So you have decided to collect Subbuteo and relive that nostalgia with a few teams and that stadium you have always dreamed of.
Welcome to the club.
What you have to decide is which Subbuteo to collect – because there is a huge amount of choice when it comes to the game that has been produced since the 1940s. Your options range from the early heavyweight range with its high prices but vintage charm to the modern lightweights, with accurate kits and bargain basement costs.
In between you have the short-lived and sickly-looking Zombie figures, the early lightweights in boxes with large, clear plastic windows, and the early 1990s and the introduction of the first Premier League teams.
All of them are good options (I have gone for the early 1990s) but there may be a more modern, more affordable range that would be ideal for beginners – The Subbuteo La Leggenda – Fabbri Edition.
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What is the Subbuteo La Leggenda range?
Firstly, a history lesson. In the late 2000s Subbuteo, now owned by Hasbro, was not really producing much in the way of new sets. However, Fabbri Editori in Italy was keen to take advantage of the game’s popularity.
It managed to secure a license to produce a part-work range. That means it was given away with a regular magazine. Fans could collect the teams by buying the magazine each week and complete the set by not missing an issue.
Enter the Subbuteo La Leggenda Fabbri Editori range. The producers were quite clever about it, basing the box set on the 1980s lightweight range and labelling it the Legends range.
Each team is based on a classic football team from World Cup winners to great club sides. With detailed kits, slick boxes (with the team’s formation on the back) and a wide selection of teams from around the world they are a brilliant addition to the world of Subbuteo.
In fact, they were so successful another La Leggenda range, the Platinum Edition, has just been launched based on the old heavyweight Subbuteo teams.
Why should I collect Subbuteo La Leggenda?
There are many reasons to consider the Subbuteo La Leggenda range. For a start there are just 150 of them, which is a semi-achievable target given the bloated numbers of the original Subbuteo lineups.
Despite the relatively small number there are rare teams to get your hands on – for example Dutch East Indies from 1938 (reference 147) is a superb team and would be an incredible bit of Subbuteo history to own.
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What are they actually like?
On first look the detail on the La Leggenda range is superb. I ordered a set of 16 teams for just £30 from We Are Games and found a nice selection of unusual club sides including the striking violet of Anderlecht, the orange and red of Galatasary and rarer sides such as Red Star Belgrade, Botofago of Brazil and New York Cosmos.
Each team has a miniature badge and trim details on their kits. The attention to detail is a step up from the often hand-painted early lightweight teams but they do retain the charm of the earlier sets.
The important thing though is how they play. The sets were created from a new mould compared to the lightweight teams and as a result they do play different. They are a little heavier than the 1990s lightweights made by Waddingtons and as a result are more difficult to curl.
They are also slightly top-heavy, meaning they do topple over regularly and require picking up.
However, I did enjoy playing with them. They were heavier meaning quicker shots and more accuracy when flicking from distance, while they connected well with the ball and it was easier to string together passing moves.
They are also more durable – making them ideal for beginners or kids – in the three games we played we found they held up well and only once did a particularly nasty clash force the player to separate from his base. It quickly clicked back in and this was a nice alternative to the player snapping at the weaker points such as the ankles.
Review summary
A huge selection of beautiful-looking teams and a good beginner set to learn the ropes of the game, the La Leggenda range is an underated Subbuteo set of teams that should tempt any collector to get involved. If you want to see where to buy them, check out our guide to buying Subbuteo online.
