Edgar Davids was one of the first players I talked to in my capacity as coach of Juventus. I liked him a lot, and I told him so immediately: “I like the way you play, your aggression, your determination, your decisiveness. It’s clear that you never yield the initiative, that you’re a fighter, a battler.” I went on to catalog his physical endowments, his skills, and his natural gifts. He just stared at me and never said a word. More than a stare, he glared at me, like I was a turd he’d accidentally stepped on. He listened, closemouthed. Finally, when I stopped talking, he enunciated a concept: “You know, I can play football too.” True, though technique was never his strong suit.

– Carlo Ancelotti

Surprising to read that Ancelotti felt technique wasn’t David’s strength. Ancelotti is correct, David’s tenacity and battling spirit stood out above all, but Davids also continued that Dutch tradition of exceptional technique.

Ancelotti, Carlo., Alciato, Aleesandro. Carlo Ancelotti: The Beautiful Game of an Ordinary Genius. United States: Random House Digital-Wholesale, 2010. pp145