Favourite Players, Alessandro del Piero

Alessandro del Piero 

The 2011/12 season was Del Piero's last for his beloved Bianconeri.  In a career that spanned 19 seasons at Juventus, he will forever hold legendary status.  One of footballs good guys and the classiest player I have ever had the fortune to follow.  Del Piero was brought up in the rural North of Italy in San Vendemiano in the province of Treviso.  As a child he regularly played football with friends and often as a goalkeeper.  He was coached by his local side until the age of thirteen, when he was spotted by scouts of club Padova.  He remained there for two years and moved to Juventus in 1993.  He made his debut for Juventus that same year against Foggia.  He made an immidiate impact and his goal versus Fiorentina in 1994 was when he truly announced his arrival in world football.  It came in a game that Juventus were drawning 2-2.  In the final minutes of the game a 50 yard pass was played over the top.  Del Piero first time volleyed it with the side of his foot right into the top corner of the goal.  An utterly fantastic goal that demonstrated the technique of the diminutive striker.  His impact on Juventus was very telling and he inspired them to win their first Scudetto in nine years.  Parallels had been drawn with Baggio due to the players styles being similar.  Many Juventus fans feared that when Baggio left the club it would be difficult for a player to fill that void, del Piero did that and more.  He made his debut for Italy in 1995 and scored his first goal for his national side in  1996 against Lithuania in a qualifying match for Euro 96.

He plays as a Trequatista a predominantly second striker role operating in the space between the oppositions midfield and  defence.  Very adaptable, he can play multiple positions right across the front and as an attacking midfielder.  Equally adept at creating goals as he was scoring them.  Score them he did.  Not just any goals, he has a knack of the spectacular and scoring very impressive goals.  There is, what is known as the "del Piero zone" and it became something of a trademark.   From the left hand side of the pitch, he would cut inside to unleash a powerful strike right into the far corner of the goal.  He has so much skill, class and talent on the ball.  Big threat from set pieces with his trademark curling free-kicks.  He is a player that is universally loved by his fellow professionals with none having a bad word to say about the man.  Appreciation is also shared amongst opposition fans as was testified in the ovations he recieved in The Bernanbeu and at Old Trafford.  Throughout his career he has won many honours including six Serie A titles- it could be 8 if not for the two stripped due to the Calciopoli Scandal.  Domestic Cups:- 1 Coppa Italia and 4 Supercoppa's  The Juventus sides of the mid to late 90's dominated European club football and set a benchmark for other sides to meet.  They suceeded in getting to 3 finals in row, winning one in the 1995/96 season.  A host of individual honours were also won such as Young World Footballer of the Year, Serie A Top Scorer (2008), Golden Foot, Most Loved Player, Italian Footballer of the Year x3 plus many more.      

His performances for his national team didn't reach the height as those in the black and white.  He was an ever present and did have some excellent matches in the blue of Italy.  He is the fourth highest scoring player in the Azzuri's history.  He succeeded in playing in a host of international tournaments throughout his career- 3 Euro Finals and the same number of World Cup Finals.  It wasn't easy to make an impact for Italy and the defensive tactics adopted made it difficult for him.  Timing was against him in the World Cup finals of 1998.  In that years Champions League Final he was injured in the match and due to that, he really struggled to make the impact he was capable.  It was a big miss for him not to be at 100% as he was at the peak of his powers, that season.   He netted 32 goals which remains his highest scoring season.  Italy managed to get to the final stage of the Euro's in 2002, he eased qualification from the group stage by scoring the winner vs Sweeden.  They reached the Rotterdam final vs France, it was a game they lost and blame was apportioned to del Piero due to his missing two excellent chances in the game.  Four years later in the World Cup Finals of 2006, he and Italy managed to get their revenge against the French.  It was a tournament that he was not a regular starter in, but he did make the most telling of impacts.  His strike against Germany that he scored coming off the bench was very important and remembered as one of the greatest moments in international football history.  Interestingly, he scored a goal for his club that mirrored this in exactly the same ground against Borussia Dortmund in the group stage of the Chamoions League way back in 1995.  Italy of course went on to win the World Cup in 2006, Del Piero scored his kick in the penalty shoot-out.  He reflected that it was beyond a dream come true" to have won a World Cup.  It may have also laid to rest some of his own disappoinments with regards to the national team.  Also with the fans, some of whom wanted and expected more from him- wishing his Juventus form.  In 2008, for the Euro's he was named captain of his country. 

