There is a saying “always a bridesmaid, never the bride,”
which seems like a strange phrase to use for a footballer. But it couldn’t be
more applicable to Tassotti, who spent his entire career being a backup to
other stars. In fact, so much so, that now when he supposedly is finally
leaving Milan after 35 years, I have heard nothing official about his departure
yet, although it seems to be happening. Both in his playing career and his coaching career, he is truly an unsung
hero.
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| Only glimpses at the spotlight, usually in the background, but always a part of greatness |
On the last
podcast, I made a few jokes about his longterm hairstyle and his
colorful reading glasses, but they were jokes made with love for a man who is
often overlooked, yet has been a constant force at Milan for the past 35 years.
Although he was born in Rome and played his first two years at Lazio, Milanisti
will always associate him with the red and black.
A little known fact, he transferred to Milan while both
Lazio and Milan were relegated to Serie B in 1980 due to a betting scandal.
Joining the legendary Baresi, he helped win Serie B both times Milan were
relegated, and then would win five Scudetti in Serie A, three Champions League
trophies, four Supercoppa trophies, three UEFA Super Cups, and two
Intercontinental Cups. As part of that infamous back line, he was also part of
both Sacchi’s and Capello’s Milan teams, including the Invincibles. He was also
made vice-captain to Baresi, but never owned the captain’s armband, as he
retired the same year as Baresi.
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| Maybe if he would have stuck with this haircut, he would have made the spotlight |
He was also an unsung hero for the national team. Largely
overlooked for callups due to a wealth of defensive talents and a coach who
apparently didn’t like him, he only featured in one major tournament for the
Azzurri: the 1994 World Cup. You know, the one where Italy finished… you
guessed it, second place. In fact, the most infamous moment of his career seems
to have been in that tournament, when he broke Luis Enrique’s nose with an
elbow to the face. He received an eight match ban for that, which essentially
meant an end to his national team career.
After serving as the number two to five different Milan
managers – Ancelotti, Leonardo, Allegri, Seedorf, and Inzaghi – he was offered
the head coach position at Lazio in 2012. But he turned it down, saying that it
was too hard to leave Milan. He did have one game to his name as a caretaker
manager in 2014 in between Allegri’s sacking and the hiring of Seedorf, and
obviously stepped up to the plate when coaches were sent off. But he seemed to
prefer being the one behind the scenes than the one in the limelight.
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| His passion for Milan was never just in the background |
However to give him second billing would diminish the
amazing things he did at Milan these past 35 years, both on and off the pitch.
He has been the backbone of both the legendary Milan defense and the coaching
squad, even if he was rarely in the spotlight. It is hard to imagine any coach
leading Milan without him standing behind them, always present, but never a
distraction. He will truly always be one of Milan’s longest serving unsung heroes. Grazie mille, Tassotti.
This post inspired by the music of Spandau
Ballet’s “True”