Filippo Inzaghi is now pioneering his way as a coach. After failing at AC Milan, Inzaghi took a job coaching at the club who compete in Lega Pro (the third level in the pyramid of football competition in Italy), Venice in the year 2016.
Pippo, his nickname, was apparently successful to bring the club based at Pierluigi Penzo Stadium got a promotion to the Serie B competition in just over a year.
But rather than talking about his work as a coach, it seems the public is still more happy to discuss football striker with nicknamed Super Pippo while still playing. Yes, we still often compare today's attackers with Inzaghi who has retired since 2012.
When we see an attacker who often scores with a ball gag, the name of Inzaghi is remembered. Similarly, when you see an attacker who often get caught offside or a lot of diving, Inzaghi's name was the Lord.
Our reaction will also be the same if you see an attacker who does not have a qualified technique and does not heed the aesthetics of play. This shows that Inzaghi, with all his attributes, is an iconic figure and hard to forget.
Labeled as attackers without technique is already gorged on the admissibility. The Maestro like Johan Cruyff or Sir Alex Ferguson ever called him can't play football and was born in the offside position. However, the former player who used to be his opponent commented on different things.
Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender called Pippo the most difficult attacker to keep, while Roberto Carlos, who often faces him when dressed in Inter Milan called him a player who can provide solutions amid the deadlock of his team.
But from these comments, there is no one praising Pippo's technical qualities as an attacker. Existing, Pippo considered only lucky players. Cruyff also continued his assessment of Pippo as a "player who can not play football" with additional attributes "he is just in the right position."
I do not want to be the umpteenth person who defends Pippo at once explains that we need to see the other side to better appreciate Pippo. It seems that all football fans already understand that as an attacker, Pippo's only undisputed advantage is the goal record.
This was what took him to stay at the highest level until he scored more than 300 goals throughout his career, also won various prestigious trophies at club level.
Trying to discuss Pippo from a technical point of view playing ball, I want to say that Pippo was not a bad skill player. In fact, Pippo was actually a complete attacker just like any other attacker.
I would like to invite you to watch a compilation of goals that Pippo scored in the era before he was widely known. Specifically, I suggest seeing footage of Pippo's goals while strengthening Atalanta in the 1996/1997 season.
If you've finished seeing 24 goals made by Inzaghi that season, hopefully, the assessment of you will be slightly changed. You, of course, see for themselves that the goals that make Pippo as Serie A top scorer at that moment were a very varied process.
Not as we remember when he played at Juventus or Milan, when goals made by Pippo created from close range through tap-in process, received a cross, or kicking the ball gag.
But when playing at Atalanta, Pippo was able to score goals almost by any means. Although goals from close range still dominate, Pippo also often scored through long-distance kicks, first-time kick, even he ever found the opponent's goal through free kick execution!
Pippo also able to start his goal through acceleration and dribble which was quite difficult to do. Such goals were certainly hardly ever seen in the career phase where we all know Pippo at Juventus and Milan.
This actually indicates that Pippo was a good footballer. That is, at least the basic techniques that must be owned by a player competing at the highest level already owned.
Surely it was difficult for a bad footballer to be able to trick the goalkeeper like Petr Cech or Pepe Reina in a one-on-one duel.
The Adaptation of How Pippo Play
Pippo's high technique was clearly visible when he strengthens Atalanta. At that time, Pippo's age was still 23 years old. That is, energy owned by the brother of Simone Inzaghi was still abundant.
For example, he can do the acceleration from the edge of the opponent's pitch then bring the ball into the middle and release a hard kick without difficulty. Though Pippo that we know was not known for his hard kick.
Second, Atalanta own factor which in fact was the mediocre club. Emiliano Mondonico, who at that time became coach of the club with nicknamed La Dea gave Pippo the freedom to become the main pedestal of attack.
When his team did the attack, Pippo often became part of it, not just waiting in the opponent's penalty box.
Thus, there was room to accelerate and show skill. Together with Gianluigi Lentini and Domenico Morfeo who became his partner at the time, Pippo was really a different player.
The brilliant performance at the mediocre club certainly invited the attention of big clubs. It was Juventus who took him a season later.
Playing in big teams was, of course, different. At Juventus, it was entrenched Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero, Angelo Di Livio, Vladimir Jugovic, and others. These names were a guarantee of creativity.
Being one team with them, Pippo was no longer played as a creator, he was just completing the creations that have been composed by the geniuses.
Like a good guitarist who played the show along with other reliable guitarists, Pippo was willing (and forced) to reduce the parts that feature guitar solos that will make it the center of attention.
He was also willing to reduce the volume for some duration of the song, but he will always be ready when needed. Yes, while in the field for 90 minutes, how many minutes of Pippo interaction with the ball? Probably not reached 10 minutes.
But he waited patiently, running and searching. Finding the right position, waiting for the opponent off guard, waiting for loose custody, then scored.
"Adapt or die" may be the principle Pippo has held since then. Realizing that the demands on him were scoring goals, he also continued to hone his goal scoring skills.
Pippo was among the most diligent players who watching the opposite match video to find their weaknesses. Goals have become his obsession. So it was not surprising also if he often looks selfish and rarely gave the ball to his partner.
When his time at Juventus had run out with the arrival of David Trezeguet a younger and convincing, it was Milan who saw the advantages. Despite having to pay 35 million euros plus Cristian Zenoni (very high at that time), and Pippo was 28 years old, but Milan through newly coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that Pippo was the right partner for Andriy Shevchenko.
The rest was history. In Milan, Pippo played for 11 seasons, scored 126 goals and won numerous prestigious trophies until retirement at age 39. Remarkably, until his retirement the Pippo's role was not small with the goal ratio was still maintained high.
Pippo figure that looks fragile can survive for as long as possible at the highest level. When scored two goals in the Champions League final in 2007 against Liverpool, he was 34 years old.
Even when there were a shift and a variety of tactical modifications that require attackers to play more roles in the process of building attacks and becoming the initial wall of defense, Pippo coaches still often played him, because then at least it presents the threat of goals with high levels of certainty.
No matter how a team plays, goal scoring becomes the primary goal.
Incidentally, Pippo on the 9th of August was the 44th birthday. If this season Venezia plays brilliantly, it's possible that football fans will start talking more often about his work as coaches, rather than as players.
Happy birthday, Pippo, and hopefully return to Serie A soon!
