Italy full-back Gianluca Zambrotta has dedicated World Cup victory to Juventus team manager and close friend Gianluca Pessotto.
The latter remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital following an apparent suicide attempt in Turin last month and Zambrotta was keen to make him a part of the celebrations.
“Clearly the victory is dedicated to Pessotto,” said the former Bari man who had played alongside Pessotto at club level since 1999.
“He’s going through a difficult moment of his life and this is more important than a World Cup. He is our friend and we hope to sit at his bedside telling him in person that this was all for him.”
Last night’s Berlin encounter against France was somewhat of a Juventus affair with eight Bianconeri on the pitch in total.
Yet Zambrotta insists that everyone was just focused on country rather than club issues for the evening.
“We just said hello to the other Juventini before kick-off, but club allegiances are put on the shelf for the duration,” he added.
In something of an ironic twist, Italy were handed the trophy when Juve’s David Trezeguet – the man who netted the Golden Goal in the Euro 2000 Final – missed his spot-kick by hitting the bar.
“Trezeguet punished us in 2000 and missed this time,” continued the Como-born player. “But that’s football and life.
“It has been a long hard season, so obviously we were all rather tired after 120 minutes, but we gave what little we had left to take the victory.”
Channel4