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Il Capitano Alessandro Del Piero (243 Viewers)
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Alessandro Del Piero: 500 times Juve!
Alessandro Del Piero became only the third man in history to make 500 appearances for Juventus recently. Susy Campanale examines the Alex legend
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On Saturday January 20, 2007, Alessandro Del Piero entered the exclusive 500 club. His fifth century of official appearances in a Juventus shirt came with a goal – his 204th – and a 4-2 victory over Bari that put his side top of the table. It couldn’t have been a more fitting occasion for one of the last remaining 'Bandiere’, those players who truly represent a club as much as the team colours or a flag waving in the stands. Now only Beppe Furino on 528 appearances and Gaetano Scirea with 552 stand above him on the steps of the Bianconeri temple.
“It’s not a record, but it is a truly very important achievement,” said the captain. “Now in the glorious history of Juventus there are only two players ahead of me – and what players! I am very proud of this step in my career, especially as I marked it with a goal. I’ve won a great deal, including seven Scudetti, and I can’t say I regret one moment of it.” The record books will state he gathered five titles, as Calciopoli stripped him of the 2004-05 and 2005-06 championships, as well as forcing him to mark his 500th game for the club in the ignominy of Serie B. It’s certainly not where he thought he’d be when he began this wonderful adventure almost 14 years ago.
Signed from Padova as a teenager, Alex as he was then known – he now prefers to go by the more grown-up Ale – replaced Fabrizio Ravanelli in the 74th minute of a 1-1 draw at Foggia on September 12, 1993. “I pledged myself to this Serie B adventure, even if it wasn’t always easy. I remember my first appearance for the club at the Stadio Zaccheria and I only played for a few minutes.” A week later the 19-year-old substitute made his mark with a goal, just 60 seconds after stepping on to the field in the 4-0 drubbing of Reggiana.
Fast forward over a decade through every trophy imaginable, including the winner in Tokyo for the Intercontinental Cup against River Plate. Flick through some of the deepest troughs in his career, the Godot that Gianni Agnelli was still waiting in vain to see, and Del Piero is still in the shadow of the Alps banging in the goals. “I would like to stay on and celebrate even after my contract expires in 2008. If this is the present, then the future looks bright. I just don’t see myself in another jersey.”
There are few real icons of a club left – Paolo Maldini at Milan, Francesco Totti’s Roma – but they haven’t gone through the struggles Del Piero has endured. The rivalry with Roberto Baggio, the master painter Caravaggio making way for student Ale’s Pinturicchio in 1995, the horrific November 8, 1998 injury at the Stadio Friuli that sidelined him for nine months with snapped knee ligaments, a crisis of confidence once he recovered his fitness, alleged fisticuffs with the egotistical Pippo Inzaghi and open hostility with Coach Fabio Capello. He’s had every reason and opportunity to leave Juventus in those 14 years, but the name Del Piero still adorns the scarves and shirts of the fans.
“From a personal point of view, the last two years have been exemplary,” noted former teammate Ciro Ferrara. “He was on and off the bench, but despite this he never let his frustration become clear. The media said it was because Capello knew how to handle him, but the truth is that a champion can look after himself and realises when it’s time to keep quiet for the good of the team. He will be at Juve forever.”
Ale’s love for the Bianconeri was only tested by Capello, but with his departure and Juventus’ demotion, it was the perfect opportunity to re-establish himself as their central figure. “If he had stayed, I would’ve left,” confessed the Italian international in August. “I received offers from Manchester United and other prestigious sides, but I want to end my career at Juve. This shirt is my second skin.”
Del Piero was the first to stand up and pledge himself to the disgraced giants after Calciopoli, where wobblers like Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet eventually followed. “He is a treasure of Italian football thanks to his talent, class, professionalism and the splendid family that kept him grounded,” explained Marcello Lippi. “Few have notched up 500 games with this club and nobody has matched his 204 goals. His bond with the Bianconeri is indestructible and the decision to stay was an example for everyone. When people think of Juventus anywhere in the world, they picture Del Piero.”
He may not always have been as unpredictable or spectacular as Totti – although I defy anyone to find a better goal than his 1993 stunner in the 3-2 victory at Fiorentina or a more inspired pass than his overhead kick for Trezeguet’s 2005 Scudetto-winning goal against Milan – but Ale more than made up for it in his work ethic and professional demeanour.
“I can already see him as a director in Turin. It’s where he belongs,” added Carlo Ancelotti. Nice guys don’t always finish last – Del Piero is living proof of that and a true Juventus legend.
