Alessandro Del Piero - a name that means so much too so many people. To Juventini worldwide he is an idol, a symbol of everything that is good about the old lady of Torino, he is a hero, a friend, a brother, a legend.
To some he is an enigma, a player of undoubted talent and fantasy, who has never quite lived up to his billing as “the new Roberto Baggio”. A player who has never quite found his own identity. A player who is as frustrating as he is brilliant.
And to some he is a fallen star. A washed up thirty-year-old, who has never recovered from the horrific knee injury that he suffered in 1998. This school of thought likens Del Piero to an old rock star who can’t accept that his time is over, desperate for just one more hit.
Whatever your own thoughts on Del Piero may be, there can be no doubting that few players split opinions quite like the Juventus number 10. Every football fan from Iceland to New Zealand has his own opinion on Del Piero.
Despite not having a celebrity wife or having ever won the World Cup, the Ballon d’Or or the World Player of the Year award, Alex Del Piero is still one of the most famous and talked about players on the planet.
There can be few players worldwide who can rely on the unconditional love and affection that Del Piero receives from his beloved fans inside the Stadio Delle Alpi. Not even the great Roberto Baggio enjoyed such a close relationship with the Juve tifosi.
Put simply, Del Piero is their boy and they will back him though thick and thin. In a footballing world with so little loyalty this is a special relationship which should be praised - to them Del Piero is indispensable.
Rumours persist however that this could be Del Piero’s last year in Torino, with a possible move to England or even Japan on the cards.
Without question Del Piero has found it difficult since Fabio Capello became Juve boss. In truth the triangle of Del Piero, Capello and Juventus was always going to be a troublesome one. Don Fabio is well known for his love of tall powerful forwards (his first signing at Roma was Batistuta), so it came has no surprise when his first request as Juve boss was for the club to buy Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Del Piero only need ask Vincenzo Montella about Capello’s treatment of small, lightweight forwards! Despite a reasonable return of 12 Serie A goals so far this term, Del Piero’s future is in doubt. He holds the unenviable title of most subbed player in Serie A this season and it is now a rare occurrence that Del Piero finishes a game. When Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic are fit Del Piero is on the bench and that’s just the way it is under Capello.
Juventus have been heavily linked for months with a summer move for Roma bad boy Antonio Cassano. Indeed transfer guru Luciano Moggi has openly admitted to being a big fan of the peter pan from Bari. Cassano added fuel to the fire when he stated that he misses his former coach Capello “a little bit more each day”. If Cassano does arrive in Torino it would surely signal the end for Del Piero. Given a choice between an aging Del Piero or his ex student from Roma it is quite clear who Capello would chose. With Adrian Mutu also free from his doping ban it may be a case of three’s a crowd and Del Piero is likely to be the odd one out.
Despite all the talk of Del Piero’s possible departure, the club are adamant that he will remain and are happy to dismiss the talk as just rumour. Luciano Moggi said “Del Piero is a champion and will definitely remain here.” Moggi also said the same prior to Zinedine Zidane’s £48 million move to Real Madrid.
There may still be time however for the fantatista to prove his worth to Capello. This weekend’s Scudetto showdown with Milan could be Del Piero’s last chance. With Ibrahimovic banned and Trezeguet less than match sharp it is almost certain that Del Piero will get his chance to show the world that he is alive and kicking.
...my days are routine like usually " Working, Studing, Prac Football Everyday, sometimes Basket or PS2
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