It is time, yet again. In 2007, Milan said goodbye to Alessandro Costacurta. In 2009, it was Paolo Maldini. Last year, it was Andrea Pirlo. After making his announcement on Thursday, this time Milan will wave goodbye to yet another club legend; Alessandro Nesta.
The warning was there. It was just a tad over a year ago when Nesta told Sportsmediaset: “We are almost at the end”. And, now we have arrived here, at the end.
To put it simply; it will be a sad day when Nesta takes to the field for the last time as Milan player. It will be this weekend at home to Novara.
And, not just for Milan will this be so, but for calcio and for football, in general. Throughout his career Nesta has always carried himself with the greatest dignity, integrity and modesty. The old cliché; ‘they don’t make them like they use to’, can be applied here. He was, and he will be until his last kick on Sunday, a true professional.
Of course, it is not his personal traits that will be missed the most. Though, they will be missed greatly. But, it will be his qualities on the field they will leave the biggest void.
Perhaps the last in a long line of Italian defenders that made defending resemble an art more than a sport, Nesta was the personification of class, grace and elegance.
He was the type of defender that struck fear into his opponents. Yet, he never did so by relying on the cynicism exhibited by some of his predecessors like the great Claudio Gentile, Romeo Benetti or Mauro Tassotti.
Nesta came from a different breed; the same one that blessed us with Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini. Defenders that played the game with intelligence and composure coupled with seemingly limitless ability which seemed to be unconstrained by time. They were not only a pleasure to watch, but, they were equals to the more obvious and aesthetically pleasing attacking talents of the day; the Roberto Baggio’s and the Alessandro Del Piero’s. This was the family of defenders that Nesta belongs to.
The aforementioned cliché; ‘they don’t make them like they used to’, can be applied again, too, in the sense that defenders of the calibre of Nesta are not being produced in Italy any more, or anywhere for that matter. After Baresi, Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro, Nesta is perhaps the last to bow out from this line of great Italian defenders. For this reason, his departure marks the end of glorious era for the Italian game.
Similar to how a chapter of calcio now closes. The same can be said of Milan.
When Nesta ventured north to the Italy’s fashion capital from Rome ten years ago, the Rossoneri were a very different outfit. Back then it was a club that attracted – and could afford – the world’s best players. It already boasted some of the greatest amongst its ranks, the likes of Rivaldo, Manuel Rui Costa and Andriy Shevchenko.
After collecting two Champions League trophies, two Scudetti, two European super cups, two Italian super cups and one Club World Cup, Nesta now leaves a much-changed Milan. The club now pursues different types of players. Its limited purse strings, a common problem in Italy now, make it difficult for Milan to sign the world’s best players – even if the club’s reputation still entices many.
In his final press conference as a Milan player, Nesta said, “nobody knows what the future will hold (for Milan)”. His words seem to suggest that he himself is aware of this change – which could be for better or for worse – that has occurred at the club over the ten years he has spent there.
Whether this was a contributing factor in his decision to leave, we might never know. Yet, perhaps we should be grateful that Nesta lasted this long at all.
Now 36 years old, it was only in 2009 that Nesta sat out a whole season due to a back injury. He only managed one substitute appearance, which came on the final day of the campaign.
For a player well into his thirties, it was feared that he might not make a return to active football. Such a situation has forced many players into early retirement before. Not Nesta. Testament to his professionalism and determination, he fought back from injury to again become a key player for Milan.
Alongside Thiago Silva, Nesta formed one of the best defensive partnerships in Europe. It was key factor in Milan’s 2011 Scudetto success.
Yet, it seems that all the injuries have finally taken their toll. Time has ultimately made itself felt too, as it always does. The demands of playing Serie A and Champions League football, year in year out, have become too demanding now for Nesta. He feels that he can no longer perform consistently at the highest level. He would know better than anyone else.
Nevertheless, as his masterful displays against Barcelona this season indicate, Nesta remains a world class act. His display at the Nou Camp last September was special. Against the ‘best team in the world’, as he cited after the match, Nesta turned back the years. This was his standout game of the year. One that reminded the world of his brilliance; this is the memory he leaves us with.
You feel that he could yet still offer more to Milan. The club certainly thought so which is why they did offer him the chance to play on another year.
But, he feels that if he cannot contribute in the same way as he has done so all these year and for the love of the club and for his own self, he would rather move on. In words that echo similar sentiments of those of Josep Guardiola – who recently departed Barcelona – Nesta said, “there’s no way that I could sit on the bench and wait for my turn. If I don’t feel that I am important, I’d rather stay at home. Out of respect for the club and also for myself, I prefer to leave and try something new.”
It might not be the end proper for Nesta. A move to the MLS is a real possibility. And perhaps it is the perfect option for him. There he will still be able to strut his stuff in an environment where the expectations are down a notch or two.
It does not seem like ten years. Nor does not seem like five years when Milan last won the European Cup – the same year that Nesta declared his retirement from international football with the words: “My adventure in blue finishes here”. Now, five years on, his adventure in red and black finishes.
Check out Adrian’s site : Socceranchor.com and make sure you follow Adrian on Twitter.
Remember to vote in this year’s Italian Football Fancast Awards. You can do so RIGHT HERE.
Join Forza Italian Football on Twitter and Facebook.
We are always looking for new writers, so if you think you know Calcio, email us: forzaitalianfootball@snack-media.com
This article was originally posted by Frank Tigani
Sunday will be a sad day.