First game: Serie A, Foggia 1-1 Juventus, 12/9/93
100th game: Champions League, Juventus 2-0 Nantes, 3/4/96
200th game: Serie A, Juventus 1-0 Inter, 25/10/98
300th game: Champions League, Juventus 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen, 29/11/01
400th game: Champions League, Juventus 1-0 Ajax, 15/9/04
500th game: Serie B, Juventus 4-2 Bari, 20/1/07
First goal: Serie A, Juventus 4-0 Reggiana, 19/9/93
100th goal: Serie A, Juventus 2-1 Brescia, 27/4/03
200th goal: Serie B, Juventus 1-0 Frosinone, 28/10/06
Channel 4
Alessandro Del Piero became only the third man in history to make 500 appearances for Juventus recently. Susy Campanale examines the Alex legend
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Saturday January 20, 2007, Alessandro Del Piero entered the exclusive 500 club. His fifth century of official appearances in a Juventus shirt came with a goal – his 204th – and a 4-2 victory over Bari that put his side top of the table. It couldn’t have been a more fitting occasion for one of the last remaining 'Bandiere’, those players who truly represent a club as much as the team colours or a flag waving in the stands. Now only Beppe Furino on 528 appearances and Gaetano Scirea with 552 stand above him on the steps of the Bianconeri temple.
“It’s not a record, but it is a truly very important achievement,” said the captain. “Now in the glorious history of Juventus there are only two players ahead of me – and what players! I am very proud of this step in my career, especially as I marked it with a goal. I’ve won a great deal, including seven Scudetti, and I can’t say I regret one moment of it.” The record books will state he gathered five titles, as Calciopoli stripped him of the 2004-05 and 2005-06 championships, as well as forcing him to mark his 500th game for the club in the ignominy of Serie B. It’s certainly not where he thought he’d be when he began this wonderful adventure almost 14 years ago.
Signed from Padova as a teenager, Alex as he was then known – he now prefers to go by the more grown-up Ale – replaced Fabrizio Ravanelli in the 74th minute of a 1-1 draw at Foggia on September 12, 1993. “I pledged myself to this Serie B adventure, even if it wasn’t always easy. I remember my first appearance for the club at the Stadio Zaccheria and I only played for a few minutes.” A week later the 19-year-old substitute made his mark with a goal, just 60 seconds after stepping on to the field in the 4-0 drubbing of Reggiana.
Fast forward over a decade through every trophy imaginable, including the winner in Tokyo for the Intercontinental Cup against River Plate. Flick through some of the deepest troughs in his career, the Godot that Gianni Agnelli was still waiting in vain to see, and Del Piero is still in the shadow of the Alps banging in the goals. “I would like to stay on and celebrate even after my contract expires in 2008. If this is the present, then the future looks bright. I just don’t see myself in another jersey.”
There are few real icons of a club left – Paolo Maldini at Milan, Francesco Totti’s Roma – but they haven’t gone through the struggles Del Piero has endured. The rivalry with Roberto Baggio, the master painter Caravaggio making way for student Ale’s Pinturicchio in 1995, the horrific November 8, 1998 injury at the Stadio Friuli that sidelined him for nine months with snapped knee ligaments, a crisis of confidence once he recovered his fitness, alleged fisticuffs with the egotistical Pippo Inzaghi and open hostility with Coach Fabio Capello. He’s had every reason and opportunity to leave Juventus in those 14 years, but the name Del Piero still adorns the scarves and shirts of the fans.
“From a personal point of view, the last two years have been exemplary,” noted former teammate Ciro Ferrara. “He was on and off the bench, but despite this he never let his frustration become clear. The media said it was because Capello knew how to handle him, but the truth is that a champion can look after himself and realises when it’s time to keep quiet for the good of the team. He will be at Juve forever.”
Ale’s love for the Bianconeri was only tested by Capello, but with his departure and Juventus’ demotion, it was the perfect opportunity to re-establish himself as their central figure. “If he had stayed, I would’ve left,” confessed the Italian international in August. “I received offers from Manchester United and other prestigious sides, but I want to end my career at Juve. This shirt is my second skin.”
Del Piero was the first to stand up and pledge himself to the disgraced giants after Calciopoli, where wobblers like Gigi Buffon, Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet eventually followed. “He is a treasure of Italian football thanks to his talent, class, professionalism and the splendid family that kept him grounded,” explained Marcello Lippi. “Few have notched up 500 games with this club and nobody has matched his 204 goals. His bond with the Bianconeri is indestructible and the decision to stay was an example for everyone. When people think of Juventus anywhere in the world, they picture Del Piero.”
He may not always have been as unpredictable or spectacular as Totti – although I defy anyone to find a better goal than his 1993 stunner in the 3-2 victory at Fiorentina or a more inspired pass than his overhead kick for Trezeguet’s 2005 Scudetto-winning goal against Milan – but Ale more than made up for it in his work ethic and professional demeanour.
“I can already see him as a director in Turin. It’s where he belongs,” added Carlo Ancelotti. Nice guys don’t always finish last – Del Piero is living proof of that and a true Juventus legend.
First game: Serie A, Foggia 1-1 Juventus, 12/9/93
100th game: Champions League, Juventus 2-0 Nantes, 3/4/96
200th game: Serie A, Juventus 1-0 Inter, 25/10/98
300th game: Champions League, Juventus 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen, 29/11/01
400th game: Champions League, Juventus 1-0 Ajax, 15/9/04
500th game: Serie B, Juventus 4-2 Bari, 20/1/07
First goal: Serie A, Juventus 4-0 Reggiana, 19/9/93
100th goal: Serie A, Juventus 2-1 Brescia, 27/4/03
200th goal: Serie B, Juventus 1-0 Frosinone, 28/10/06
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