Birindelli bows out
Saturday 10 May, 2008
Alessandro Birindelli prepares for his final Juventus home game and looks back over the Calciopoli scandal.
“This is my last month as a Juventus player,” commented the full-back on Juve Channel after 11 years with the Bianconeri.
“I arrived in Turin aged 22, had been married for 10 days and for me it was a whole new beginning. I grew up here, learned values like professionalism and love for the team colours.
“I became a man and matured. After such a long time there are not just football links with a club, but true friendships both on and off the field.”
Birindelli joined from Empoli in 1997 and was one of the key figures for the team, winning five Scudetti – although the 2005 and 2006 editions were stripped in the Calciopoli trial.
“The greatest sporting disappointment was losing the Champions League Final to Milan in Manchester, but on a personal level the most painful bitterness was seeing Juve demoted to Serie B. In one moment I saw all the sacrifices of the season disappear,” explained the 33-year-old.
“We know how we fought to win those two Scudetti and the opposition know it too. In fact, we proved that this year by beating them at San Siro.”
The 2006 title was assigned to Inter instead, a decision that has always rankled with the Juventus players.
They got ‘revenge’ this season by winning 2-1 in their Serie A clash at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
“I don’t know what my destiny will be now. I always said I’d like to return to Empoli, the club that launched me on the football stage.”
Channel4.com