The skill of controlling the ball and kick power are two of the factors that are important for the success of a true predator. Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku, Mauro Icardi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Karim Benzema are examples of attackers who deserve to be labeled as deadly players.
However, instead of having what was supposed to be in an attacker, the figure of an Italian striker named Filippo Inzaghi was instead a key to AC Milan’s success in dominating Europe a few years ago, though only armed with “luck”.
Seen from the perspective of a common footballer, it’s hard to adore Filippo Inzaghi. In terms of the ability to process the ball, be it dribble, kick, or ball header, none of them are too prominent. He is not like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo who can impress us with his skill in controlling the ball.
The managers of European clubs did not hesitate to throw their dislike to Inzaghi. Sir Alex Ferguson once said that Inzaghi was born offside. Arsene Wenger, Gerard Houllier, and Marcelo Lippi did not comment on Inzaghi even though he was the hero of Milan’s victory over Liverpool in Athens with two goals.
He is a cruel figure, in fact, too cruel, if you already talk about the opponent’s goal. He will do various ways to score goals and will not be tired of looking for space that can be exploited from the opponent’s defense. This is what sometimes makes the opponent’s defender, or even the opponent’s manager, absurdly upset.
From the goal against Pepe Reina, when Inzaghi accidentally deflected Andrea Pirlo’s shot or the goal that the ball goes past the two legs gap Gianluigi Buffon. Until a goal that will never be forgotten against Oliver Kahn, when Inzaghi became a goal scorer after utilizing assistant from himself.
Weird indeed. However, that is precisely what made Inzaghi is remembered by many people. The killer’s instinct, which presents because of “endless analysis the night before the fight”, made Inzaghi always know how to sting at the right time. Although simple, that is indeed the way Inzaghi made his name known to the world.
For some people, Inzaghi is not the type of attacker who becomes their role model. Again, his simplicity in scoring goals often irritates opponents. Coming from the direction of whatever the origin, Inzaghi suddenly was in front of the goal. Inzaghi is said to have a strange allure, full of mystery, which is often wrapped in a puzzle wrapped in luck.
Filippo Inzaghi, who was born in Piacenza on 9 August 1973, began his career in Piacenza Calcio in 1991. The main place does not directly belong to Inzaghi. Piacenza lent it to AlbinoLeffe and Hellas Verona. When called home in the 1994/95 season, Inzaghi was ready. He won Serie B that season for Piacenza.
Inzaghi moved up to Serie A, but not with Piacenza. He moved to Parma in the 1995/96 season, then moved to Atalanta the following season. Together with Atalanta, the name Inzaghi is increasingly calculated.
Because he often comes at unexpected times but is profitable, Inzaghi has not scored more than 270 goals in the 603 matches he has played in his football career, with the highest number of goals when defending AC Milan with 126 goals and Juventus with 89 goals. With this note, it’s no wonder Inzaghi is often associated as a reliable player of AC Milan or Juventus.
The 1997/98 season was the beginning of the story of Inzaghi with Juventus. Imported from Atalanta, he immediately became a mainstay on the front lines of Juventus. He scored 18 goals in that season, becoming the top scorer of Juventus and led the Bianconeri to win the Serie A season.
However, after that, Inzaghi and Juventus’s relationship deteriorated. Disputes that often occur between him and Alessandro Del Piero and the arrival of David Trezeguet at the beginning of the 2001/02 season finally made Inzaghi decide to move to AC Milan. At this San Siro, Inzaghi’s talent as a goal scorer is increasingly honed.
Of course, he is not only a finisher but also an instigator who knows how to get the right position. In addition to the 126 goals that were successfully contributed by the player nicknamed the Super Pippo, various prestigious titles such as winning the Serie A, Champions League, and UEFA Super Cup twice; one Coppa Italia and FIFA Club World Cup complete their achievements.
In the Italian National Team, Inzaghi won the 1994 Under-21 European Cup and the 2006 World Cup.
At present, it is difficult to find an attacker like Filippo Inzaghi. The development of tactics that made football faster made Inzaghi eroded until finally, he decided to retire from the world of football in 2012 ago.
However, like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Inzaghi is an attacker who represents an era. At a time when football was about beauty and mature passes, Inzaghi emerged and became a legend, manifesting one of the strikers that was quite remembered in his time.