The persistence of legends

The persistence of legends

The persistence of legends
The persistence of legends “ By Anthony Lopopolo
”
This time, Franco Baresi would play.
He was there with the Italians and the Portuguese, all legends from their country, descending on a pitch in Toronto.
For all of them — Roberto Baggio, Paolo Di...
The persistence of legends “ By Anthony Lopopolo
”
This time, Franco Baresi would play.
He was there with the Italians and the Portuguese, all legends from their country, descending on a pitch in Toronto.
For all of them — Roberto Baggio, Paolo Di...
The persistence of legends “ By Anthony Lopopolo
”
This time, Franco Baresi would play.
He was there with the Italians and the Portuguese, all legends from their country, descending on a pitch in Toronto.
For all of them — Roberto Baggio, Paolo Di...

The persistence of legends

By Anthony Lopopolo

This time, Franco Baresi would play.

He was there with the Italians and the Portuguese, all legends from their country, descending on a pitch in Toronto.

For all of them — Roberto Baggio, Paolo Di Canio, Pauleta, Maniche — the chase of the game is gone, the roars faded, the final whistle blown. But on this Monday night the cheers were loud, and the fans cared and the goals mattered. It was only an 80-minute game, and you could forgive them. This was an aberration of so many kinds, and they all embraced and smiled at the end. It was a taste of the life they once had.

Baresi was here just a month ago with Milan Glorie, the globetrotting icons of the famous seven-time European champion. Then he did not play. He didn’t look like he could.

At first glance he looks a bit frail, his puffy hair shaped like a horseshoe on top. He looks much older than his 54 years. He is soft-spoken, and he listens intently. He almost looks like a professor, holding all the answers to the art of defending, an art dying in this sport.

But he came back to Canada again, almost as personal redemption, to “give joy to the people.” He does these celebrity friendlies for the fans. He wants to make them happy, and so he did. For 23 minutes he played. And he let the rest of the champions take over.

The main man did not even play. Roberto Baggio injured his knee, and he was not able to play his first match in 10 years. Even in retirement the game can be cruel. But he made his money, he attracted thousands of spectators, and like the pope he emerged on the field and waved his hand at the people. The game ebbs away but the honour and lustre of a great career never does. That’s a legacy in effect.

And then there was Di Canio. The 46-year-old has already coached clubs in England, but here he was, huffing and storming and running about the pitch. When a goal was ruled offside, he dashed to the referee and flung his arms in the air. He argued, and the referee gave the goal back. Nothing gets by Di Canio. Nothing rests.

And he kept patrolling the field. He was playing like he was on trial. When he stopped, for the little time he did, he was dripping in sweat. This meant something to him too.

This is the season of friendlies, when clubs like AC Milan and Manchester United and Real Madrid make their way across Canada and the U.S. to spread the gospel of football. It’s business for the most part, but then it is also a time, an opportunity for the old guys to play under the floodlights that turned off long ago, for the ones who lit up this game and laid the foundations. It’s why we still go out to watch them, and it’s why Baresi came back.

This piece was written by Anthony Lopopolo, a Senior Writer for AFR. Comments below please.