San Vendemiano is a municipality in the province of Treviso , northern Italy , 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Treviso .
82-404: Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI ( Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro del ˈpjɛːro] ; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker , although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit for Sky Sport Italia . A technically gifted and creative supporting forward who
164-409: A 26th time on 5 May 2002, the last match day of the season; Juventus won the title over Roma and Inter Milan by a single point, after a 2–0 away victory over Udinese, with goals from top-scorer Trezeguet and Del Piero. Del Piero managed 21 goals in all competitions, also scoring his 100th and 101st goals for Juventus that season, against Venezia , on 26 August 2001. Del Piero also helped Juventus reach
246-443: A 2–0 away loss against Wellington Phoenix . Del Piero scored his first goal for the club from a free-kick in 3–2 loss to Newcastle Jets on 13 October, in his first home game for Sydney. The match against Newcastle featured hero-cam, which allowed the viewer to track Del Piero's movements with one camera throughout the game. On 20 October, Del Piero scored the winning goal against Western Sydney Wanderers FC (1–0), making history with
328-546: A 2–1 loss to Melbourne Victory in an Elimination final at Docklands Stadium on 18 April, courtesy of Gui Finkler 's injury time winner. Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( Italian : Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana ) is the most senior Italian order of merit . It was established in 1951 by the second President of
410-646: A 2–1 win over Brescia on 27 April 2003. In the UEFA Champions League, Juventus were placed in Group E alongside Newcastle United , Dynamo Kyiv , and Feyenoord . Del Piero opened up his account in European competitions that season when he scored his side's second goal in a 5–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv on 24 September, after combining with Nedvěd and Mauro Camoranesi . On the next matchday, Juventus played host to Newcastle on 1 October and Del Piero hit
492-411: A 3–2 win against Genoa . Del Piero finished the season as the all-time top scorer for Juventus, having scored over 250 goals in all competitions with the club, and having also made over 600 appearances in official matches for Juventus, breaking Scirea's appearance record. On 14 March 2010, Del Piero recorded his 300th and 301st career goals during a 3–3 draw with Siena, with the first two goals coming in
574-633: A brace and setting up Claudio Marchisio for the youngster's third goal of the season to end their run of seven winless matches in Serie A. Juventus then went on to defeat Lazio 2–0 and clinch the second place spot in Serie A over Milan, determined by their head-to-head record. On 17 July 2009, Del Piero extended his contract with Juventus by one more year until 30 June 2011 in Pinzolo while training for pre-season, thus practically ensuring that he would retire at
656-435: A brace to help his club maintain the top spot in their group. Juventus advanced to the second group stage where the club managed to progress, along with Manchester United , on goal differential over FC Basel and Deportivo de La Coruña . Juventus then saw off Barcelona in the quarter-finals through an extra time goal by Marcelo Zalayeta , and faced Spanish opposition again in the likes of defending champions Real Madrid in
738-518: A disappointing sixth place. Juventus did manage to reach the semi-finals of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League , losing out to eventual champions Manchester United. Following his serious injury, Del Piero underwent a muscle strengthening regime in order to adapt to the increasingly more physical and athletic demands of twenty-first century football, which allowed him to compensate for the loss of some of his pace and agility. Due to his dramatic weight gain and physical development during this period, as well as
820-479: A friendly match being former England defender Gary Neville 's testimonial match. Del Piero was substituted after 65 minutes to a standing ovation from the United supporters. Juventus confirmed on 18 October 2011 that the 2011–12 Serie A would be Del Piero's last season with the club. The 2011–12 season under new manager Antonio Conte , his former Juventus teammate, saw Del Piero being used sparingly, and mainly as
