Leonardo Bonucci has named the toughest opponent he has ever faced throughout his career who used to keep him up at night.
Bonucci is one of the most iconic centre-backs of his generation, with the defender playing for AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter Milan throughout his illustrious career in Italian football.
The 37-year-old announced his retirement at the back end of last season following a brief spell at Fenerbahce.
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With a Euro 2024 victory and a run to the Champions League final, Bonucci has come up against some of the best attackers of all time, however, the Italian made a shock pick when choosing his toughest-ever opponent.
Speaking on Sky Calcio Club, Bonucci revealed that former Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata was a nightmare to play against when he was at his peak.
“My nightmare, who didn’t make me sleep at night, was Zapata. God, before games against his Atalanta side, I couldn’t sleep at night," he explained.
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Bonucci claimed the Colombian's stature and presence was what made him such a tough player to deal with defensively.
"His power and physicality made him my nightmare," he added.
However, Bonucci was willing to acknowledge he snubbed some of the all-time greats of the game and made sure to pay some credit to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.
“Then, I was lucky enough to play against so many champions. Drogba, Ronaldo, Messi, Torres, and I forget others, but it was too good," he concluded.
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Zapata remains in Serie A but has returned to Torino on a permanent deal after spending last season on loan at the club.
The 33-year-old scored 13 league goals last campaign and has started the new season with three goals in seven appearances to date.
Torino sit seventh in Serie A after an overall positive start to their domestic campaign, with Antonio Conte's Napoli leading the way in Italy.
Topics: Leonardo Bonucci, Serie A, AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atalanta
Tom Jenkins