Alessandro Del Piero played for Juventus for 19 seasons. Let that sink in for a moment. Nineteen actual seasons for one of the world's greatest clubs.
Hardly surprising then that the forward - who turns 46 today - holds the record for most appearances in the Old Lady's famous black and white, or that no Juve player has ever scored more goals for the club (290 if you were wondering).
But Pinturicchio's career actually began at Padova, the little club in northern Italy's Veneto region, in 1991. Just fourteen appearances and a solitary goal were enough to persuade Giovanni Trapattoni to take a gamble on Del Piero in the summer of 1993.
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. He managed 14 appearances for Juventus that season, scoring five goals, which all came in Serie A, as Juventus finished the season in second place in the league.
The striker's star continued to rise in the 1994/95 season, as new manager Marcello Lippi gave Del Piero more game time. He repaid his coach with eight goals and a key role in Juve's first Scudetto in nine years.
When Roberto Baggio swapped Turin for Milan in the summer of 1995, Del Piero was given the number 10 shirt. Six goals and ten assists in Serie A followed, although Juventus finished the season in second place behind Milan. Del Piero played a key role in helping Juventus to win the 1995/96 Champions League, finishing as second top scorer in the tournament.
The following season, captured his second Serie A title with Juventus and helped lead the club to their second consecutive Champions League final, although he was unable to start the match due to injury.
The 1997–98 campaign was his best season yet, scoring 21 goals in Serie A, and finishing top scorer in the Champions League with 10 goals.
Between 1998 and 2001, Del Piero struggled with injury and a lack of form - while Juve also toiled domestically and in Europe.
Lippi's return to Juve in 2001 proved to be the catalyst for a return to form for Del Piero, however.
After being made Juventus captain, he formed a formidable 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 a 26th time on 5 May 2002.
Under Fabio Capello, who arrived at the Stadio Delle Alpi in 2004, Del Piero was often used an an impact substitute. But the goals continued to flow - 14 in 2004/05 as Juve retained their title.
When the Calciopoli scandal broke in 2006 and Juve were relegated, Del Piero pledged to stay with the club and help their return to Serie A.
The club was promoted at the first attempt, with Del Piero a key part of the squad. And the subsequent seasons were equally fruitful for the forward.
His final season came in 2011/12, which saw Juve win their 28th title. On his final Serie A appearance, which he marked with a goal, he was substituted after 59 minutes to an emotional response from both sets of players and supporters.
Two years with Sydney FC followed, scoring 24 times in 48 games.
His career finished in India with the Delhi Dynamos.
For Italy, Del Piero scored 27 goals in 91 games - including the second in the semi-final victory over Germany in 2006 en route to winning the tournament.
So there you have it - a career littered with goals, assists and plenty of magic.
Leave a comment