902-541: A hat-trick in a 0–4 away win over Atalanta . On the final weekend of the 2007–08 season , Del Piero scored a brace against Sampdoria in a 3–3 draw. These two goals were crucial, as it took him to 21 goals for the season, thus winning him the Capocannonieri prize in Serie A for the first time in his illustrious career, beating the likes of teammate David Trezeguet (20 goals) and Marco Borriello (19 goals), also matching his highest seasonal tally in Serie A since
SECTION 10
#1732779545067984-609: A historic moment for football in Australia, I wouldn't like to go into the details of the contract, but this does represent the largest professional sporting contract in Australian history and the numbers that have been discussed aren't too far off the mark." Football Federation Australia chief executive Ben Buckley said that this signing would be crucial for the growth of Australian Football, both economically and technically. Ian Crook , manager of Sydney FC, said he would build
1066-430: A joint career best of 21 goals in Serie A, and finished top scorer in the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League with 10 goals, one of which included a freekick and a hat-trick against Monaco in the semi-finals. With these goals, he helped Juventus to reach their third consecutive Champions League final , although Del Piero was not fully fit for the match, and Juventus were once again defeated, falling 1–0 to Real Madrid from
1148-611: A lap of honour around the pitch. This was Alessandro Del Piero's final Serie A appearance for Juventus. Del Piero's final match for Juventus was in the Coppa Italia Final on 20 May against Napoli, which ended in a 2–0 victory to the Neapolitans. Del Piero was substituted in the 67th minute for Vučinić as his Juventus career came to an end; he received a standing ovation from both the Juventus and Napoli fans. Following
1230-670: A match against Milan at the San Siro . Del Piero also helped Juventus to reach the quarter-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League , only losing out to eventual champions Liverpool . Several journalists and coaches believed that Del Piero was back to his best form in the 2005–06 Serie A , as he managed 12 goals in Serie A, and 20 goals in all competitions, helping Juventus to defend the Serie A title. His role at Juventus changed during his second season under Capello, who preferred to use him as an immediate-impact substitute. Due to his lack of playing time, Del Piero's relationship with Capello
1312-403: A new part of the world where I can make a major contribution and help grow the game I love." After the announcement of the transfer to Sydney FC, Juventus wished good luck to their former captain. Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi said they were saddened by his departure. Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow said: "The signing of Alessandro Del Piero is a big moment for this club and, we believe,
1394-467: A nine-point penalty from the match-fixing scandal, Juventus gained promotion to Serie A as Serie B champions; Del Piero finished the league campaign as the top scorer of the 2006–07 Serie B season, with 20 goals. During the season, Del Piero also managed his 200th goal with Juventus on 21 October 2006, in a 1–0 league victory over Frosinone . "Del Piero never really grows old." Diego Maradona , 2008 Following Juventus's return to Serie A, Del Piero
1476-599: A season with Delhi Dynamos FC in the Indian Super League . Del Piero has scored in every competition in which he has participated. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 , a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA 's centenary celebrations. In the same year, he was also voted into the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll , a list of the 50 best European players of
1558-429: A strike by Predrag Mijatović on 20 May. Domestic success, however, was achieved that season, after a tight battle with Inter Milan , as Juventus celebrated its 25th Serie A title over their Italian rivals, with Del Piero scoring a memorable and decisive individual match-winning goal during the controversial Derby d'Italia match. Del Piero also managed a goal in the 1997–98 Coppa Italia that season, helping Juventus to
1640-481: A substitute after scoring in the final minute of Juventus' final game of the 2005–06 season, before Juventus were forcibly relegated due to the Calciopoli scandal, also having their two most recent Serie A titles revoked. After Juventus were demoted to Serie B and their two most recent scudetti were revoked, Del Piero pledged that he would stay to captain the team. He underlined that players should remain with
1722-472: A substitute, because of the summer arrival of forward Mirko Vučinić from Roma. In the club's opening match of the season against Parma on 11 September, he assisted Simone Pepe 's goal in an eventual 4–1 home win. Del Piero scored his first goal in the new Juventus Stadium on 24 January 2012, in a 3–0 win over Roma in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia . Later in the season, Del Piero stated that he
