Ace forward and national captain Kylian Mbappe broke his nose during France‘s opening game at the ongoing Euro tournament against Austria on Monday. Despite an elaborate face mask to hold his conk to his face being ordered – remember, Alexandre Dumas’ The Man in the Iron Mask remains one of France’s best-selling novels – he will sit out tonight’s game against the Dutch. But with busted nose, Kylian is in good company. Men with their schnozzes bent and battered have stood in history – and anatomy – as testament to life’s relentless determination. Consider another Frenchman, Auguste Rodin‘s ‘Man with the Broken Nose’, a bronze sculpture that defies convention. Created in 1863, this fellow’s proboscis bears the battle scars of existence. Rodin’s unthinking man’s face screams, ‘I’ve been through some tough stuff.’ Michelangelo – also of broken nose courtesy a brawl with fellow sculptor Pietro Torrigiano – would have approved. Mbappe the footballer now bears the battle scars – courtesy a collision with the shoulder of Austria’s Kevin Danso – of a boxer.
So, dear reader, next time you encounter a man with a broken nose, salute him. For, he’s not merely a victim of an unfortunate accident but also a testament to tenacity. When life throws its best punches, channel your inner broken-nosed warrior.
