Alessandro Del Piero explained why talking about Luca Vialli’s passing is difficult for him, calling him the ‘greatest role-model’ he had at Juventus. The pair played together in 1996, forming part of the Juve team that would go on to lift the Champions League, the last time the club won the trophy.
Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Del Piero recounted his early years in Turin and why Luca was so important to him as a teammates, captain and friend:
“In these moments, I’m not very comfortable talking, particularly when it comes to Luca. Along with Roberto Baggio, he was the greatest example I had as an 18-year-old at Juventus. The two of them, who had won the UEFA Cup, and for what they represented for Italy, were huge.
Luca also became my captain, I always called him that, even lately. He always was, on and off the pitch. When we had our first double sessions, he would invite me to eat with everyone.
Luca was a character who inspired charisma, determination, and a desire to put his chest out and face any kind of challenge, even if it seemed insurmountable. He always impressed me because of that.
Up to a month before I joined Juve, I would see him playing and scoring for my favourite team, then when I was 18, I found him there, a teammate. I think everyone can remember him like that.
I was not a rival for Roberto, then he and Juve broke up for other reasons, I picked up his legacy, but I was not a rival. Vialli was a very sensitive guy, he passed on confidence in his own means, he was able to bring people together and make them united in all situations, in the face of joys and defeats. I was always treated like the others, even though I was the newest and the youngest.”