SECTION 20
#17327795450671804-455: Is the fans, you who are Juventus. That jersey that I loved and will always love, that I desired and respected ... From tomorrow I will no longer be a Juventus player, but I will always be one of you. Now a new adventure begins and I am as fired up as I was 19 summers ago." On 5 September 2012, Del Piero signed a two-year deal with Sydney FC . He was paid approximately AU$ 3.5 million for each of his first two seasons, and therefore became
1886-535: Is the joint fourth highest scorer for the Italy national team , with 27 goals, alongside Roberto Baggio , and behind only Silvio Piola with 30 goals, Giuseppe Meazza with 33 goals, and Luigi Riva with 35 goals; with 91 appearances for Italy between 1995 and 2008, he is also his nation's eleventh-most capped player of all-time . In his career Del Piero scored 462 goals. Del Piero was born in Conegliano , Veneto,
1968-493: Is the seventeenth highest UEFA Champions League all-time goalscorer , with 42 goals. Del Piero refused the board's offer to retire the No. 10 shirt in his honour, saying: "I've really had so much that I would never want it to be retired, this way, every child can dream one day of wearing it." On 30 June, Del Piero wrote an open letter to the Juventus fans thanking them for almost two decades of support, stating: "Above all what remains
2050-483: The 1995–96 season , Del Piero was awarded Baggio's No. 10 squad number , which had also previously belonged to Michel Platini , following his departure to A.C. Milan . Del Piero scored 6 goals and provided 10 assists in Serie A, although Juventus finished the season in second place behind Milan. Del Piero did manage to capture the Supercoppa Italiana in 1995 , over Parma, setting up Vialli's only goal of
2132-416: The 1998–99 Serie A with a 2–1 defeat in the 1998 Supercoppa Italiana at the hands of Lazio , although Del Piero was able to score from a penalty. On 8 November 1998, Del Piero picked up a serious knee injury in the final minutes of a 2–2 draw with Udinese ; this kept him out of action for the remainder of the season, as he managed only 2 goals. The club struggled without him, finishing the league season in
2214-489: The 2000–01 Serie A title once again, this time to Roma . Juventus and Del Piero began the season strongly, and Del Piero scored the winner on his season debut against Napoli on 30 September, although he later suffered another injury and fell out of form, failing to score. On 18 February 2001, Del Piero broke his goal drought, scoring in an away win over Bari . Del Piero celebrated the goal by dedicating it to his father, who had recently died. Del Piero refound his form towards
2296-509: The 2006 FIFA World Cup triumph was in a Coppa Italia match against Cesena on 23 August 2006. As Juventus played in the Serie B for the 2006–07 season, the Coppa Italia campaign became increasingly important for the club in order to achieve a UEFA Cup spot. Having been on vacation beforehand, Del Piero started on the bench. Juventus and Cesena were locked on 1–1 when Del Piero entered in the 74th minute and after nine seconds, he scored
2378-570: The Bravo Award (as the best U-23 player in European Competitions), and placed 4th in the 1996 Ballon d'Or for the second consecutive year. Del Piero also captured his second Serie A title with Juventus that season, and helped lead Juventus to their second consecutive Champions League final , although he was unable to start the match due to injury. During the group stage, en route to the final, he helped Juventus to qualify for
2460-987: The Civil Order of Savoy (1831), the Order of the Crown of Italy (1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362). Investiture takes place twice a year – on 2 June, the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic , and on 27 December, the anniversary of the promulgation of the Italian Constitution . However, those awards on Presidential motu proprio , related to termination of service or granted to foreigners, may be made at any time. The badge, modified in 2001, bears
2542-628: The Coppa Italia , and the UEFA Cup , scoring 5 goals, which all came in Serie A , as Juventus finished the season in second place in the league. The 1994–95 Serie A season saw Marcello Lippi take over as Juventus manager, as well as the introduction of a new team of directors, made up of Giraudo, Roberto Bettega , and Luciano Moggi ; Del Piero played a more prominent role for the club that season following Roberto Baggio 's injury in November against Padova . Del Piero temporarily took his place in
