For once, today, I wish I was a writer or man of poet to write how I really feel towards Alessandro Del Piero. I will never do him any justice because words alone can't express how I feel, how I felt and what I've passed through this season precisely.
This day was always going to come, this was always scaring me, I never knew how it was going to feel and what would be my reaction because I simply haven't seen Juve without Del Piero let alone watching Juve in 1994 because of him. Crying (yes crying quietly and out loud when he finished his lap) when he walked off the pitch against Atalanta, those were the tears of childhood, tears of suffering with Ale, tears of enjoying his goals and victories, tears of his horrible injuries, tears of demonstrating class, kindness, modesty, leadership, charisma, role-model, tears of everything Alessandro Del Piero represents.
I don't have much to say about his talent, since some football legends and important figures in football have said it better
When Sivori said: I haven't seen a young player with such brain, never.
Bettega: If you're looking for satisfaction in football then it's Del Piero.
Platini: The only player I see myself in when I watch. He was born to be the ultimate living legend.
Zoff: Anything I say about Ale, won’t give him justice. I'm proud Italian to have him.
Larsson: No one thrills me but Del Piero. I attack I see him defending, then few seconds later I see him dribbling past players .
Trap: If I don't select Del Piero then I'm one crazy man.
Zidane: I wish Ale was with me when I received the world's best player trophy.
Toldo: I love calling him the magician, when you face him you can't help but live in a world full of illusion and horror.
Totti: I wish I had the love Ale has. I'm Rome's king but he's Italy's king and it's such an honor.
Maldini: Alex is an example of excellence.
Cesare Maldini: I have trained many players but in terms of quality no one is 2nd close to Ale.
Lippi: I don't trust my kids as much as I trust Del Piero.
Ancelotti: You don't happen to see players like him. One of the very few players, very few.
Inzaghi: Anyone who plays alongside Del Piero will turn into a champion and star.
Maradona: He makes things so simple, he's one of the few players that entertains me.
Baggio: If there's someone who should replace me then it's him, Del Piero.
Ronaldo: Give me Del Piero's magic and I'll be better than Maradona and the best in the world.
Beckham: I wish I can play with him.
Raul: Del Piero is a trademark name.
Pele: Del Piero is unique player that satisfies everyone on the field.
Camoranesi: Extraordinary player, nothing else can be said.
Zambrotta: It shocks me and leaves me bitter that he hasn't won Ballon d'Or.
Sheva: No player scares me as much as Del Piero.
Klinnsman: He's a mixture of Baggio and Zidane. Incredible mixture.
Ferguson: Del Piero never winningthe best player award from Fifa is strange to me.
Riquelme: I wish I can play with Del Piero, even for seconds.
Messi: If it was up to me Del Piero and Maradona are the best players.
Van der Sar: When I play against him I'm scared, even in training sessions.
Buffon: I am never scared when Ale is playing with us.
..And much more, then there's few left for me to talk and describe his talent on the field and off it.
I swear I'll never forget your Fiorentina 94 Scudetto goal, your Borussia magic, your freekicks, your intercontinental cup goal, your Udine injury, your backheel goals, your celebration after your father's death, your dedication goal to Avvocato [and only today I know why exactly did he call you Pinturrichio, not only because he was a fantastic artist, but because he managed to prove his worth amongst the greatest painters in Italy and the world at that time, it's what Avvocato saw in you when you took Baggio's place who happened to be the best Italian player at that time too, and what a painter you've been since then], your Monaco show, your Torino goals, your Inter, Milan, Roma, Lazio kneeling on their knees for your magic, Old trafford and Santiago Bernabeu standing ovation, your Madrid semi final goal, Double-kick Scudetto assist to David the great, your Serie B, your open letter to fans in 2006, your CL goals back, giving Trezeguet the penalty so he can share the 1st place with you as top scorer, accepting wage cuts after wage cuts, proving coaches wrong, proving managements wrong, proving doubters wrong and the list continues, the only way I'll forget any of these is when my heart stops beating.
Thank you Alex, legend of legends, man of men, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I'll watch you and I'll follow you I'll cry for you wherever you decide to go, thank you for being there whenever you were needed and even when you were not, thank you for having the smile even in your toughest times being an example on how to face difficulties with a simple smile and daily hard work. I have learned a lot from you, a lot that I will have to teach many of it to my kids and tell them your beautiful story, a story that will live with every true fan, a story that I will carry on forever until I’m buried.
Thank you for making me an emotional person and figuring out even more what you really mean to me, to my childhood, to my neighborhood to the streets I’ve grown up in to every small detail as a little boy growing up takes with him. A part of me being a kid is dead now, because I no longer will scream, jump and cry the way I used to whenever you scored, dribbled or gave an assist to a goal. Even a simple pass or control ball of yours had me smile quietly. I was living my emotions on these small details.
