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Benito Carbone is 36

Tony Lewis-Jones

Monday, May 28th, 2001

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 The commentator’s made it pretty clear.
This is probably his last chance at winning
The one that every European player dreams of.

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Benito Carbone. The warrior of Serie A.
Ten years in the toughest league in the world.
Left back. Not a place a man would choose to hide

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 With tricky wingers, David Beckham and the like
Coming at you all night and all day long.
Get up, back, tackle, run.
Keep the crosses to a minimum.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 And now he is a short step from the prize
That has eluded him throughout his playing career.
One match that maybe will decide
Whether he receives the final accolade
So many wish for, which they are denied.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Well, we all know now
What happened. With the last kick,
Or rather, last save of the match
Deep into the San Siro night, the Germans won,
And probably deserved it. Was that Benito‘s hand
Pushing the ball out of his own area

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 In normal time, an act of desperation,
Tiredness or gamemanship,
Unseen by the pretty awful ref? The TV
Replays would confirm it all. That hand
Has still not touched the trophy
As a winner. Bad luck comes to great
As well as small.

© Tony Lewis-Jones 2001

Notes

I think that’s the Valencia left back’s name, but if anyone knows different, please let me know. No offence intended to the great man, but it was more the fact of his age and that he had never won this particular trophy that I found interesting. In other words, although his career had been hugely successful, it lacked the absolute crowning moment that, say, Teddy Sheringham’s has had. I think there’s a lesson there for all of us, in that sometimes, one’s name is just not on the Cup, and it’s how one copes with that fact which makes the difference.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/benito-carbone-is-36/