Del Piero eyes French revenge Thursday 6 July, 2006
Alessandro Del Piero is looking forward to making up for the disappointment of Euro 2000 when Italy take on France in the World Cup Final.
Del Piero was depicted as the villain of the piece during the 2000 Final when he wasted two fine chances to double Italy’s lead, before France hit back to snatch the game with a Golden Goal.
“Let’s hope that the evening in Berlin will be one of celebration and happiness,” stated the Juventus No 10 on Thursday.
“Nobody suffered more than me after that Final and pain often remains with you for a longer amount of time than joy.”
Alex, fresh from his goal in the 2-0 win over Germany, is again looking to impress and today took another swipe at his critics.
After being heavily criticised by the Italian media for his performance against Australia, Del Piero was keen to hit back.
“The distortion of reality when it comes down to me is verging on the incredible,” he stated. “People went as far to suggest that I wasn’t even half a player.
“When I step on to the pitch I do so with my head, with my heart and my legs. When all these combine then that is what makes the difference.”
The bookmakers are finding it difficult to find a favourite for the Germany 2006 showdown, but Del Piero has a clear idea.
“France are a great side with many champions. They are the favourites as they are less stressed than us,” he added.
“They have Zinedine Zidane, who is without doubt the number one player. But Sunday is Sunday and anything can happen.”
The Juventus symbol, as expected, was also asked for his opinion on Coach Fabio Capello’s decision to sign for Real Madrid.
“It’s difficult for me to not talk as a Juventino,” he said. “Let me just say that I wasn’t surprised, not at all.”