The full range
Brazil 1970 1
Italy 2006 2
Argentina 1986 3
West Germany 1974 4
Holland 1974 5
Uruguay 1950 6
USSR 1960 7
Italy 1982 8
Cameroon 1990 9
England 1966 10
France 1998 11
Spain 2008 12
Sweden 1958 13
Peru 1970 14
Italy 1934 15
Portugal 1966 16
Republic of Ireland 1994 17
Yugoslavia 1968 18
Colombia 1990 19
Greece 2004 20
Hungary 1954 21
Mexico 1986 22
Italy (second kit) 1938 23
East Germany 1974 24
Italy 1968 25
Juventus 1983 25
Inter 2008-09 26
Milan 1993-94 27
Napoli 1986-87 28
Roma 1982-83 29
Lazio 1999-00 30
Fiorentina 1968-69 31
Sampdoria 1990-91 32
Torino 1975-76 33
Juventus 1995-96 34
Inter 1964-65 (second kit) 35
Milan 1962-63 (second kit) 36
Palermo 2006-07 37
Napoli 2007-08 38
Catania 2008-09 39
Verona 1984-85 40
Udinese 1983-84 41
Vicenza 1977-78 42
Casale 1913-14 43
Parma 1998-99 44
Pro Vercelli 1912-1913 45
Chievo Verona 2001-2002 46
Juventus 1897 47
Inter 1908 48
Milan 1899 49
Boca Juniors 2003 50
Penarol 1982 51
Santos 1962 52
Flamengo 1981 53
Fluminense 1984 54
River Plate 1986 55
São Paolo 1993 56
Estudiantes (de La Plata) 1968 57
Nacional Montevideo 1988 58
Independiente 1984 59
Grêmio 1983 60
Nacional Medellin 1989 61
Livorno 2004-2005 62
Denmark 1992 63
Croatia 1998 64
South Africa 1998 65
Nigeria 1994 66
Czechoslovakia 1976 67
USA 1994 68
Chile 1962 69
Scotland 1974 70
Ivory Coast 2006 71
Australia 2006 72
Paraguay 1998 73
Ghana 2006 74
Algeria 1982 75
North Korea 1966 76
Belgium 1986 77
Poland 1974 78
Romania 1994 79
Bulgaria 1994 80
Celtic 1966-67 81
Porto 1986-87 82
Red Star Belgrade 1990-91 83
Rangers 1971-72 84
Benfica 1961-62 85
Panathinaikos 1970-71 86
Galatasaray 1999-2000 87
Dinamo Kiev 1985-86 88
Anderlecht 1982-83 89
Dukla Prague 1966-67 90
Steaua Bucarest 1985-86 91
Boavista 2000-01 92
Ferencvaros 1964-65 93
Aberdeen 1982-8 94
Shaktar Donesk 2008-09 95
IFK Göteborg 1981-82 96
Sporting Lisbon 1963-64 97
Sparta Prague 1991-92 98
Dynamo Tbilisi 1980-81 99
Partizan Belgrade 1965-66 100
AEK Athens 1976-77 101
Slavia Prague 2007-08 102
Mechelen 1987-88 103
Slovan Bratislava 1968-69 104
Ujpest Dozsa 1938-39 105
Vasco De Gama 1998 106
Cruzeiro 1976 107
Palmeiras 1999 108
Olimpia Asuncion 1979 109
Cosmos 1977 110
Honved 1956 111
Rosenborg 2000-01 112
Fenerbahce 2006-07 113
Malmo 1978-79 114
Gornik Zabrze 1969-70 115
Club Brugge 1977-78 116
Austria 1934 117
Japan 2010 118
Switzerland 1954 119
Senegal 2002 120
Germany 1990 121
Morocco 1986 122
Ukraine 2006 123
Turkey 2002 124
Russia 2008 125
Velez Sàrsfield 1994 126
Club Deportivo Los Millionarios 1953 127
Club de Fútbol América 2006 128
Zenit St Petersburg 2007-08 129
Videoton 1984-85 130
Motherwell 1931-32 131
Belenenses 1945-46 132
Spartak Moscow 1990-91 133
Besiktas 2008-09 134
Standard Liege 2008-2009 135
Botafogo 1957 136
San Lorenzo 2002 137
Al-Hilal Club 2000 138
Puma (Club Universitad Nacional) 1989 139
Al-Ahly 2006 140
Norway 1998 141
Angola 2006 142
South Korea 2002 143
Northern Ireland 1958 144
New Zealand 2010 145
Wales 1958 146
Dutch East Indies 1938 147
Slovenia 2010 148
Zaire 1974 149
Slovakia 2010 150
