36 ALESSANDRO DEL PIERO
The World Cup winner and Juventus icon on a career that featured many highs, some lows and a cameo from Noel Gallagher. By Alberto Santi
In the 1990s, Serie A was home to the world’s best strikers. Who was the deadliest? I was very lucky – I wasn’t the one who had to defend against them! In those days the best players from all over the world were in Italy, so I could reel off so many names. But without a doubt in that era, the one name that stood out was Ronaldo – O Fenomeno – particularly in those early seasons with Inter.
You spent 19 years at Juventus, from 1993 to 2012. What were the highlights? I had so many: my first Serie A goal against Reggiana; those beautiful first few seasons of many trophies in Europe and all over the world; my goal against River Plate in the Intercontinental Cup... But my favourite, maybe, was in 2012: the first of this incredible run of eight straight Serie A titles. I’m particularly fond of this title, because that was the last trophy I won with Juve and because it represented everything we worked so hard for, and suffered so much for after being demoted to Serie B.
“EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THOUSANDS OF FANS WERE THANKING US”
What’s the secret to taking the perfect free-kick? Is it true you took inspiration from Roberto Baggio’s set-piece technique? I always tried to take something from the great set-piece takers who had preceded me, starting with my 1980s heroes: Michel Platini, Zico and Diego Maradona. I did the same with Roberto Baggio too, but with the added advantage of actually being on a training pitch with him for two years. It’s all about vision, technique and practice. You need to study the position of the ball, visualise where you want it to go, and then try it over and over again.
What are your memories of the unbelievable 2006 World Cup semi-final against Germany? Aside from the personal emotion, scoring the second goal and everything that happened in that mad game, I think the thing I’ll never forget is what happened after the match when we returned to Duisburg, where we were staying. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of fans waiting for us, despite it being the middle of the night. They were all there to thank us, because they felt the win was also theirs. They were cheering us and high-fiving us through the windows, and many of them were crying... it was just incredible.
What was it like, playing in the final? How did you feel as you walked up to take Italy’s fourth penalty in the shootout? It was the most intense moment of my career, and the most powerful from an emotional point of view. I was fully aware of the huge responsibility when I was going to take the penalty, so I wasn’t light-headed or reckless at that moment – actually, it was the opposite of that. I felt like I was inside a bubble. It was almost magical. We knew that no one could stop us.
How important was it to win the World Cup after the upheaval of the Calciopoli scandal? The national team really came together as one. The whole situation was out of the ordinary; the more things came at us, the more they attacked us, the more we closed ourselves in an airtight bubble, and the stronger we became as a group.
Is it true you dedicated your last-minute goal in the semi-final to your friend, Noel Gallagher? No, it wasn’t for him. But after that game he came to me and said he was my lucky charm, so I had to make sure he came to the final, too!
If you could appear in an Oasis video or win another World Cup, which would you choose? As much as I love their music, there’s no choice – it has to be another World Cup!
What’s the biggest regret of your career? I wouldn’t say I have any regrets, because I’m really happy with what I achieved. But if we’re talking about my biggest disappointments, I’d like to have won the two Champions League finals that Juve lost in 1997 and ’98, as well as the Euro 2000 Final against France. That trophy was in our hands, but we let it slip away.
Who’s the best player you ever played with? That’s a tough question – maybe the toughest. I could sit here for hours and list the names. I was privileged to share a pitch with an incredible generation of talents, from Baggio to Totti, Maldini to Pirlo. However, if I had to choose just one player from my entire career, I’d say Zinedine Zidane. He was a great player and he’s a great manager. I hope that doesn’t upset any of the others!