Un Cavaliere Non Lascia Mia La Sua Signora …
Introducing one of my footballing heroes, Alessandro Del Piero. A man that is truly one of Italy’s greatest ever footballers and one who demonstrated incredible loyalty. This is the man christened Pinturicchio by former Juventus president Gianni Agnelli, this is Alessandro Del Piero.
July 4th 2006; a date that will be forever remembered in Italian sporting history. This was the day Juventus, “The Old Lady”, were relegated to Serie B as punishment for their part in the Calciopoli scandal. This would be their first relegation in their long illustrious history.
Many huge names would walk away from the club opting to play their football elsewhere, giants of the game such as Cannavaro, Viera and Thuram to name a few. But some of their key men stayed, Nedved, Buffon, but one in particular will live in the hearts and be worshipped by the Juve fans, or Bianconeri as they’re known, forever in time. They’re little magician of a striker; Alessandro Del Piero.
After the dust had settled from the fallout of the seismic events Juventus would take out a page in a newspaper, a picture of Del Piero and the word “Un Cavaliere Non Lascia Mia La Sua Signora” or “A gentleman never leaves a lady” as it translates to printed upon it. His and the club’s poetic way of telling the fans it’s ok I’m not going anywhere.
He had accepted a new challenge in his career, take Juventus back to the top of Italian football. The challenge would not be easy however, they weren’t the only big hitters to find themselves in the second division. Current Italian champions Napoli, current Italian Cup winners Bologna and current Serie A club Genoa were also looking to get back to the top table.
Not only would they be expected to win the title and win it at a canter they would also have to complete this feat with a 9 point deduction straight from the off, further punishment for their role in the scandal that Italian football was still reeling from.
The smaller clubs in the division would view The Old Lady as a scalp, a cup final almost, a chance to rub it in the faces of one of the big dogs in the game that had found itself in amongst the, lest say, less glamorous of Italian clubs. Juventus would know that teams were going to lift it against them, they’d run that little bit faster, work that little bit harder and fight that little bit longer.
Juve would succeed in their quest at the first time of asking however, amassing 85 points to clinch the title with Napoli behind them in second with 79. Del Piero would score 21 goals that season while also wearing the captain’s armband.
The striker, with his now god status in Turin, would play for the club for a further 5 seasons scoring 54 goals and even winning the Serie A title in his final year, a fitting parting gift for the club in which he had served with such class, distinction, loyalty but above all else; an incredible footballing ability.
He played and scored his final game for Juventus in May 13th 2012.
A true joy to watch and a footballing hero of mine. The first jersey I owned that wasn’t a Rangers jersey was in fact a Juventus one, with the name Del Piero and infamous number 10 he wore. I may be bias but what a striker, and I’d go as far to say one of the best his great footballing nation has produced. And that is high praise indeed because boy have they produced some brilliant forwards.
He came. He saw. He conquered.
Alessandro Del Piero.
By Josh Black