Buying power

Simon Lewis recalls five men who paid their way to footballing success

Gianni Agnelli

Juventus had been importing players into Serie A since the 1930s, but the Fiat magnate Agnelli sent the operation into overdrive from the late 1970s onwards. Liam Brady was a member of his first dream team alongside Michel Platini and Zbiginiew Boniek, while in the late 90s, Agnelli assembled a team including Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli that reached three straight European Cup finals, winning the first in 1996.