I don't regret any second defending you when you were criticized, I am proud of myself for believing in you, believing in you like I believe and trust my old man, I love myself for being your fan that is the best thing that could happen to a football fan, and if you haven't experienced Del Piero passion and love then you haven't experience anything in football.
Thank you for showing me the way of loyalty, players usually leave when coaches don’t show faith and trust in them, how about when your name is Del Piero and you could have moved anywhere back then make lot of money and play as much as you want? You, you Del Piero, you were too stubborn to leave, because it’s in your blood to win, in your blood to prove doubters wrong, champion in your blood, you were there on the bench at times, and when giving chance, oh man, that’s when people should cash in, bet and invest on Del Piero changing the whole match and winning it all by himself. Your loyalty and self strength now lives in me daily. Thank you for giving us the definition of being patient.
Thank you for all the sacrifices you have done, when you wrote us that famous letter in 2006, when calciopoli hit me and us hard and Juve went down to Serie B while everyone was under-shock, depressed... and what a letter that was, when you said [My bond with Juventus is very strong and I have a love for this club that goes beyond many other considerations] … And when you also said "I'm proud to be a Juventino, to be a "bandiera", like you define me to be often, in reality I'm just a small part of a big black & white "bandiera" a flag that grows with the years and if you look closely your name is part of it... To continue making this "bandiera" grow we need everybody: let's stay united." That’s what I call loyalty and sacrifice. That’s Del Piero.
And then they wonder why Del Piero fans are the most fanatic ones like they call them, they wonder why all this love towards him, why not being able to digest simple critics, poor them, poor them for not having to live this beautiful fanaticism love story with Ale.
Dear Alessandro,
You are impossible to forget, impossible to not worship you, it hurts so much to see you not completing your 20years and scoring your 300 goals at Juventus, but in my head, my heart my soul you have scored much more than 300, you have scored happiness that are worth more than the beautiful goals you scored in your outstanding career and I can tell you that you have lived in me and will live in me for more than just 19years, for many years to come. You are impossible to lose.
As I’m ending this post, I can’t help but cry, I’m not ashamed nor shy to say that I haven’t cried so much since I was little boy. I will not renounce or give up on you, I’m staying right beside you; after-all there’s only one Captain. One Captain, my Captain.
Thank you,
Your biggest fan, your proud fan, loyal to the loyal,
Rabih.
This day was always going to come, this was always scaring me, I never knew how it was going to feel and what would be my reaction because I simply haven't seen Juve without Del Piero let alone watching Juve in 1994 because of him. Crying (yes crying quietly and out loud when he finished his lap) when he walked off the pitch against Atalanta, those were the tears of childhood, tears of suffering with Ale, tears of enjoying his goals and victories, tears of his horrible injuries, tears of demonstrating class, kindness, modesty, leadership, charisma, role-model, tears of everything Alessandro Del Piero represents.
I don't have much to say about his talent, since some football legends and important figures in football have said it better
When Sivori said: I haven't seen a young player with such brain, never.
Bettega: If you're looking for satisfaction in football then it's Del Piero.
Platini: The only player I see myself in when I watch. He was born to be the ultimate living legend.
Zoff: Anything I say about Ale, won’t give him justice. I'm proud Italian to have him.
Larsson: No one thrills me but Del Piero. I attack I see him defending, then few seconds later I see him dribbling past players .
Trap: If I don't select Del Piero then I'm one crazy man.
Zidane: I wish Ale was with me when I received the world's best player trophy.
Toldo: I love calling him the magician, when you face him you can't help but live in a world full of illusion and horror.
Totti: I wish I had the love Ale has. I'm Rome's king but he's Italy's king and it's such an honor.
Maldini: Alex is an example of excellence.
Cesare Maldini: I have trained many players but in terms of quality no one is 2nd close to Ale.
Lippi: I don't trust my kids as much as I trust Del Piero.
Ancelotti: You don't happen to see players like him. One of the very few players, very few.
Inzaghi: Anyone who plays alongside Del Piero will turn into a champion and star.
Maradona: He makes things so simple, he's one of the few players that entertains me.
Baggio: If there's someone who should replace me then it's him, Del Piero.
Ronaldo: Give me Del Piero's magic and I'll be better than Maradona and the best in the world.
Beckham: I wish I can play with him.
Raul: Del Piero is a trademark name.
Pele: Del Piero is unique player that satisfies everyone on the field.
Camoranesi: Extraordinary player, nothing else can be said.
Zambrotta: It shocks me and leaves me bitter that he hasn't won Ballon d'Or.
Sheva: No player scares me as much as Del Piero.
Klinnsman: He's a mixture of Baggio and Zidane. Incredible mixture.
