The title may seem a bit overly dramatic, but they ring true in the hearts of Juventus fans all over the world. But in essence to “lament” is to express grief, and the day he leaves Juve will be a day of incredible sadness, because we are not only losing a great player, excellent captain and a fantastic sportsman… but we are also losing an incredible individual. Alessandro is a man who not only had a coolness and precision with his game but also knew that sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the success of the team. This great sacrifice that I speak off is largely evident in his last season at The Old Lady, he had to come to terms with the fact that there were younger and faster players that were going to get picked before him, and like the great professional that he is, he has accepted this, but God, when he did come on, he makes an immediate impact, not only to his fellow teammates and the game, but the decibel level in the stadium would rises significantly!
Del Piero may not have started his career at Juventus, but he has cemented his name in the hearts of all the Juventus fans around the world. Through his illustrious career at Juve he has acquired the nickname “ Il Pinturicchio” which is associated with Renaissance artist and which should give you the notion that he is more than a player, he’s an artist with the ball. Having spent 19 seasons at the club, he’s been through it all, from the horrific knee injury in the 1998/9 season to Calciopoli in 2006, and he has prevailed and come out even stronger, one could say he epitomises Juventus with his hard work, versatility and a never say die attitude.
Just imagine, if Del Piero had not suffered that injury in the game against Udinese in the 98/99 season what could have been? Could this man get any better? In my opinion that injury has made him hungrier and more determined to prove any doubters wrong…. Oh yes, there were some people who doubted he could never regain that spark that made him great. But boy, were they wrong, and he has been going from strength to strength ever since. Del Piero was quoted as saying, “ never get too depressed during the hard times and too elated during good times”. Suffering from such a serious injury that could end your career would be rather depressing, but Alex came back stronger than ever, but moreover, he brought an incredible intelligence to the game and he was always so diplomatic, especially when it came to the media.
This could be how he has been able to get as good as he is, he has been able to go with the punches and especially in Italy, where the media could destroy you if they wanted to, he has always been able to rise above it. Because not only do you have to have the physical strength but you also have to be able to be mentally strong to deal with all the media criticism and personal attacks from all over. But who would do this, after all he is one of the most loved players in Italy and this is why his parting is so bittersweet.
Some may think Del Piero may have lost some of the speed that made him a feared player, but he has the intelligence to read the game and he still has all the expertise and guile that will not go, no matter how old you are, as long as you stay sharp and have the same desire, and he has done that!
Throughout his wonderful career he has had the chance to play alongside some remarkable players from Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli and Zinedin Zidane, and he has always done it with a smile on his face. His attitude to his game would always shine though, whenever he was on the pitch, it always felt as though nothing else mattered, he would immerse himself in the game- and the fans have responded to it and have continued to adore him for that.
The announcement that this was going to be his last season didn’t sit well with the supporters who believe Alessandro Del Piero to be “Mr Juventus”, and there have been appeals from all over for him to stay just one more year, but as it looks more and more likely he will be saying goodbye, all we can do is give him a send off filled with emotion to honour all the great things he has done for the club and Italian football and remember….
Class does not have an expiration date, Class is forever…..
Grazie Il Capitano!
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