The most difficult period in his career was undoubtedly when he lost his father to whom he was very close.  It was an emotional time for him and it affected his game.  In a match versus Bari in 2001 immediately after his loss, he dedicated a goal to his father by pointing skywards.  It is only fairly recently that I understood the story behind that goal and why del Piero was overcome by tears. I remember from CH4's Italian football prog, Pesotto holding him for many minutes.  In terms of club matters, the Calciopoli Scandal ripped Juventus apart and had long serving repercussions.  The club was relegated and many players and their manager left the club as a result.  Del Piero, was one of the few players who stood by his club, despite offers from other clubs for his services.  It is a mark of the man and his love for his club.  In the years after the scandal Juventus as a club needed rebuilding, it is not until the season just passed that they have got back to where they once were/would like to be.  A very bad injury in the 1998/99 season occurred and meant that he missed pretty much a whole season of football.  He was a huge miss for Juventus that season, they did reach the semi-final stage of the Champions League but without their talisman ended up finishing sixth in the league.  The damage to his cruciates took something from his game and those whom watched him closest have said that injury prevented him reaching the heights he was truly capable.  Del Piero himself admits that whilst a very difficult period it made him a stronger person.

His final season at Juventus seen him play a part in Juventus winning the Italian league title for the first time since 2003.  It was the perfect send off and way to end his time at the club, especially considering his sticking by the club when so many others left.  Napoli denied them what would have been a fairytale double by beating Juve in the Coppa Italia final.  At present, he is still without a club for the coming season.  Going to very much miss watching him and he will remain one of my very favourite players.  One that I looked forward to watching and have many memories of him. One that stands out in particular is his performance against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.  Many regard this as his finest ever match.  He scored both goals in the game and what goals they were, the first a 30 yard bullet and the second a free-kick  There won't be another player like him.  In the age where loyalty means nothing and money speaks louder than ever, players with a sense of loyalty are like gold dust.  His strong relationship, affiliation and devotion to his team is something that goes a long way with me.  He made and broke records in a glittering career and is the holder of most appearances and goals for Juventus.  His humility and loyalty are his outstanding personal qualities.  On the pitch he played with passion as is demonstrated in his goal celebrations.  Playing with a smile- always and the game in the right spirit found him to be a very fair footballer and not a cheat.  As a player I loved the style in which he played, he's the type of player that made the game beautiful.  Embellishing and always being capable of being the man to create that one bit of genius in a match that can be enough to win it.  Running with the ball, his excellent balance and close control meant that he could meander through opposition defences and he had the strength to ride the challenges.   His vision and passing also fantastic.  Finally for the quality of the goals he scored throughout his career whether they be powerful shots from distance, fanciful flicks or deadly accurate free kicks.  He is very much regarded as the scorer of "beautiful" goals.

Quote's- What Players/Coaches Have to Say

"Del Piero is able to do certain things, that could seem extraordinary, but he does them like they were simple"---- Fabrizio Ravanelli

"In my view he’s the best person I’ve met in this sport."---- Fabio Cannavaro

"Del Piero is a champion with extraordinary technical ability and wonderful characteristics. When he is selected he never disappoints. He is an example to us all. He has great skills and intuitions that few other players have.  He is a captain in the real sense of the word". ---- Marcello Lippi

"He is the greatest player i have ever played against, he twisted me incredibly."----- Gary Neville

Goals and Career Highlights in Video

~A truly beautiful and unbelievable goal vs Fiorentina in 1994~

~Del Piero silencing the Bernabeu~

~Del Piero goal versus Germany, World Cup Semi-Final 2006~