“I never cry about what I don't have. I'm
always positive. I am happy with the team I have and I am confident that we can
do well.” - Fabio Capello
Time
flies so fast, but all the memories remain. What memories can do, it feels so
weird sometimes. How they can bring us into the very special past, how they can
strengthen us even though in the worst time. They bring us a hope, a hope that
no matter how awful this time there will be the time for us to hit another glorious
time.
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| Something we need to cherish, something we need to remember but not to stay at. |
Hall
of fame, these men are there. The incredible men who played to guard the squad
on the pitch during every single match, the incredible men who kept a man under
the crossbar safe, the incredible men who became the parts of Gli Immortali Milan. I was a baby that
time, knew nothing about football and its most beautiful thing-Milan. But no
matter how young I am as a Milanista,
what they did to keep Milan
pride higher has traveled me back into that time. Ah, I’ve worshiped that time.
I’ve adored its achievements.
Tassotti,
Costacurta, Baresi and Maldini. They are those incredible men who I meant. Thank
God for Berlusconi, thank God for the young visionary coach, Arrigo Sacchi. Milan came to be the most
powerful team with one of the greatest and the most balance backlines all the
times. They’re miracles for football.
Came
after the rejection from Internazionale, Baresi grew up to be one of the school
defending head masters. During his career he proved the world how inexorable
his self, the real antidote to the goal scoring phenomenon that the Italian
football has ever created. Nothing compares to him if we talk about how to read
and organize the game. His signature speed was something Milan and Azzuri
backlines need, something that made him never putted a foot wrong in every
single match.
Costacurta
is another story. Milan’s
twenty years history, a fancy face multitasking defender. Costacurta is such a
central defender, but whenever needed he can fight on the right flank too. Time
machine brought me to 19 May 2007, the time when he made his first goal since 3
November 1991. The time when his teammates entered the pitch wearing his
jersey, the time when I could clearly hear how mighty Curva Sud presented him a
standing ovation. Incredible touching farewell though they still had to swallow
a bitter pill.
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| Remember about this blessing? |
And
then we had a man named Tassotti on the right. A man who became one of the
symbols of versatility for he also could play as a centre back if situation
called him for it. The irreplaceable one on the prestigious Milan defense. This Dijalma Santos has described how the loyalty should be. He has
wrapped up 32 years service to Milan,
both as a player and coach assistant. Want to beat it, people?
Paolo
Maldini. I wish God forgives them who claim themselves as football addict but
know nothing about this name. The greatest respect belongs to him for something
called as the real loyalty. In his blasting career during a quarter of century,
Paolo Maldini has hugged 7 Scudetto
titles, 5 Champion League, 5 Coppa Italia and 5 Supercoppa trophies. 25 years
with the same jersey, surely the world has been wonderstruck. Imagine it while
you think of how fast some current players move just because of the money, just
because of glory hunter mentality. He served Milan backline by his confidence on marking
opponent strikers. He served Milan
by his class. I still remember how he walked and congratulated Steven Gerrard
after the worst day of his career, Champion League 2005. He told Gerrard that
he would back to grab it again. I believe that lips service doesn’t belong to a
gentleman. And voila, two years later he proved it. He lifted his 5th
Champion League trophy after beat Liverpool
and so far it has been my most classy football moment ever.
History
is history. It’s such the great place to look at to but not to stay. What we
have now maybe hasn’t been as powerful as what we had yet. Maybe they are still
young, lack of experience, raw or even underestimated. But if we want to be
honest, a thousand pair of eyes is looking at them now. That 20 years old right
back, Mattia De Sciglio. Sometimes I can’t believe that he’s a youngster. He
becomes freakin beast on the pitch, plays more like a senator than a junior.
Together with Stephan El Ballon d’Or
make the glittery breakthrough, such the perfect combination to zip every
mouth, fascinating combination to surprise the world. The way he controls the
ball, the way he marks opponent strikers, the way he passes anything accurate –
they absolutely convince me that God bless us by an existence of the new
generation of Mauro Tassotti.
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| Stay with us, Kiddo. Stay with us. |
Kevin
Constant is the most capable one on the left side. He becomes something boom in
face of everyone who sharpened his eyes when he wore red and black jersey for
the first time. I couldn’t imagine how our Milan vs Juventus in the 83rd
would be, if there was no him. He stopped Vucinic more than Chuck Norris
stopped Optimus Prime, in my wildest imagination for sure. It took me
breathless for a second and then I decided to take a breath normally because I
didn’t want to die before people know him as the world’s class footballer. I
wish you still remember what he did when Milan
fought against Napoli. In around 36th
or 37th, he created a brilliant stop on Cavani. I still remember
what I felt to watch Cavani was iced by his stop. He was like a boss, a killer
boss. It’s true that many people underestimated him. I know it, football is
that cruel. But you can call me weird or anything for since
his-waiting-patiently-on-the-bench-periods, I’ve believed by myself that
Constant will be constantly damn good for Milan.
