As Juve completed the signing of Romanian forward Adriano Mutu, many Bianconeri fans are wondering if this means that Alessandro Del Piero’s future with the Turin giants is at risk.
The former Chelsea player has undeniable talent:thumb: and based just on that Juventus have made a very good deal in signing him on a free transfer.:greedy: However he is a hot headed player:fero:, both on and off the pitch, something which usually doesn’t go down too well with the Old Lady’s policy.
Mutu will need to be on his best behaviour if he wants to remain in Turin(
can he?), something which according to experts in the transfer market, might not be for a long time.:irritate: This is because from the start, Juventus’ main target was not Mutu but Antonio Cassano. Another hot-head, where the only thing that matches his bad boy character are his flamboyant skills.:devil:
Whoever Juventus decide to keep will be an excellent purchase as both players have proven themselves in the Italian league.:thumb:
In his last season with Parma, before joining Chelsea, Mutu was Serie A’s best assist man and among the top scorers of the league. Same thing can be said about Cassano who can guarantee both assists and goals apart from the usual red cards.
The situation is still unclear and will most likely be decided next summer. :nervous:However from this whole story there’s just one certainty: Alessandro Del Piero’s position is jeopardized. The Italian forward’s place within the team has already started deteriorating this season, with Capello deciding to substitute him 11 out of 12 Serie A league matches so far.
In past years the name of Del Piero has been synonymous with Juventus. Even when the Bianconeri’s captain was out of form he would still be played instead of probably more in-form players. His position was untouchable no matter what. However the status quo has changed as Zlatan Ibrahimovic:thumb: seems to have taken that role thanks to his excellent performances so far.
So what will happen once either Mutu or Cassano(?) arrives to Juve?

Well on paper Del Piero will most likely still be given his chances to show that he is not a finished player. However if ‘Pinturicchio’ fails to deliver yet again then his Juve career may be coming to an end. With Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic already there, and the arrival of Mutu/Cassano, there really seems to be less space for the now
30-year-old forward.
Del Piero has already received lucrative offers:greedy: from Japan to join the J-League and might be tempted to end his career there as a first team player rather than on the bench in Serie A. On the other hand, a move to Japan will most likely mean the end of his international career, thus losing the chance of playing in the 2006 World Cup.
The most probable scenario therefore seems to be that of the Juve captain remaining at the club he has been with from the start but might actually consider a move away from Italy after 2006 to end his career on a high and with a good contract.:greedy:
Until then he might have to watch a lot of games from the bench

even though he will still be important to his team,
but as Capello clearly made clear, Del Piero is not fundamental to Juventus anymore. He’s just like every other player and his playing time will depend on his performances rather than on his name like it was before.:thumb:
So for Del Piero these next 5 months are of extreme importance for his career. If he is inconsistent and fails to deliver as in the past, that might be the final nail in his coffin. However if he returns to past glory, then his first team playing time will be justified and Capello will have no reason to substitute him every match as has been the case so far.
from Goal.com, the emphases are mine.