Form is temporary, Class is permanent they say; in varying degrees this is true. Many a years have gone bye with the world of football been blessed with different classes and types of forwards or strikers as they are known in some quarters, some teams have even brought about a revolution playing without strikers; Roma under Spaletti are in most quarters credited with this but Spain's Euro 2012 team took it to another level.
All in all the game would not be the same with out strikers; from your inside forwards, to your lone strikers, to your deadly duos, to the leggy speedy strikers, to the low center of gravity type strikers, to the fox in the box types, we have seen them all and come to love them all, they's no greater feeling in the world than when the striker hits it hard into the auld onion bag.
I do not know how many strikers were born in 1973, but i only know one that was born on August 9, 1973; none other than the ever graceful and full of life Filippo Inzaghi, one of the greatest strikers of his generation.
Career Path
The twilight of Filippo Inzaghi was spent at Milan as we all know, it was his ability to adapt to the adversities of numerous younger strikers been signed by the club and been able to remain relevant and part of the first team for eleven years is quite an amazing feat. He had to cope with the signings of Ronaldo de Lima, Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Zlatan Ibrahimovic; just approaching all this like a true professional. At Milan, Inzaghi is a demi god, he is 6th on the all time scorer's table for Milan with 126 goals in 300 games; with 73 goals in 202 Serie A matches; he is however Milan's all time leading goalscorer in European competitions with 43 goals in 78 European/international matches.
Pippo, as he is fondly called by all and sundry did not begin his career in the big leagues or the big lights; he had humble beginnings with Piacenza as a youngster and loan spells at Leffe and Verona until the big time came calling by way of Parma who he scored only twice for with one of such goals against his childhood club Piacenza which made him cry. Atalanta came calling after a season at Parma, where he also spent a season by finishing as the Capocannoniere (which is the Pichichi in Spain or Golden Boot winner in plain english) scoring 24 goals in the 96/97 season (scored against every team in the League), before the Old Lady decided to sing at her highest tune for Inzaghi's services.It was at Juventus that I personally fell in love with the great Pippo, his sheer brilliance and finishing qualities fully came to world prominence.
At the Old Lady, Inzaghi started creating records; becoming the first player to score two hat tricks in the Champions League and lead Juve to a scudetto in his first season. Filippo Inzaghi is definitely a Juventus legend with 58goals in 122games in Serie A and 89goals in 165 games in all competions; this is a very good return of a goal in every 2 games. The rise and signing of David Trezeguet proved to be his Achilles heel and led to his departure to Milan, where his start was somewhat slow, but then formed a very dynamic partnership with Andriy Shevchenko for five productive years. Despite repeated battles with knee injuries, Pippo always came back stronger, installing himself in Milan history and folklore with his two goals in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2007 with a Serie A record of 10 hat tricks. Impressive? Mos def.
His European Record
If ever there's a striker you would love to be ahead of Pippo Inzaghi on the European scoring record chat, its the great Raul, Inzaghi is only second to Raul with 70 goals whilst Raul leads the table with 77 goals.
Inzaghi is one of only three individuals to have scored three hat tricks in the champions league; the others been Micheal Owen and Lionel Messi. Inzaghi has the privilege of been crowned champion of europe twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007, with the 2007 final his most memorable; he is also the first European to score in all competitions available for Europeans to participate in. At National team level, he is a proud World Cup winner with the Azzurris in 2006 with an enviable record of 25goals in 57 games for his nation.
His Style
Filippo Inzaghi could be termed as a goal poacher personified, as the long standing argument continues on if great players are born or made; Pippo Inzaghi was definitely born on August 9, 1973 right there on the offside trap (hence the title of this piece). You sit calmly in you chair watching an attack develop from the defense, progressing gradually across Midfield next thing you know a defense splitting pass is made; what you see is either Pippo Inzaghi one on one with the goalie or the goalie himself picking the ball from the back of his own net and then comes the celebration of a man that had never scored before in his entire career. These are the characteristics if the great Pippo Inzaghi, one minute you see him offside, the next the balls in the net and he goes on celebrating like a mad man just released from the mental home.
His record 10 hat tricks in Serie A are all adjudged (however debately) offside, a master finisher with superb movement off the ball, yes he may have been found offside more often than any other striker in the game and may also have been offside for a number of his goals; it doesn't take anything away from him as a supremely gifted goal poacher. He wore the jersey of whatever team he played for with pride and always gave a 120%.
Offside or not, his qualities of been able to stand off the shoulder of the last defender are yet to be equalled by anyone, he was quite good in the air and had the knack of been in the right place at the right time always, the Hall mark of a truly Legendary predatory finisher. Lets take nothing away from him, there will never be another striker like the great Pippo Inzaghi.
My best Memory of Pippo Inzaghi
His two well taken goals against Liverpool in the Champions League final of 2007 after a tough time with knee injury to lead Milan to their 7th Champions League title. The celebrations as always was typical Inzaghi.
Conclusion
A lot had been written in the past about the great career of Pippo Inzaghi, upon deciding to pay this tribute, I found a number of other articles written on the Legend in question; I could not have come up with my Ode to Inzaghi without the help of these previously written articles (too numerous to mention) and as always Wikipedia is always on hand to help with the stats. I say a Big Thank you.
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Adeyemi Adesanya
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