Pippo the Red Bull, Or: What Might Have Been
By: Martha | July 24th, 2007
Though there’s still a reasonable chance Bruce Arena and RBNY will deny the whole thing, Pippo Inzaghi told the press today that he turned down a “very interesting” offer from MLS over the summer, specifically from the New York Red Bulls. Huh. Despite the fact that the offer apparently include “cover[ing] me in gold,” Pippo says he had no doubt about where he would end his career, and decided immediately to remain with Milan, wearing the kit that has “become a second skin” for him. Aw.
As an Inzaghi-disliker and a Red Bull fan I feel oddly disloyal saying this, but … I find I’m sorry he turned them down. I’m not saying he’d have succeeded in New York — frankly, I sort of doubt he could have — but the thought of Pippo flying around up front (before the thousands of empty seats which would doubtless still dominated Giants Stadium, despite his presence) while Bruce Arena stands, frowning smugly and the referees wear their arms out signaling offsides is incredibly appealing, particularly when compared to the Press Event that is David Beckham in America. Pippo is all about effort and whining, and I’d love to have seen him trying desperately to win over not only the skeptics of NYC, but also of MLS — it’d have been a giant uphill battle and, I’m guessing, a failure, but the attempt would have been fantastic to see. (Call me crazy, but I don’t see Inzaghi’s style making him much of an icon in the US — he strikes me as very an acquired taste, which Americans don’t typically have the patience to, well, acquire.)
Instead we’ll get, what, one more year of Inzaghi in Milan? Two at the most, surely. He’s not getting any younger, and the wear and tear of how he plays has got to be murder on his body. When does his current contract expire, anyone know? Milan fans? Gianfranco?
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Dead on, Martha. Pippo would have gone over in the US like a lead baloon. He’s one of my least favorite Italian players because of the diving, the whining, the goal celebrations…guh. I just get riled up thinking of the whole Pippo package. I imagine that’s part of his value. You just want to knock him square between the eyes.
He finds the back of the net too often to dismiss him but his style just doesn’t lend itself to being admired in the states. All that being said, the MLS could use some villians. The back story and soap operas that are as much a part of Serie A as the results themselves are absolutely missing in the U.S. Pippo could provide that spice but I’m glad I don’t have to see it live.
Posted from
United States
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I am unsure of Pippo’s contract and a bit of digging came up empty but I can imagine it go another year or two at most.
Posted from
United States -
As a RBNY fan I do also feel that Pippo would not have succeeded here. He is a striker whose success comes soley from quality service and even Angel has problems with that at time, so Pippo would have been useless.
Posted from
United States -
Well-said regarding the lack of real villains in MLS — Pippo would have filled that role brilliantly, you’re 100% right. Not worth it for him or, at the price he’d demand, the league, though.
Posted from
Portugal -
pippos contract expires 2008….
and you are right about the acquired taste, but the the acquiring part is only done when inzaghi is on your team… the thing with inzaghi is that for milan fans its one of our favorite players in the team… he is very very well liked by milan fans (atleast all the ones ive met, including myself, i love super freakin pippo- who else shows up after havent played in 3 months to score in some seriously important games?!) but he is equally hated by the opposing fans and general fans… ive gotta say that i was a serious pippo hater during his juve days, but ya just gotta love him in a milan jersey, he shows up everytime we need him, and with the number of goals hes scored in the 90th minute to send us through the next round in ucl, its hard not to..Posted from
United Arab Emirates
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