 return to Serie A with Roma was hampered by injuries; since 2021 he has been plying his trade with Elche in Spain.
Franco Vázquez
Handed the creative keys once Pastore departed, Vázquez blossomed after a loan spell at Rayo Vallecano. His 2013/14 heroics in Serie B powered Palermo back to the top flight. Sevilla snapped him up in 2016, and the smooth-footed playmaker came back to Italy with Parma in 2021.
Josip Iličić
The Slovenian conjured 25 goals and 18 assists in 107 Palermo matches before stops at Fiorentina and then Atalanta, where his left foot helped spark a modern fairy-tale run in both Serie A and the Champions League. Battles with depression interrupted his form, and he has since gone home to Maribor.
Attack
Paulo Dybala
Three eye-catching seasons in Sicily persuaded Juventus to part with big money in 2015. Multiple Scudetti and clutch goals followed, though recent fitness dips have slowed his momentum. Dybala is now Roma’s talisman.
Edinson Cavani
Palermo unearthed Cavani in Uruguay, and over four years he scored 37 times in 117 outings. He exploded at Napoli and became a legend at PSG. Late-career spells with Manchester United and Valencia have shown the old hunger is still there when fit.
Andrea Belotti
Integral to Palermo’s 2014 promotion, “Il Gallo” had to move on once the Dybala–Vázquez partnership clicked. He found his stride at Torino, netting 113 goals, and switched to Roma in 2022.