Loyalty becomes rarer in the world game but is exemplified in Serie...

Loyalty becomes rarer in the world game but is exemplified in Serie A [VIDEO]

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It seems in recent years that player agents hold the majority of the power when it comes to which team their clients showcase for and how much they earn. This has a major impact on a characteristic called loyalty.

Not so often in the past 20 years have we seen loyalty such as that displayed by the likes of Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero. Loyalty is not exclusive to Serie A, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Manchester United, Iker Casillas at Real Madrid and Carles Puyol with Xavi Hernàndez Creus at Barcelona are a handful examples of many globally renowned talents that have remained at one team for the majority of their careers.

The phrase ‘club legend’ is used in discourse possibly more often than it should, however, it seems to be used to describe a player that shows loyalty to the side, rather than a player that has been pivotal to success in a short period of time.

Two current players that fit into this category are Marco Storari, formally of Juventus and now of Cagliari, and Alessandro Lucarelli.

Storari was a late-bloomer to the Serie A, playing his first game for Messina during the 2003-04 season at the age of 28. He will be classed as a Giallorossi legend after spending five seasons at the club and being the first choice goalkeeper for much of that time.

However, Storari will be much more fondly remembered for the time that he spent at Juventus. Many will question why this is the case, considering his record of only 43 appearances during five seasons in Turin. The reason for this can be explained by the man himself.

“Juve is special because of its champions, its game, its organisation but most importantly because it’s a family, that’s the secret. It may sound absurd, but at Juve there was no need to be a starter to feel fundamental to the project.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAA2JDbhihs

It is perhaps Storari’s off-field antics that resonate with the fans most. These include vision of him barking instructions from the touchline and being the first to celebrate a goal with his team mates and manager, again from the touchline. The passion on show between him and Antonio Conte was delightful vision for Juventus fans.

His best moments under the Bianconeri came during the 2014-15 season. Off the pitch, a photo was captured of Storari alone in the terrace with a trumpet in one hand and a Juventus flag in the other, loudly cheering his team mate Andrea Barzagli’s return to football via the primavera after a lengthy injury spell.

Storari reached cult figure-like status while at Juventus
Storari reached cult figure-like status while at Juventus

On the pitch, a magical double save in the Derby d’italia secured a Juventus win. His last appearance was a starting position in the Coppa Italia final against Lazio, to which he helped secure the cup for the first time in 20 years.

Parma FC have not been far from the news in recent times. The club was declared bankrupt at the end of the 2014-15 season and have been relegated to the Serie D as punishment.

Times such as this can prove to a club which players are loyal and which are not. Even though all have been released as free agents, the current captain Alessandro Lucarelli has expressed his desire to remain with Parma for the upcoming season.

“Parma must restart, we’re being rebuilt and I’ve expressed my willingness to stay for Serie D. I’m waiting to see what will happen, but I’ve given my approval.”

Lucarelli helped Parma to promotion to Serie A during the 2008-2009 season and has been at the club ever since, making 192 appearances in all competitions.

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Although rarely aligning with one moment, events such as a match saving clearance or scoring the winner in the ninetieth minute, reliable and hard-working are two words that will always be associate with Lucarelli. Any club would be blessed to have his services and most importantly,loyalty, at their disposal.

The two are a rare statistic in a worrying trend of footballers who choose to switch clubs prematurely. Transfer fees and wages are such a driving factor that players are not given time to work their way into the starting line-up. Unfortunately, loyalty is a consequence of this, and one can only hope we continue to have club legends to celebrate for many years to come.

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