Legend of Calcio: Alessandro Nesta

Date: 14th July 2015 at 2:54pm
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The great Alessandro Nesta influenced Italian football in numerous permanent ways; For Lazio and AC Milan fans, he encompasses all the positive aspects to be found in football, leaving an incredible defensive legacy behind.

Milan had gone two down early and had recovered to bring the scoreline level at 2-2 with time almost up. Lazio were on the attack when the ball bounced awkwardly between the two central defender; making it difficult for keeper Christian Abbiati to recover.

The veteran shot-stopper missed the ball completely leaving Djibril Cisse clear on goal. However on his shoulder was Nesta, who managed to keep up with the Frenchman and had nano-seconds to save his side from defeat.

Despite the complete mismatch which found the pacy Cisse being tailed by the sluggish defender, Nesta managed to divert the player’s path, where just for a second the ball moved slightly further away from the striker. The former Italian international seized his chance: launching his aging frame skyward to make contact with the ball and clear it for a corner.

It was a truly spectacular challenge against his former club and a poignant way to bow out of Serie A.

Many have struggled to fully express their thoughts on ‘Sandro’ Nesta, and understandably so.

Alessandro Nesta Lazio

He may be best known as an AC Milan player, but the blue half of Rome was Nesta’s first home and first love. A graduate of the Lazio academy, Nesta would spend 17 years with his home-town club; wearing the captains armband faithfully for six of those years. It didn’t take long for Nesta’s potential to be realised, even among the golden generation of defenders in Serie A at the time.

Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro, Nesta’s influence on the Lazio team of the 90’s was gradual, but assertive.

By 1997, he was virtually everpresent. His defensive displays were always greatly appreciated by the fans, and the club hierarchy acknowledged his progress by making him captain that year. A big feature of Sandro’s game was his personal sacrifice, as many of his successful challenges would see him come off second best; resulting in a lot of injuries later in his career.

It was only when Nesta joined AC Milan that things really took off. It’s debatable whether he would have willingly left Lazio, but the financial problems facing the Roman outfit gave them little choice. Nesta joined Milan for a bumper transfer fee of just over €30 million.

For a modern day Milan side, the figure seems ridiculous, but Silvio Berlusconi could afford such luxuries for his footballing empire, and there was no question Nesta was worth the investment.

Kaka Nesta AC Milan

However, it would appear the price tag weighed heavily on Nesta’s conscience. Not that he played poorly for Milan, far from it, it was simply his need to perform so well on a daily basis for the club.

In his time at the San Siro, Nesta conducted himself in the best way possible, giving everything he could on the field and keeping a low, respectful profile outside of football. If nothing else, Nesta has demonstrated how a professional footballer should behave.

Nesta took the number 13 jersey he’d worn at Lazio and slotted into Milan’s defense seamlessly, partnering Paolo Maldini for a majority of the 2002-03 season. He played the most amount of games in a Milan shirt in his very first season for them, appearing on 48 occasions. He would never play as consistently as he suffered several serious injuries in 2006 and again in 2008 when back problems saw him make only one appearance all season.

On the field, he was animated and talked more in the space of 90 minutes then he would in a day’s worth of training. As he entered into his late 20s, Nesta began to assert himself as a leader in the dressing room while still maintaining a quiet, stoic demeanour.

Nesta AC Milan

He was instrumental in ensuring Milan’s back line was solid in their quest for the Champions League trophy.

In his first season, he assisted his teammates in holding off Juventus for the whole match plus extra time. He referred to the victory over the Turin giants as the greatest moment of his career, particularly as he was able to convert his penalty during the shootout.

In truth, it stands to reason that this was the highlight of his career, as he played far less of a role in the 2007 Champions League victory. By this time, Nesta had reached the pinnacle of his abilities as a football player and was suffering with multiple injury problems, with the €30 million price tag still at the back of his mind.

However, despite the logical call of retirement, Nesta fought on at the expense of his own body and began to show just why Milan had shelled out on the defender: it wasn’t just about his general quality, it was his commitment and loyalty they had purchased. After a terrible season spent on and off the operating table, a rejuvenated Nesta returned to the field in 2009.

Alessandro Nesta Lionel Messi AC Milan

In his final three years of Serie A, he witnessed the passing of modern footballing greats: Paolo Maldini ended his on-and-off partnership with Nesta by hanging up his boots and the likes of Kakha Kaladze and Massimo Oddo left shortly afterwards. He also spent his time developing one of the world’s top centre-backs, Thiago Silva, who remains indebted to the Italian for making him his protégé at Milan.

The Brazilian is one of few to glean an understanding with Nesta on the field. He recalls his first friendly with Milan where the veteran defender would not stop talking, giving him advice and instructions until Silva complained comically about having a headache.

Together, the duo would go on to become the best defense of the 2010-11 season, conceding only 24 goals in 38 appearances, becoming an invaluable partnership as the Rossoneri lifted their 18th Scudetto.

Despite the fact Nesta played much less football than Silva, it was the most appearances he’d made prior to his season-ending back injury. The partnership worked brilliantly in it’s brief existence: Nesta was the dominant defender who used his guile and experience to halt attackers, while Silva swept up in the footsteps of his mentor.

On the international scene, Italy was something of a cruel temptress for Nesta as injury robbed him of some great opportunities. His close friend and team mate Andrea Pirlo recalls in his autobiography the moment the 2006 World Cup turned ugly for his countryman: “He was dying inside and we weren’t much better, having seen the effort he’d put into sustaining a hope that was now extinguished.” 

Despite his majestic displays at club level, Nesta never really shone for Italy, with his lowest moment undoubtedly the injury he sustained during his nations World Cup winning campaign.

In these final years of his career, Nesta would defy belief with some truly awe-inspiring tackles. Milan fans will remember vividly the image of Lionel Messi pounding the ground in frustration after a perfectly executed challenge from a player over a decade older than himself.

In a similar situation to the Djibril Cisse challenge, Nesta ran half the length of the field with Genoa’s Rodrigo Palacio desperately trying to win possession, only for Nesta to knock the ball against the Argentinian, catapulting it up and into the grateful embrace of Abbiati.

Alessandro Nesta Montreal Impact

In his long and fruitful career, Sandro would make many of these ‘blockbuster’ tackles, sending ripples of admiration through the San Siro crowd. Even in North America, he brought a degree of artistic license to defending, elevating it beyond simply a dirty, rough-and-tumble aspect of the game.

In this respect he has helped change football in Major League Soccer and wants to continue to do so through coaching.

Having spent the best part of a year with Montreal Impact, Nesta announced his retirement and soon joined the club as a consultant; revealing his intentions to begin coaching in North America.

Although his future must surely lead him back to Italian football, Nesta’s desire to improve the standard of football in his adopted homeland is commendable. As someone who made a difference for Italy throughout his career, it’s fitting that he should continue to do so off the field.

In terms of his contribution to the sport, Nesta has become synonymous with Milan’s great defensive players. New arrivals to the San Siro attribute Nesta as one of the influences behind their decision to join, denoting his leadership qualities and praising the longevity of his career.

Having seen what he can produce on the field, many will be excited to see the results of his coaching adventure for undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQzCthZMQTw[/youtube]

 

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