Long in the tooth

By: Penny | July 7th, 2008

I sometimes wonder what Milan do to their players to keep them so young. It’s not just Maldini, still frolicking around the San Siro in his dotage, have you ever seen Albertini and Leonardo? They look unnervingly similar to the way they did when they were playing, it’s a bit scary to be frank.

Inzaghi is a particularly good example of this uncanny youthfulness. At an age when most forwards are either easing gently down the divisions or moving into management he is still striking naked terror into the hearts of Serie A defenders all over the Italian peninsula and accompanying islands. It is not quite so unusual for defenders or goal keepers to make it to their midlife crisis while still playing, but forwards tend to peak around their very early thirties, often losing their skill and pace quite rapidly afterwards.

It seems to be a mental thing as much as anything else. The Brazilian Ronaldo, a sprightly 32, has looked sick of football for a good few years, while his compatriot Ronaldinho, for one or two seasons essential at the Nou Camp is now being offered at a knock down £12 million. Ronaldinho’s team mate Henry is another example of a forward whose problems seem as emotional as they are physical.

Inzaghi is undoubtedly lucky in his physical make up. Unlike contemporaries such as Vieri he hasn’t put weight on as he’s got older, although that unattractive diet of plain pasta has probably helped. He’s always had to make up for his limitations by using his mental acuity and instincts, good training for hitting your mid –thirties while still playing professional football.

His main asset though seems to be his overwhelming love of the game, and his enthusiasm, which never seems to dim. There are so many stories, how he made it back to Milanello the same day that he heard that Milan had been allowed to enter the Champions League in 2006, how he stayed on the pitch kicking a ball around with his younger brother after the final, you just have to watch him play, constantly trying even when it really isn’t his night.

Perhaps Inzaghi has been lucky in more than his stringiness. He began in Serie B1 and C, not playing in Serie A until he was 23. Unlike Ronaldo, obviously a prodigy in his teens, he wasn’t played out by the time he got into his 30s, worn out by demands (whoever decided that Ronaldo should play in the 1998 World Cup Final has a lot to answer for). Maybe it’s just a bit easier to stay in love with the game when it isn’t constantly pushed down your throat.