Alessandro Del Piero - Misplaced Pages Continue
2624-524: The Coppa Italia final that season, although Juventus were defeated by Parma. Juventus's title success in 2002 enabled the club to automatically qualify for the UEFA Champions League the following season. Juventus began the 2002–03 season by winning the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana over Parma, with Del Piero scoring two goals, and Juventus were also able to successfully defend their Serie A title . Del Piero scored his 100th goal in Serie A in
2706-669: The President of the Italian Republic , as head of the orders of knighthood, on the recommendation of the President of the Council of Ministers . Except in exceptional circumstances, no one can be awarded for the first time a rank higher than Knight. The minimum age requirement is normally 35. The Knight Grand Cross with Collar is awarded only to heads of state . San Vendemiano Footballer Alessandro del Piero grew up in San Vendemiano. This article on
2788-576: The Supercoppa Italiana , with 3 goals in 6 appearances. He is the club's top-scorer in Serie B , with 21 goals, and the club's second highest scorer in the Coppa Italia , with 25 goals, behind Pietro Anastasi . Alongside Giuseppe Signori and Alberto Gilardino , Del Piero is also the ninth highest all-time goalscorer in Serie A , and he is currently the joint all-time top scorer in the Supercoppa Italiana, alongside Samuel Eto'o , Andriy Shevchenko , and Carlos Tevez . As of April 2023, he
2870-493: The UEFA Champions League the following season. Before the season, Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri remarked that Del Piero would have as good a season, or an even better one, than the previous term. In August 2008, Del Piero announced that he would try to keep playing professional football with Juventus until he turned 40. Juventus were drawn into the same Champions League group as Real Madrid , and UEFA Cup winners Zenit Saint Petersburg . Del Piero marked Juventus's return to
2952-643: The 1997–98 season. He became only the second Italian ever to win consecutive Capocannoniere titles in two different leagues – former Juventus and 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi being the other. (Coincidentally, Rossi also won the Capocannoniere titles like Del Piero – first in Serie B and then in Serie A). On 26 July, Del Piero was awarded the Scirea Award. Juventus finished the 2007–08 Serie A season in third place, which allowed them to qualify for
3034-433: The Italian Republic , Luigi Einaudi . The highest-ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for the order are OMRI . The order effectively replaced national orders such as
3116-650: The Juventus Youth team to win both the 1994 Torneo di Viareggio , and the 1994 U-20 championship . Del Piero made his Serie A debut against Foggia on 12 September 1993 under Trapattoni, as a substitute, and he scored his first goal in his next game against Reggiana on 19 September, after coming off the bench once again. On his full debut for Juventus, he netted a hat-trick against Parma . After his promising performances, Del Piero began to be deployed with more continuity, and he managed 14 appearances for Juventus that season between youth matches , league matches,
3198-701: The Turin club, making him the third–highest assist provider of all time in Serie A history , after Totti and Roberto Baggio. In addition to these records, Del Piero is also Juventus's top scorer and second highest appearance holder in the UEFA Champions League , behind only Buffon, with 44 goals in 92 appearances; he is also the top scorer and appearance holder for Juventus in European Competitions , with 50 goals in 125 appearances, in International competitions , with 54 goals in 131 appearances, and in
3280-482: The calendar year, Del Piero received nominations for both the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year , finishing sixth and the 1997 Ballon d'Or . Del Piero began the following campaign strongly by winning the 1997 Supercoppa Italiana , forming a strong offensive unit with Juventus teammates Zinedine Zidane in midfield, and newcomer Filippo Inzaghi upfront. The 1997–98 Serie A campaign was his best season yet, as he scored
3362-606: The club records for most goals (290) and appearances (705). During his time at the club, he won six Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia , four Supercoppa Italiana titles, the UEFA Champions League , the UEFA Super Cup , the UEFA Intertoto Cup , and the Intercontinental Cup . After leaving the club in 2012, he also spent two seasons with Australian side Sydney FC ; he retired in 2014, after
Alessandro Del Piero - Misplaced Pages Continue
