Hassan Chamas
Hailed by many around the world as one of the preeminent defensive gems ever to come out of Italy, Alessandro Nesta has had an astonishing career so far, swiping all the awards that overlapped his path: the Italian Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Champions League and most of all the FIFA World Cup are all but a foretaste of what this player holds in his own trophy case. However, the stopper has been battling with a recurrent chronic back injury that has shackled him outside of the rectangular pitch for quite some time now, where he lately endured a horrific setback that required surgery. So one has to ask: At 32, isn’t it better for Nesta to just call time on his career?
Sunday, February 15th, 2009 was a exceptional juncture for Italian calcio. Juventus slumped to an unsatisfactory draw, this time against Sampdoria – their fourth point in the last four matches – but the Milan derby that day was the main course that everybody was waiting for: Jose Mourinho vs. Carlo Ancelotti, Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs. Paolo Maldini – who capped his imperious career scuffling with Inter for the 56th time – Sulley Muntari vs. David Beckham, and Esteban Cambiasso vs. Andrea Pirlo, and the list goes on…
In short, the 270th edition of the derby della Madonnina had everything: Supporters, coaches, players, typical Italian flares, goals, controversy, missed chances, immaculate play, and a picturesque banner held by the Nerazzurri fans in homage to their retiring rival, AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini. The game itself ended 2-1 in favour of Internazionale, and aside from Adriano’s illegal opener and Filippo Inzaghi’s denied penalty claim, the match in itself was marvelous.
Satisfied? Not completely. While Inter fans paraded in joy after all but eliminating the Rossoneri from the title race, as they are looking certain to make it four on the spin, Milan fans hoped for something else. Surely, many knew deep inside that the league ends here for them, but the Milanese followers had a particular eye on the players sitting next to Ancelotti: They wanted to see Alessandro Nesta on the bench, back from an injury that has kept him on the sidelines since October. However, that was not the case, as Milan’s no. 13 suffered a setback just two days prior to the clash, a pain so intense that he could not get out of bed on the Friday morning.
Alessandro Nesta finally subdued his previous refusal to have surgical treatment, and went under the knife the following Tuesday, February 18th. He was prescribed 15 days of complete rest and will only begin training afterwards. So the question being asked now is: What next for Nesta?
At just 32 years of age, and in a league system where footballers tend to extend their stay longer than average, it would be foolish for the former Lazio skipper to hang up his boots. After all, the sequestration of football legend Paolo Maldini after having represented the game for more than 20 years at the highest level will only add pressure on Nesta to carry the mantle as the true heart of AC Milan, something that blundered through Ricardo Kaka’s hands considering Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi pondered a month ago whether or not he should be sold to Manchester City.
Furthermore, with the players that have recently landed in Milan, such as Ronaldinho and a certain David Beckham, “il Diavoli” are building a “Galacticos” likeness that looks to have a promising aspect, and would certainly be enchanced by having the former Italy international as one of their leading cornerstones. Making him captain doesn’t seem that farfetched, too.
In addition, the plague of the injury doesn’t seem as deadly as it used to be, for physios and treatments alike are constantly improving to have players fully fit. An example is that of Dutch master Arjen Robben, whose periodic aches are being slowly converted into attic-covered memories after being treated by one of the world’s most famous physicians, Dr. Tschen La Ling. As a consequence, the winger is proving to be one of Real Madrid’s most influential players on the field.
Yet we cannot go ahead and take for granted that Alessandro Nesta is still a young lad in his 20s full of energy and stamina. The Roma-born centre-back is on the wrong side of 30, and way past his peak, if anything. Surely, there’s the notion that defenders only perk up with age, but after his injury problems, it is hard to see Nesta emulate fellow team-mate Maldini, let alone continue playing until the age of 35 at the uppermost stage. He’s won everything that he could win. So an early retirement does not seem the deadliest of sins.
Moreover, there’s a good explanation why Nesta snubbed on a multitude of occasions the prospect of surgical repair: He knows very well that this is the kind of operation that could halt a player’s career, and did not choose to drink from this sour cup until it was physically impossible for him to persevere. That being said, wouldn’t it be better for Nesta to hang up his boots on his own terms, instead of beating himself up just in order to play football? Yes, there’s nothing more fascinating than a player going through hoops of fire in order to carry on doing the thing that he does best, but we all know that at some point, he will end up turning himself and the game into a laughing stock.
Then there’s probably the factor that the World Cup-winning man has to consider the most: Will first-team football always be available for him at the San Siro? If not, where to pursue it? Will he be always given a starting shirt? Or will he be reserved for cameo appearances only?
Nesta’s situation is a flimsy one. Make no mistake about it; the former Azzurri international has the heart of a 20 year-old, and his will to play is as present as ever. He could flout all the odds and return to play at the highest level. After all, his defensive comrades of Paolo Maldini and Fabio Cannavaro are still regular starters at the age of 40 and 36, respectively, at two of the leading clubs in the world.
Nonetheless, if you read much into Adriano Galliani’s moves over Europe recently, you’d say that Nesta’s days are pretty much over. The Uncle Fester lookalike – despite confirming that Nesta is still an integral part of the project at Milan – has been in talks with both Manchester United and Liverpool over the potential transfers of Nemanja Vidic and Daniel Agger to Italy’s fashion capital. And with the pending arrival of Fluminense hot-shot Thiago Silva this summer, things do not look very promising for Cinecitta’s own.
In the end, whether he continues or not, is really Nesta’s verdict. Maybe he will retire, maybe he won’t. Some players chose to call it quits and save themselves the mortification, such as Marco van Basten who, broadly regarded by many as one of the best strikers ever, retired at the young age of 29 after frequent troubles. Others, such as the “Real” Ronaldo, are selecting to linger as faces of the game, despite suffering three stern knee injuries. But one thing’s for certain: Whether he ends up hanging his Adidas pair or not, the world will always remember Alessandro Nesta as one of the brightest discoveries of the Italian defensive doctrine.
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