When the
reports of Bonucci’s agent offering him to Milan came through, I laughed. Why
would arguably the best center back in the world right now leave a club he just
won six consecutive Scudetti with betray that club and come to a direct rival?
This was a classic mercato rumor. But as the reports became reality, my
laughter turned to tears of joy. In three short months, this new management
have managed to create a project that would convince a world class player to
believe enough in their project to not only agree to a five year contract with
the club, but to accept the captain’s armband, too. A champion, a man who has
consistently proven his worth on and off the pitch, and for both club and
country. The kind of player Milan have been lacking since so many of the Senatori left. And yet, there also seem
to be two sides to Leonardo Bonucci.
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| Welcome to the right side, Captain Bonucci |
The Player
He was an
Inter youth product and owned by them for four years, so he might lose a few
points for that. But I have great respect for players who play for Inter and
then choose the correct team later. They have repented and offered absolution,
and we have seen many of them become very successful, like Seedorf and Pirlo.
The reverse move is even worse than the opposite, though. (Looking at you,
Cassano.) Although Bonucci went on to play for Juve as well, that is much less
morally reprehensible. At least at Juve, players win trophies.
While
Bonucci was originally loaned out by Inter to Serie B clubs, his breakthrough
was while playing at Bari in Serie A under Conte. That led to his transfer to
Juventus, and the rest is history. He has played in two World Cups for Italy, representing his country 70 times at the senior level. His experience is priceless to a team rebuilding and with so many young players. He is an amazing defender, with great
positioning and a great read of the game. He is known for his passing,
especially his long passes. He is also great in the air and great at tackling.
Despite playing as a traditional center back in a four man backline, his rise
to glory came when he was the center of a three man defense, a more modern
version of a sweeper. Experts have compared him to both Beckenbauer and Scirea.
And while I am not one for comparisons, especially of legends, it is a
testament to his prowess as a defender.
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| He is a champion for both club and country |
The Man
I think
the legend that is Bonucci was forged in platinum in
2012 when Bonucci & his wife and baby were held up at gunpoint.
Bonucci punched his attacker and chased after him when he ran away. This is the
kind of man that anyone would want on their team, wearing their crest.
Of
course, that same baby that watched his dad play superhero was distraught that
his father made him wear a Juve jersey during last season’s Scudetto
celebrations. Lorenzo is an avid Torino fan, and this was like child abuse. But
his dad made up for it. Not only did he take him to a Torino game the next
week, but the little guy got to meet his idol, Bellotti. Again with the
absolution. It’s hard to stay mad at this guy.
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| He does whatever it takes for both of his sons, no matter their chosen team |
It is
also well known that his son Matteo had some very serious health problems, to
the point that Bonucci took time off from both Juve and the national team to
tend to his family. Despite getting abused by his own fans for this, he did
what he needed to do as a father and a husband, and returned to work more
dedicated than ever. I have immense respect for him not only going through
something so difficult, but the professional way in which he dealt with it.
The Captaincy
This is
the trickiest part for me. The captaincy was traditionally always awarded by
seniority at Milan. It just doesn’t seem right for a player to pick up the
armband on the way in the door. Especially when that player comes to you
straight from a rival club. It is like rewarding betrayal. But more
importantly, what message does it send to Abate, the rightful captain? Or the
other players who have sweat blood for the shirt for years, only to see their
hopes at the captaincy taken by some hotshot who walks in, has never even worn
the shirt, and earns the highest wages in Serie A? Now he gets the armband,
too? This isn’t an honorary degree you hand a celebrity. The armband is meant
to represent blood, sweat, and tears shed for the crest, fighting alongside
your teammates.
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| A real man would have actually done this... or never taken the armband from its rightful owner |
On the
other hand, the man punched an armed robber to protect his family. Who the hell
doesn’t want that guy as your captain? I know I do. Particularly when we have
suffered under the reign of terror that is the Montolivo captaincy. If
Montolivo had been held up, he would have peed his pants, put his wife and baby
in front of him, and run away. Certainly he has never been a leader at Milan.
Unless you count tweeting about non-Milan related things during Milan games as
leadership. Also, speaking of Montolivo, what rich Karma is it that he loses
the captain’s armband in the same underhanded way that he acquired it? Anyone
who takes the armband away from Montolivo is a hero in my book. Even better
that it is being given to someone who has long demonstrated leadership skills
on and off the pitch, even if for other clubs. Besides, with the new management
and so many new starters, perhaps it is appropriate this time to break
tradition and give the armband to the most experienced and most qualified
starter.
Loyalty
Let’s not
kid ourselves. Modern football has no place for loyalty. Clubs are not loyal to
players and players are not loyal to clubs. Certainly fans are not loyal to
players. If a player sneezes the wrong way, they attack him virtually and
physically. But if you play for a club for seven years like Bonucci has, and
you need to leave the club for any reason, going to a direct rival is still a
betrayal. Milan fans thought they knew what betrayal was a few weeks ago when
Donnarumma turned down the initial contract extension offer. In fact, plenty
are still mad at him even though he never even talked to Juve. But they are
fine with Bonucci actually doing what they feared Gigio was going to do. That’s
irony right there for you. Literally Bonucci did what they feared most, and
Gigio did not, but Gigio is hated and Bonucci is a hero. Those are the same
fans demanding loyalty from their players.
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| This is not a betrayal, it's a rescue mission. We've got you, Leo. You're safe now. |
Having
listened to hundreds too many Allegri press conferences, I can’t imagine what
it is like to be coached by him for three years. Rumors of a falling out
between Bonucci and Allegri have not been denied, and the club put up no fight for
the player’s exit, as well as agreeing to a price that is comparably very cheap
in this market. The man played in two Champions League finals and lost. Perhaps
he realized his chances were better with a club that actually wins those
finals? Whatever the reason Bonucci walked away, it was his agent offering him
to us. We can question his loyalty, but as they say, don’t judge another man
until you have walked in their shoes. However, we do have to ask ourselves:
will he leave Milan like he did Juventus? Only time will tell.
There are
actually a lot more than two sides to Leonardo Bonucci. But first and foremost,
heartstrings and emotions aside, he is literally the best defender in the world
right now. That alone should be enough. Questions about his Inter past, abusing
his son with the Juve jersey, his loyalty, and whether or not it is right to
hand him the armband are outweighed by his otherwise very strong moral
character, leadership skills, and legendary status off the pitch, too. It is
impossible not to immediately love this man for doing the right thing and
coming to Milan. He has singlehandedly shifted the balance of Serie A. And
shifted it the right way. With his transfer, he makes Serie A competitive and
seals Milan’s spot on the map again. We are the team to watch. And we will be
playing with a superhero as our captain. If there are two sides to Leonardo
Bonucci, I’m glad he has finally chosen the right side.
This post inspired
by the music of U2’s “The Refugee”
Our next match is
the ICC Tournament
Milan vs. Borussia
Dortmund
Tuesday, July 18 •
7:20pm China Standard Time (7:20am EDT)
in Guangzhou, China