Damn good? Oh, that’s so cheesy. What about damn deadly? Too horrible maybe,
but someone like him deserves more than something damn good.
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| Who said a newbie in red and black jersey can't be superb insane? |
Take
a look who stand on the center and we’ll find Acerbi and Zapata. Frankly
saying, I’ve gotten some virtual abuses for have defended these gentlemen so
much. Acerbi claimed that he has always been a Milanista. Imagine it, people. Imagine how it feels for finally you
can play for a club that you’ve rooted for, imagine how it feels for finally
you wear a jersey not as a fan but as a part of squad. Imagine how magical it
is. And I guess that’s what Acerbi has felt lately. Not only pride, happiness,
tears of joy – burden and responsibility are on his shoulders now. His debut
maybe wasn’t as brilliant as we expected. Maybe he got you disappointed because
of his debut, because you thought that he is not the fast one, he doesn’t
deserve to wear that sacral number. All I can suggest is, remember about Nesta
or even Franco Baresi. Were they that fast? They weren’t the fast defenders,
but the best thing about them is how to read and organize the game. And hello,
Acerbi finally also opened some eyes and shut some mouths up. Our conceded
moments at Catania vs Milan
and Milan vs Zenit
perhaps could be his errors. Perhaps, for to be honest I’m not sure about it
too. But I guess he’s not kind of men with no responsibility. He paid his
errors. When played against Catania,
he made a superb save in around 30th. Together with Constant who
became the genius one on the left, he turned to be so solid and confident.
Statistic even showed that he made 17 clearances while a man with superhuman
goal just 8. Few days ago San Siro and its guest-Zenit also became witnesses of
his fascinating potential. His oh-so-dropdead-genius cuts surprised me many
times. He made the esque-run like
Thiago Silva and became huge when he helped our forwarders in attacking during
the last minutes.
Zapata is another treasure. This
Columbian one is fast, tough, brave to get forward but deft whenever he needs
to get back. A defender with natural defense skill, someone we need to keep Mr.
Goalkeeper calm and safe. Rare to be on the pitch wasn’t being a reason for him
to be low. Bench was just a waiting room for him, a waiting room before he got
the right time to be sparkle. And he just did it. He became outstanding when he
fought against his former club, Udinese. Made some classy save and necessary
tackle. He ran that fast like no one could stop him and above all, he cleaned
the mess up. Similar with Mr. Fransesco So Genuine Acerbi, San Siro got a real
prove how worthy this man. I think Hulk wasn’t too Hulk that night for our El Mogo showed his magic.
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| To open some eyes, to shut some mouths up. |
Yes, I know it exactly. In football
we can’t stamp a player fabulous just based on 2 or 3 matches. I know in
football, consistence is a must and I know it’s still too early to say that
they’re fabulous worthy footballers for Milan.
But you know what, people? There’s a tiny little thing before a big thing.
There will be no a quarter of century matches without 2 or 3 matches. I know
how we miss Maldini or if you want to get more modern, I know how we need Nesta
and Silva now. But just like Baresi said, “You
can't compare those days with now.” Yes, those days are different from now.
Maybe it’d be more relieving for us if we still had a combination of Tassotti-Costacurta-Baresi-Maldini.
But football isn’t something static, it’s something dynamic. Just like in life,
in football we can’t be stuck at the same time. We’ll be so pathetic if we just
moan and ask the same men to save us.
It’s true that we can’t grab those immortali men on the back line or maybe
there’ll be no the next them anymore, but what I wish is we’ll have more than
them. Sciglio-Acerbi-Zapata-Constant (or another name if you don’t agree with
it) haven’t been as superpower as them yet, but I have had faith in them. Faith
that one day they or at least some of them will be the next legends who wear
red and black jerseys. Faith that their names will be cheered proudly, faith
that Curva Sud will make a touching
standing ovation at their farewells, faith that they will be legends for Milan and football.
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| Call me crazy, lame, weird or pathetic. But this waiting is only for you, Milan. Well, screw me. |
Wait, believe and see though it’s still too long. I know it seems a little bit too much, but as the same as the fact that Mexes could make that worth remembering for a lifetime bicycle kick goal, as the same as the fact that El Shaarawy became a haircut trendsetter for the entire Milan, as the same as the fact that next summer Ambrosini has to spend much money on any Caribbean stuff, as the same as the fact that we have qualified for UCL 2012 next round, as the same the fact that no matter how horrible Milan now, I’m still in love with them – nothing is impossible in football. Yea, so what about to wait, believe and see? Then one day we’ll tell our children even grandchildren that we still have another glorious time, we still have another legend.