3444-402: The club with which he started his professional career. During his renewal, he said: "I am happy at Juventus and we are competitive. I want to keep playing for as long as I can and I'm certain that for at least two more years I will be at the top level." On 14 February 2010, Del Piero marked his 445th Serie A appearance, breaking the all-time club record previously held by Boniperti, with a brace in
3526-461: The club's success during the mid to late 90s, Del Piero, along with several other Juventus players and staff members, was claimed of being involved in illegal performance-enhancing drug abuse; after a lengthy investigation, the club's staff members incriminated were eventually cleared of all doping allegations in 2005. During the next season under new manager Carlo Ancelotti , Del Piero primarily served as an assist-man, providing 14 assists in Serie A,
3608-519: The competition with a match-winning free kick to seal a home win against Zenit. On 21 October, Del Piero netted a notable goal as Juventus defeated Real Madrid 2–1 in Turin, scoring with a first-time, curling strike from distance, in the fifth minute of play. On 5 November 2008, Juventus and Real Madrid squared off at Santiago Bernabéu in the Champions League . The Italians won 0–2, their first away win against Madrid since 1962, and Del Piero
3690-503: The end of the season to take charge of the Italy national team. After Euro 2004, Juventus manager Marcello Lippi was replaced by Fabio Capello . Capello was not convinced of Del Piero's fitness levels, and frequently benched him in favour of the younger, new offensive signing Zlatan Ibrahimović . Despite his limited playing time, Del Piero still managed to score 14 goals, as Juventus won their 28th league title , due to his overhead assist to teammate David Trezeguet, which proved decisive in
3772-482: The end of the season, although he was unable to help Juventus capture the Serie A title, despite scoring a goal in a 2–2 draw against Roma. Del Piero was named Juventus captain upon Lippi's return to Juventus, and he formed a formidable offensive partnership with French striker David Trezeguet , who joined in 2000, and Czech playmaker Pavel Nedvěd , who arrived in 2001. Del Piero scored 16 goals and provided several assists, as Juventus were crowned Serie A champions for
3854-399: The final, although they were defeated by Parma in the 1995 UEFA Cup Final . During this time, Del Piero earned the nickname Pinturicchio due to the similarity between his own technical and tactical characteristics, and Baggio's creative style of play. This nickname arose when former president Gianni Agnelli compared the emerging talent Del Piero to the renaissance artist Pinturicchio, who
3936-483: The first goal in the first Sydney Derby . On 19 January 2013, Del Piero scored four goals and also provided one assist in Sydney's 7–1 win against Wellington Phoenix; this was the first time he had scored more than three goals in a single match, and after being substituted, the fans gave him a standing ovation. On 10 February, Del Piero broke the club's record for most goals in a single season, scoring his eleventh goal of
4018-444: The first team alongside Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli , flourishing at the opportunity given to him, and Juventus went on to claim their first scudetto in nine years. Del Piero scored 8 goals in Serie A that season, including a match-winning chipped volley against Fiorentina . Del Piero was also able to achieve a rare double, and he captured the 1994–95 Coppa Italia with Juventus, defeating their season rivals Parma in
4100-487: The forward set-up around the Italian, who would be given licence to pull the strings, adding: "We're not going to reinvent the wheel here. He's played 19 years for one of the biggest four or five clubs in the world, as a No. 10 or a No. 9. We're not going to change that." FIFA President Sepp Blatter sent his best wishes to Del Piero and his new club. On 6 October 2012, Del Piero made his A-League debut with Sydney FC in
4182-429: The game, he confirmed that after his 19-year spell with Juventus, he did not plan to retire. He then left the club and became a free agent. In total, Del Piero made a club record of 705 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, scoring a record 290 goals, and providing 134 assists in all competitions throughout his career with the club; he also scored 188 goals and provided 108 assists in 478 Serie A appearances with
SECTION 50
