From the columns of the Corriere dello Sport, Beppe Bergomi analyzed the current state of Serie A, starting from the exploit of Donyell Malen. The former defender praised the striker’s performance against Inter: “Did you see how he turned in the box for the shot that the Inter goalkeeper saved with his face?”
On Serie A’s dependence on Lautaro Martinez, Bergomi observed: “Well, there’s another top player. Toro’s strength is in his mind, Donny’s is in his ability to do an infinite number of things well.” As for the difficulty in marking him: “It may be true that Gasp’s strikers have always scored goals, but this one adds something of his own. And then it’s incredible how convinced he was: ‘If I come, will you let me play as center forward?’ he asked. The same thing Gasperini wanted. I still remember his debut in Turin: I saw him make movements off the line, short, long, getting free… When you have these qualities and never miss your first touch, scoring seems the easiest thing.”
The qualities of Malen, according to Bergomi, recall great players of the past: “Malen is unique and at the same time the heir to many strikers. I’m not saying he reminds me of Ronaldo the phenomenon, but he has that kind of movement and a similar engine. Skill in tight spaces, getting free, attacking depth, ability to link up with teammates, finishing: he has a complete repertoire, even though he’s a ‘normotype’, far from those 190 cm giant center forwards who are so popular.” On the Dutchman’s English experience: “Football is always a combination of factors. In the year of my Scudetto with Inter, we were supposed to sign Madjer and then at the last minute Diaz arrived, who changed the team.”
On the current championship, Bergomi outlined the hierarchy: “Como should be evaluated on the double commitment, but they keep people glued to the TV. In general, there isn’t this big gap between Inter and the others. Juve and Milan have the duty to compete, Roma and Napoli have the status of big clubs. And Gattuso at Lazio is doing a great job.”
The Nerazzurri comebacks, according to the former captain, hide a danger: “But it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, you feel invincible, on the other, it’s not always Sunday.” As for Roma’s candidacy: “Absolutely yes, because they have defensive solidity, physicality in midfield, and really strong players up front.”
Finally, on the rule changes that have made Serie A more similar to the Premier League: “There are fewer protests, players get up off the ground, and the game is faster. And it’s happening even in the youth sectors. I see it with the boys I coach in the U17s: they emulate the older players, for better or worse. I hope the trend doesn’t change. My friend Vialli used to say that ideas age quickly.” On refereeing: “For me, referees should blow the whistle more, otherwise it becomes rugby. And you can’t think that VAR will disappear.”
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