A Tribute to Del Piero – The Gentleman who never left his Lady – (Opinion) | OneFootball

Throughout the year, we seize the opportunity to remember our former players and legends on their respective birthdays.

Nevertheless, the 9th of November can’t pass by like any other date. Not at all. This day marks the birthday of arguably the greatest icon in Juventus history.

Alessandro Del Piero first landed in Turin in 1993 as a raw talent with great potential. Surely this wasn’t the first nor the last talented kid who signs for the legendary black and white club.

But at the time, few would have thought that this young teenager with his messy long hair will one day embody the whole club.

To say that Alex was blessed with a unique skillset would be a major understatement. Whether we’re talking about the version that we witnessed prior to his severe injury or the one that was reborn beyond the terrible knock, this was one of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch.

But on this day, we must pay tribute to the man rather than the player.

While the club’s history is filled with loyal servants, Del Piero’s devotion to the cause was simply unparalleled.

In the summer of 2006, the number 10 returned from Berlin as a world champion, only to find his beloved club demoted to Serie B amidst the Calciopoli scandal.

While the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Fabio Cannavaro, Patrick Viera and Gianluca Zambrotta took the professional option, deciding to pursue greener pastures, the idea of abandoning the club at its darkest hour never crossed the captain’s mind – despite a lucrative offer from Manchester United.

ADP dismissed the notion with a simple, yet, brilliant quote: “A true gentleman never leaves his lady.”

Alessandro may be happily married to Sonia Amoruso, but whether she likes it or not, she has been forced to share her husband’s heart with another “Lady”.

Alongside other great men like Pavel Nedved and Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary striker led the club’s charge towards immediate promotion.

Even during the first few difficult seasons in the post-Calciopoli era, he had always been the light that paved the Old Lady’s way towards eventual resurrection.

By the end of his time at the club, Del Piero was actually one of the least paid players in terms of wages, as the management took advantage of his true love for Juventus to put his signature on meager contracts while reserving the tempting deals for undeserving players.

To add insult to injury, the club eventually opted against offering Alessandro a new contract, causing an outrage amongst his loyalists.

Until this day, it remains unclear who made that call back in November 2011. Was it president Andrea Agnelli? former general manager Giuseppe Marotta? Antonio Conte? or was it a shared decision between them all?

Our birthday boy surely knows the answer, and yet, he decided to keep it to himself, as he gracefully walked away towards the exit door without causing any sort of rift or controversy inside his adopted home for 19 years.

For all this and more, the words of the famous banner held by the supporters remain true: “Come Te Nessuno Mai”.

There will never be anyone like you.