Alessandro Del Piero

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Del Piero began his career at Padova in Serie B before being signed by Juventus in 1993. He helped Juventus reach three consecutive Champions League finals from 1996 to 1998, winning the 1996 edition. After Juventus were relegated to Serie B in 2006 due to the Calciopoli scandal, he remained at the club and captained them back to Serie A. He played at Juventus for 19 seasons (11 as captain) and holds club records for most goals (290) and appearances (705). He won six Serie A titles, though the 2005 and 2006 titles were revoked due to the scandal.

In Their Own Story

Del Piero's loyalty to Juventus was absolute. After their relegation to Serie B due to the Calciopoli scandal, he chose to stay and lead the team back to the top flight. At international level, Del Piero represented the Italy national team at three FIFA World Cups and four UEFA European Football Championships, most notably winning the 2006 World Cup, and reaching the final of UEFA Euro 2000 with Italy. He is the joint fourth highest scorer for Italy, with 27 goals. In 2004, Del Piero 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 the past 50 years.

Reader's Guide

Del Piero is the second highest all-time Italian top-scorer in all competitions, with 346 goals, behind Silvio Piola (390). In his career he scored 462 goals. He won the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award in 1998 and 2008. At international level, he won the 2006 World Cup and reached the final of UEFA Euro 2000 with Italy. He is the joint fourth highest scorer for Italy, with 27 goals.

Did You Know?

• Del Piero scored 20 goals in 27 Champions League appearances during the period from 1996 to 1998.
• He was named in the FIFA 100 in 2004 and voted into the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll the same year.
• Del Piero began his professional career at Padova, making his debut in Serie B against Messina on 15 March 1992.
• He earned the nickname 'Pinturicchio' after being compared to the renaissance artist by former Juventus president Gianni Agnelli.