the flags lowered by greed – Corriere.it

We defended him when he was insulted, we waited for him when he was crippled, we justified him when he made a mistake a meter from goal (in the Champions League final, not in a practice match on the beach). And what does he do? He deals secretly with Juventus to get some extra money. He had promised never to go there (repeated five times).

Romelu Lukaku has now lost his engagement and, let’s face it, his face. The double step of an attacker excites. The double game, less. If the disappointment of us Inter fans is fresh and burning – an oxymoron for this torrid July – similar sorrows have hit other fans. The Rossoneri Sandro Tonali, after having sworn eternal love for Milan, accepted the court – and the transfers – from Newcastle.
Ciro Immobile, captain of Lazio, is about to leave for Saudi Arabia, where his teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic awaits him.

Romanists are smiling, and not just because their totem, Francesco Totti, is arguing with his ex-wife about watches. The suspicion is that the symbolic players no longer exist. The flags? Lowered, folded, stowed. Footballers are professionals with short careers — fifteen years? — and they want to get the most out of the activity. The prosecutors who maneuver them don’t care about the passion of the fans, family memories or the memories of a city. They don’t collect percentages on feelings. End of story, then? Must we accept that football has changed and flags have disappeared?

There will be no other Javier Zanetti (Inter), Alex Del Piero (Juve), Paolo Maldini (Milan), Francesco Totti (Roma)? Before them, Gianni Rivera (Milan), Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti (Inter), Gigi Riva (Cagliari), Giancarlo Antognoni (Fiorentina), Michel Platini (Juventus), Walter Zenga (Inter), Franco Baresi (Milan). Recently, Ciro Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne (Naples). The list would be long. Today certain careers are unlikely. Sports monogamy has become complicated: too many temptations. But it’s not just a question of money: it’s also a question of style. Some champions of the past have played in different shirts, but have managed the passes with more elegance. Think about Roberto Boninsegna, who also played and won with Juventus, but has never hidden that he has a Nerazzurri heart. Or ad Andrea Pirlo, who moved from Inter to Milan to Juventus, where he got married. Or a Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the great egocentric, which in the light of recent events we will have to re-evaluate. He led Juve, Inter, Milan to victory. Every time he has declared his love for the shirt. But he always said what came before everything: him, Zlatan!

Should we resign ourselves, then? Maybe not yet. Football professionals — clubs, coaches, players — perhaps underestimate the economic impact of romance. Because this is cheering: romantic, or it’s not. Anyone who loves a team for life knows they are pursuing a platonic idea, made up of memory, colors and names. Presidents, coaches and players change, sure. But those that remain – in history, in memories – are worth more. In all senses. A player like Nicholas Barella – the gods of football keep him there – he left from Cagliari (where they love him) and now he’s making Inter history: his value – even economically – is increased by this loyalty. The same goes for Lautaro Martinez or Alessandro Bastoni. They are worth more for marketing, for television, for the profession they will choose at the end of their career. They are not the only ones, obviously, for which such an argument can be made. But the reasoning must be done. It is true that we fans are naïve; stupid, no.

What moves us, enthuses us and induces us to spend (tickets, TV subscriptions, shirts and gadgets, time on the web, reading and listening time) is a nameless feeling that comes close to affection. We say to the players and agents: don’t mock him, don’t humiliate him with your greed. Otherwise there will be consequences. Sure, even cheap. Who buys Lukaku’s shirts today?