INZAGHI NEVER GIVES IN

"I will come back in 3 months and I will start to score again in Milan and in the national team"

[translated by : MANUELA]

All his family went with him to the medical examination. The lesion of the knee is less serious than how much it was thought, even if the operation seems to be necessary.

MILANO. He is ready for anything. Also to be under the knife, under general anaesthesia. A thing, this one, that seems very probable even if nothing is decided yet, officially, at the moment. But it doesn’t matter. Inzaghi walks with a limp, it’s obvious, but he has the spirit of the winner, not that spirit of the loser and not even that one of the depressed. And he swears, first of all to himself and then to the others, with solemnity: "I will be ready for the World Cup. But also sooner. For my Milan. It had never happened to me a trouble of this kind and I had never felt a so hard pain. So, at the first moment, also the fear was enormous. But, now, each fear has been cancelled by the strong desire of rebellion: against bad luck. The most annoying thing is this happened before the match against Juve. If bad luck had just to come, it could wait a week at least. Well, it has gone in this way and nothing can be done. To despair is useless. On the contrary it would produce the opposite effect. Now I must only think in a positive way and it’s what I am already doing. And when all will be finished I will arrange a party. I’ll do it my own way: a party of goals, in short."

There is real passion in talking, with great serenity and great awareness, about Filippo Inzaghi. The day after. The bill of a fighter who, for the first time in his career, must face the bad luck, which scares him and those persons who are close to him.

The telephone rings, but he doesn’t cry. Each attitude of self-pity is harshly forbidden. Tomorrow is another day. The calls are full of good and real feelings. The most welcome and unexpected wishes are those ones of president Berlusconi: "It’s nice to know he likes me and he is close to me in this moment." Then his playmates. Shevchenko, the first and for many times. His friends, even if of other teams. As Christian Vieri: "He has been very sweet. He knows very much about professional sufferings. He has wished me to meet again soon: at World Cup, together."

Above all, his nearest and dearest persons. His brother Simone. His mum Marina. His dad Giancarlo. From Rome or Piacenza they have arrived in the night between Sunday and Monday, without losing a minute, at the home in Gallarate where Filippo decided to live after some months in Milanello.

It’s very united, Inzaghi, family: joys and sorrows are shared in this real family where good traditions have still a big value. They have all come with him to the hospital in Varese, where doctor Tavana of Milan staff was waiting him. 7.30 a.m. it was still dark. Many people know Pippo. They greet him. They wish him good luck and a quick recovery: a World Cup without him is unthinkable. All their supporters, not only Milan ones, know it.

The medical examinations are quite long, careful, meticulous. 3 hours. Doctor Cherubino, who operated Rui Costa, should be the man destined to give again a good form to Pippo. In case of an operation, of course, and if Inzaghi will not decide to be operated in United States. We’ll see. It’s matter of detail and psychological attitudes.

The prognosis is of about 3 months and a half, also with an operation. In time for World Cup but also in time to give again his goals to Milan: as Filippo Inzaghi says, after having imposed himself to think in a positive way.

TUTTOSPORT

4 DECEMBER 2001