Young talents marching towards the future in a country for old people: you can win without necessarily being tough
We saw them all advance together, on the same Sunday, as in the painting by Pellizza da Volpedo. Kimi Antonelli, who would be of driving school age, has conquered the throne of Monte Carlo; Flavio Cobolli has bewitched the Roland Garros temple; the Under 17 boys took Europe; those of Silvio Baldini, happy after the victory in the Greek friendly, clinging to Donnarumma, like the Lilliputians to Gulliver, after the victory over the eternal enemies of Blefuscu. Young talents marching towards the future in a country for old people, as Eurostat informs us: no nation has an average age higher than ours (49 years), none has so many elderly people (24.7%) and so few children (11.9%).
Everything has been said about the protagonists of the exciting Sunday, perhaps the only thing missing is a Lombrosian interpretation: our boys are beautiful. Kimi’s kind, almost shy smile seems irreconcilable with the monster of coldness that devoured 5 GPs. The tiger eyes of Cobbo, who drags Zverev to the fifth set, become sweet when he embraces and honors the winner. Blue eyes, cream croissant smile, pulsating girls. Diego Perillo, the last penalty taker of the Under 17s, has the number 9 and the photo novel features of Pippo Inzaghi. Pio Esposito, always composed, is a bit reminiscent of Pierre Cosso in “The Time of Apples”. They are not needed garra charrua and intimidating war rituals. To a generation sick of bullying, convinced that affirmation only comes through oppression, the young heroes in the painting demonstrate that one can be tough, without losing tenderness. As Che taught.