#17327795450674264-561: The game-winner in a 2–0 victory over Newcastle Jets, also setting up Joel Chianese 's goal. Alessandro went on to score 10 goals in total for Sydney FC in the 2013–14 season, which earned him the Sydney FC Golden Boot; he helped the club qualify for the finals series, setting up both of his team's goals in the final match of the regular season on 13 April 2014, a 2–1 home win over Perth Glory , before being released of his contract at Sydney FC. His final match with Sydney came in
4346-498: The games with Georgia and South Africa . On 15 December 2007, Del Piero scored two goals away at Lazio and was named to two consecutive Serie A teams of the week. In February 2008, he scored the winning goal for Juventus from a free-kick in a 1–0 Serie A home victory over Roma. On 6 April 2008, he set a new appearance record for Juventus, overtaking Gaetano Scirea 's previous tally of 552 matches in all competitions. In April, he registered seven goals in five Serie A matches, including
4428-502: The hamlet of Saccon, a rural home in San Vendemiano . While growing up, Del Piero's family did not have much money for travelling abroad, so he considered being a lorry driver in order to see the world. While playing for the local youth team of San Vendemiano, Del Piero used to feature as a goalkeeper in order to gain more playing time. His mother thought it would be better for him to play in this role, as he would not sweat, and
4510-442: The highest-paid footballer to ever play in Australia. Del Piero had been linked to Liverpool prior to signing for Sydney, but later revealed due to his memories of Heysel he would not have been able to move to the club. Upon signing for Sydney FC, Del Piero said: "It's a special day for me. I am happy to announce that I just signed for two years for Sydney FC. This is a very big moment for me because I want to continue my career in
4592-484: The inscription Al Merito della Repubblica encircling the national coat of arms on the obverse and the Latin Patriæ Unitati (for the union of the country) and Civium Libertati (for the liberty of the citizens) encircling the head of Italia turrita on the reverse. The six degrees with corresponding ribbons are as follows (with numbers to 2 June 2020): The order is bestowed by decree of
4674-476: The match. He also played a key role in helping Juventus to win the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League , scoring 6 goals in the competition, and finishing as the second highest scorer of the tournament. The following season, Del Piero followed these victories up with the 1996 UEFA Super Cup and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup , scoring goals in both finals, and being named Man of the Match in the latter final; he also won
4756-515: The most capped Juventus player, edging out former Juventus legend Giampiero Boniperti. Del Piero was the third most capped active player in the Serie A at the time, behind Javier Zanetti and Francesco Totti , respectively. On 5 May 2011, he signed a new one-year contract to stay at the Juventus Arena . His previous deal was due to expire on 30 June 2011. On 24 May 2011, Del Piero and Juventus played against Manchester United at Old Trafford in
4838-465: The most in the league that season, and 20 in all competitions. He faced criticism, however, for his inability to score in open play following his injury the previous season, as only one of his 9 Serie A goals that season was in open play (a header against Parma), with the rest coming from penalties. Furthermore, towards the end of the season, his once excellent attacking partnership with Inzaghi became less effective, due to Inzaghi's individualism, as well as
4920-520: The pair's lack of understanding and strained relationship both on and off the pitch. Del Piero helped Juventus to capture the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup that season, which allowed Juventus to qualify for the UEFA Cup ; overall, he scored 12 goals in all competitions, as Juventus narrowly missed out on the Serie A title. In 2000, Del Piero was the world's best-paid football player from salaries, bonuses, and advertising revenue. The following season saw Juventus suffer another disappointing defeat losing out on
5002-548: The past 50 years. Along with six awards in Italy for gentlemanly conduct, he has also won the Golden Foot award, which pertains to personality as well as playing ability. At international level, Del Piero has also represented the Italy national team at three FIFA World Cups and four UEFA European Football Championships , most notably winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup , and reaching the final of UEFA Euro 2000 with Italy. He
SECTION 60
#17327795450675084-402: The possibility of him getting injured was less likely. His brother Stefano commented to their mother that, due to his skill, the younger Del Piero was more suited to playing in a more offensive position, and he switched to a forward role. Del Piero began his rise to professional football in 1981, in the ranks of San Vendemiano. In 1988, Del Piero was first spotted by scouts, and he left home at
