Nicola Berti: 100-word hero special extended poetic edition
A break from the usual exacting 100-word format to indulge the poetic leanings of Sheridan Bird (@SheridanBird) who was inspired by the series and the works of Musa Okwonga (@Okwonga) to pen a tribute to a long-legged Nerazzurro legend. If you like it, you can find similar works here.
Image via Interleaning
BERTI
Northern Italy
Early 1980s
Big framed boy with quiff ‘n’ grin
Stretches his long legs
Pounds the turf
Nicola likes the feeling
Strides clear of the wreckage
Limbs propel furiously
Thundering away from stragglers
Parma like it
Fiorentina like it
Inter like it
Italia too
The big lad’s technique is humble
His energy, timing and power conquer calcio
Clumpy, honest hybrid of Nedved, Boniek and Bryan Robson
From the left
From the right
Galloping
Raiding
Bounding into the box
A missile with a spiv’s haircut
Fizz the ball in
Berti smashes a path
Heads it past the keeper and into next week
Tour de force
Two-one to Inter
He had a girl’s first name
And an endless supply of girls’ numbers
Playboy in bars
Pumped-up puppy on the pitch
Not even London nightspots survived flirty Berti
Crazy Horse ran with the Hotspur
Nicolino gave his vibrant all in 11 World Cup matches
Won’t see him on a legends list
Unlike gutsy gliding assassin Baggio
Tight-lipped frumpy-faced shot-stopping God Zoff
Berti didn’t sign his operas with skill
He was a steamroller with accelerators
Controlled chronological chaos
Spindly-legged action splash
Cheeky champ of Serie A 1989
Goal getter and trophy taker in ’91 and ’94 UEFA Cup finals
Gangly midfield funpack
Marquis of goals and girls
Notes
-
adangertohimself likes this
-
sheridanbird reblogged this from giancarlorinaldi
-
sheridanbird likes this
-
giancarlorinaldi posted this
