The Del Piero Era

Lore & Background

Del Piero began his career at Padova in Serie A before being signed by Juventus in 1993. He played at Juventus for 19 seasons (12 as captain) and holds the club records for most goals (290) and appearances (705). He helped the club 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, Del Piero remained and captained them back to Serie A after one season. He left the club in 2012.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the stadium was thick with emotion as the final whistle approached in Turin. Alessandro Del Piero stood on the halfway line, hands clasped behind his back, watching the floodlights reflect off the wet grass. He did not run this time; he walked slowly toward the stands where thousands of fans held up white scarves. A single tear traced a path through the dirt on his cheek as he bowed to the crowd, acknowledging two decades of noise, love, and history that would outlast him.

Reader's Guide

Del Piero is the second highest all-time Italian top-scorer in all competitions, with 346 goals. He won 16 trophies at Juventus, including six Serie A titles. 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 373 goals in his career.
• He was named in the FIFA 100 in 2004.
• He won the Golden Foot award for personality and playing ability.
• He worked as a pundit for Sky Sport Italia since 2015.