5166-444: The quarter-finals a match early, scoring a goal in Juventus's 1–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford , on 20 November 1996; this was the first time that an Italian team had defeated Manchester United at their home ground. In the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final , he came off the bench to score a goal with a back-heel, which was unable to prevent Juventus from losing 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund . Due to his performances throughout
5248-454: The season against Atalanta , marking the occasion and the victory of their 28th Serie A title by scoring a goal. Twenty-seven minutes into the match, Del Piero picked the ball up at the edge of the penalty box and placed a shot past Giorgio Frezzolini to make the score 2–0, helping Juventus to go undefeated in Serie A that season. He was substituted off after 59 minutes to an emotional response from both sets of players and supporters, as he made
5330-415: The season in a 2–1 home win over Brisbane Roar . Despite his record-breaking tally of 14 goals in 24 appearances, Del Piero was unable to help Sydney qualify for the play-offs at the end of the season. On 21 February, Del Piero renewed his contract until 2014. Del Piero was named Sydney's captain for their 2013–14 season. On 11 October 2013, Del Piero scored the opening goal of the 2013–14 A-League season,
5412-399: The second and seventh minutes. On 30 October 2010, he recorded his 179th Serie A goal, helping his side to a 2–1 win at Milan, breaking the record of club legend Giampiero Boniperti as Juventus's top scorer in Serie A, and further cementing his status as the most prolific goalscorer in Juventus history. On 5 February 2011, with his substitution against Cagliari , Alessandro Del Piero became
5494-433: The second goal of the match in a 2–0 victory, his first goal of the Serie A season. In Juventus' match against Lazio on 11 April, Del Piero replaced Vučinić in the second half, making his 700th appearance for Juventus, and then went on to score from a free kick to earn his side a 2–1 victory; the result also enabled Juventus to return to the top of the Serie A table. On 13 May, Del Piero started Juventus's final league game of
5576-546: The semi-finals, and finishing the season with a career best of 32 goals in all competitions. Del Piero was awarded the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award for his performances, and he was also nominated for the 1998 Ballon d'Or . During this time, he was nicknamed by the fans as Il Fenomeno Vero ("The Real Phenomenon"), in comparison with the Brazilian striker Ronaldo , who was nicknamed Il Fenomeno ("The Phenom") by supporters of rivals Inter Milan. Juventus began
5658-553: The semi-finals. The triumvirate attacking partnership proved wonders for Juventus, as the team overturned a 2–1 first leg deficit to record a 4–3 aggregate win as all three attacking stars netted in a 3–1 home win in the second leg. Juventus faced Italian rivals AC Milan in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final in Manchester on 28 May. After a goalless 120 minutes, the tie went to a penalty shoot-out, where Del Piero finished his spot-kick, but it wasn't enough, as Juventus fell 3–2 in
5740-411: The shoot-out. The following season saw Juventus start strongly, winning the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana over Milan on penalties, although Juventus were knocked out in the round of 16 in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League , and finished the 2003–04 Serie A season in a disappointing third place. The club did manage to reach the 2004 Coppa Italia Final , only to be defeated by Lazio. Lippi left Juventus at
5822-437: The son of Gino, an electrician, and Bruna, a housekeeper. He regularly played football in the backyard with two friends, Nelso and Pierpaolo, as a child. All three dreamed of becoming footballers but only Del Piero would eventually manage to do so. His older brother, Stefano, briefly played professional football for Sampdoria before an injury curtailed his career; he later worked as his younger brother's agent. The family lived in
5904-462: The team, explaining that "The Agnelli family deserve this, as do the fans and the new directors." While many key players such as Fabio Cannavaro , Emerson , Gianluca Zambrotta , Patrick Vieira , Zlatan Ibrahimović , and Lilian Thuram left, Del Piero chose to stay and help the club gain promotion. "A true gentleman never leaves his lady." Del Piero about the "Old Lady" Juventus during Calciopoli , 2006 Del Piero's first appearance after
