Alessandro Del Piero, the legendary former Juventus captain, recently gave an extensive interview to CBS (via IlBianconero), discussing key moments from his illustrious career and addressing speculation about a potential return to the club in a management role.
Del Piero began by reflecting on his career, stating that his only regret was losing the European Championship final. He emphasized his winning mentality, saying, “Winning titles was my main goal, even if personal achievements were pleasing. But if you ask me ‘are you happy if you score three goals and draw three games?’ I’ll say no.”
The Italian icon spoke fondly of his nickname “Pinturicchio,” given to him by former Juventus owner Gianni Agnelli, whom he described as “an incredible person.” He also touched on his relationship with Roberto Baggio, acknowledging some misunderstandings but emphasizing the learning experience: “I learned from him and I learned from each of them because I listened, because I was willing to listen.”
Del Piero described the surreal experience of playing in Serie B after Juventus’ relegation due to the Calciopoli scandal. He recalled, “The Serie B debut was against Rimini, it was summer and still very hot. We drew 1-1. I thought that until a month before I was in Berlin with the World Cup, but I had made this decision and it was fine like that. I took full responsibility for it.”
Addressing the possibility of leaving Juventus during that tumultuous period, Del Piero explained, “The possibility was there in 2006, before the World Cup. We were in a difficult situation with Calciopoli. I stayed and I don’t think I made the wrong choice, we wanted to come back and win everything again.”
When asked about a potential return to Juventus in a management role, Del Piero expressed openness to the idea: “It would really be a beautiful story to show and tell. What happened between me and Juve, in that period of time, hasn’t happened to any other player before. One who became a legend at Juve, who also played in Serie B, who came back and won again. 19 years is a long time.”
He added, “Seeing myself in the club in the future? Yes, I’d like that. It’s my club. I think it should be something natural, that should come from Juve. In my opinion, it’s good to have people within the company who know the mentality, the fans well, but I’m not the type who decides.”
Del Piero concluded by addressing speculation about potentially becoming Juventus president: “They have their president, but let’s see what happens,” he said with a laugh. “Juve is part of my life, I spend more time in Turin than in the city where I was born. But if nothing should happen, this wouldn’t change what has already happened with the fans. We wrote history together, a beautiful and incredible story. I’ve never felt hurt by a call that never came, no. Sometimes things change, I’m relaxed and very focused on what I’m doing.”