Ferguson: Del Piero never winningthe best player award from Fifa is strange to me.
Riquelme: I wish I can play with Del Piero, even for seconds.
Messi: If it was up to me Del Piero and Maradona are the best players.
Van der Sar: When I play against him I'm scared, even in training sessions.
Buffon: I am never scared when Ale is playing with us.
..And much more, then there's few left for me to talk and describe his talent on the field and off it.
I swear I'll never forget your Fiorentina 94 Scudetto goal, your Borussia magic, your freekicks, your intercontinental cup goal, your Udine injury, your backheel goals, your celebration after your father's death, your dedication goal to Avvocato [and only today I know why exactly did he call you Pinturrichio, not only because he was a fantastic artist, but because he managed to prove his worth amongst the greatest painters in Italy and the world at that time, it's what Avvocato saw in you when you took Baggio's place who happened to be the best Italian player at that time too, and what a painter you've been since then], your Monaco show, your Torino goals, your Inter, Milan, Roma, Lazio kneeling on their knees for your magic, Old trafford and Santiago Bernabeu standing ovation, your Madrid semi final goal, Double-kick Scudetto assist to David the great, your Serie B, your open letter to fans in 2006, your CL goals back, giving Trezeguet the penalty so he can share the 1st place with you as top scorer, accepting wage cuts after wage cuts, proving coaches wrong, proving managements wrong, proving doubters wrong and the list continues, the only way I'll forget any of these is when my heart stops beating.
Thank you Alex, legend of legends, man of men, thank you from the bottom of my heart, I'll watch you and I'll follow you I'll cry for you wherever you decide to go, thank you for being there whenever you were needed and even when you were not, thank you for having the smile even in your toughest times being an example on how to face difficulties with a simple smile and daily hard work. I have learned a lot from you, a lot that I will have to teach many of it to my kids and tell them your beautiful story, a story that will live with every true fan, a story that I will carry on forever until I’m buried.
Thank you for making me an emotional person and figuring out even more what you really mean to me, to my childhood, to my neighborhood to the streets I’ve grown up in to every small detail as a little boy growing up takes with him. A part of me being a kid is dead now, because I no longer will scream, jump and cry the way I used to whenever you scored, dribbled or gave an assist to a goal. Even a simple pass or control ball of yours had me smile quietly. I was living my emotions on these small details.
I don't regret any second defending you when you were criticized, I am proud of myself for believing in you, believing in you like I believe and trust my old man, I love myself for being your fan that is the best thing that could happen to a football fan, and if you haven't experienced Del Piero passion and love then you haven't experience anything in football.
Thank you for showing me the way of loyalty, players usually leave when coaches don’t show faith and trust in them, how about when your name is Del Piero and you could have moved anywhere back then make lot of money and play as much as you want? You, you Del Piero, you were too stubborn to leave, because it’s in your blood to win, in your blood to prove doubters wrong, champion in your blood, you were there on the bench at times, and when giving chance, oh man, that’s when people should cash in, bet and invest on Del Piero changing the whole match and winning it all by himself. Your loyalty and self strength now lives in me daily. Thank you for giving us the definition of being patient.
Thank you for all the sacrifices you have done, when you wrote us that famous letter in 2006, when calciopoli hit me and us hard and Juve went down to Serie B while everyone was under-shock, depressed... and what a letter that was, when you said [My bond with Juventus is very strong and I have a love for this club that goes beyond many other considerations] … And when you also said "I'm proud to be a Juventino, to be a "bandiera", like you define me to be often, in reality I'm just a small part of a big black & white "bandiera" a flag that grows with the years and if you look closely your name is part of it... To continue making this "bandiera" grow we need everybody: let's stay united." That’s what I call loyalty and sacrifice. That’s Del Piero.
And then they wonder why Del Piero fans are the most fanatic ones like they call them, they wonder why all this love towards him, why not being able to digest simple critics, poor them, poor them for not having to live this beautiful fanaticism love story with Ale.
Dear Alessandro,
You are impossible to forget, impossible to not worship you, it hurts so much to see you not completing your 20years and scoring your 300 goals at Juventus, but in my head, my heart my soul you have scored much more than 300, you have scored happiness that are worth more than the beautiful goals you scored in your outstanding career and I can tell you that you have lived in me and will live in me for more than just 19years, for many years to come. You are impossible to lose.
As I’m ending this post, I can’t help but cry, I’m not ashamed nor shy to say that I haven’t cried so much since I was little boy. I will not renounce or give up on you, I’m staying right beside you; after-all there’s only one Captain. One Captain, my Captain.
Thank you,
Your biggest fan, your proud fan, loyal to the loyal,
Rabih.
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I think you described the feelings of many of us.