5986-410: The winning goal for Juventus. Del Piero then came on as a substitute in the 61st minute during Juventus's next Coppa Italia match on 27 August, against Napoli. Once again Juventus came from behind, as Del Piero scored twice to give his team the lead. The match eventually went to penalties; although Del Piero scored his spot-kick, Napoli won 5–4 in the penalty shoot-out . Despite starting the season with
6068-469: The young age of 13 to play with the youth side of Padova . He joined the senior side during the 1991–92 season , at the age of 16, and at the age of 17, he made his debut in Serie B against Messina , under manager Mauro Sandreani, on 15 March 1992, coming on as a substitute for Roberto Putelli. The following season , on 22 November 1992, he scored his first professional goal in a 5–0 victory over Ternana . In 1993, thanks to Giampiero Boniperti , Del Piero
6150-405: Was a key performer, scoring both goals, and drawing praise from Ranieri, as well as Real Madrid's coach Bernd Schuster . As he left the pitch after being substituted, fans from both sides gave him a standing ovation. Juventus's Champions League campaign ended in disappointment, as they were eliminated by Chelsea in the second round. Despite converting a penalty in the second leg in Turin, Del Piero
6232-739: Was also a free-kick specialist , Del Piero won the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award in 1998 and 2008 and received multiple nominations for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year . A prolific goal-scorer, he is currently the second highest all-time Italian top-scorer in all competitions , with 346 goals, behind only Silvio Piola , with 390 goals; he is also the joint ninth highest goalscorer in Serie A history , with 188 goals, alongside Giuseppe Signori and Alberto Gilardino . After beginning his career with Italian club Padova in Serie B in 1991, he moved to Juventus in 1993, where he played for 19 seasons (11 as captain ), and holds
6314-542: Was bought by Juventus for five billion lire , with an overlap of 150 million lire per season. In 1993, Del Piero transferred to Juventus and played for the Torinese club for 19 seasons until being released in the summer of 2012. Although manager Giovanni Trapattoni insisted that he trained with the senior team, he initially played with the Primavera squad , which was coached by Antonello Cuccureddu , helping
6396-455: Was locked in months of fractious negotiations over the signing of a new contract with Juventus' new management. After successfully negotiating a new contract till 30 June 2010, he was greeted with news of the birth of his first child. This was quite a staggering turnaround in his fortunes, as only two weeks earlier, he was dropped by Claudio Ranieri for the Serie A match with Fiorentina, and was then axed from Roberto Donadoni 's Italy squad for
6478-451: Was often strained. On 10 January 2006, Del Piero became the all-time leading goalscorer for Juventus when he scored three times in a Coppa Italia match against Fiorentina, taking his total goal tally for the club to 185. The previous record holder was Giampiero Boniperti , with 182 goals. Del Piero also finished the season as the top scorer of the Coppa Italia , with 5 goals. Del Piero equalled José Altafini 's Serie A record of six goals as
6560-413: Was surprised at Juventus president Andrea Agnelli 's announcement regarding the club's decision not to offer him a new contract. In the second leg of Juventus's clash with Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals, Del Piero finished off a brilliant move by Juventus as they secured a 2–2 draw to progress to the final with a 4–3 aggregate win. On 25 March, Del Piero helped Juventus defeat Inter Milan by scoring
6642-439: Was the student of the great Italian renaissance artist Raphael ( Raffaello ), a nickname he had used to describe Baggio, to emphasise his elegance on the ball. Del Piero placed fourth in the 1995 Ballon d'Or for his performances throughout the season. With the Turin club, Del Piero won the Serie A eight times, although the 2005 and 2006 titles were revoked due to Juventus's involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal . For
6724-406: Was unable to prevent Juventus from losing 3–2 on aggregate. On 29 November 2008, Del Piero scored his 250th goal for Juventus from a penalty, in a 4–0 home win over Reggina . In the league, Juventus were mostly challenging Milan for second place and an automatic Champions League spot. Most notably, Del Piero inspired Juventus to a 3–0 win over Siena in their penultimate game of the season, scoring
#66933