Looking back on that era, one name stands out above the rest for him — and it is not Gabriel Batistuta.
“From all the players, the one who surprised me the most for his qualities was Edmundo of Fiorentina,” Franzone told Football Presse.
“In my time Fiorentina played up front with Edmundo and Batistuta. But I could mention lots of other players like Del Piero, Zidane, Rui Costa, Vieri and Inzaghi.
“I had the chance to play in Serie A in the years that it was the best league in the world and the most important players were playing in Italy.”
Franzone was with Cagliari between 1997 and 2000, making four Serie A appearances across two seasons. His career had already taken him through Como and Salernitana, before later spells with Giulianova, Reggina and his hometown club Piacenza.
But it was at Cagliari that he found himself sharing a league with the players who defined that generation.
And his answer about Edmundo is particularly revealing because Batistuta was not simply another great striker. He was one of the most feared forwards in world football.
Franzone still picked his partner.
The Brazilian's unpredictability made him stand out to a goalkeeper who had spent years studying attackers and trying to anticipate what they would do next.
Franzone's memories also put into perspective just how remarkable the concentration of talent in Serie A had become.
“It was a great period for Italian football because there were so many important players playing in Italy,” he said. “You could find players of the highest level in almost every team and every match could be difficult for a goalkeeper.”
For someone in his position, preparation was everything.
“You had to be ready because you could play against Batistuta one week, then another great striker the next week. You could never relax and you had to stay concentrated for the whole match.”
That was particularly true against players capable of deciding a match with one action.
“Batistuta was incredible because he could score from so many different situations. He was very strong physically and he had an unbelievable shot, so even when you knew what he wanted to do, it was not easy to stop him.”
But Edmundo presented a different problem.
“With Edmundo, you never really knew what was going to happen. He had so much quality and could create something by himself. That is why he surprised me so much.”
Franzone also remembers the broader experience of playing in a league where world-class attacking talent was everywhere.
“Del Piero, Zidane, Rui Costa, Vieri, Inzaghi — these were players who could change a game at any moment. As a goalkeeper you had to prepare differently because every one of them had different qualities.”
His own career eventually moved beyond playing. Franzone went into goalkeeping coaching, including at Cagliari, and later worked in international football and player representation.
That has given him another perspective on what made the Italian game of that period special.
“The level was very high and the pressure was very high, but this is also why playing in Serie A helped goalkeepers. You were constantly learning because you were facing the best players.”
And when asked which of those players left the greatest impression, he returns to the same answer.
“Edmundo.
“He had something different. Batistuta was an incredible striker and all the others were fantastic players, but Edmundo surprised me most because of the quality and the things he could do that you were not expecting.”
For Franzone, that is what made the era so demanding — and so memorable.
“I was lucky to play in that Serie A. We had so many great players, so many great teams and so many great goalkeepers.
“It was the best league in the world, and for a goalkeeper, there was no better education.”