Journals
Friday,May 26 2006, 11:52:31 PMThe most beuty player in the world .
One of the biggest names in calcio, Alessandro Del Piero thrives on outwitting defenders, is a deadly finisher and a major threat from free-kicks.
Del Piero represented his country at EURO '96™ and the 1998 World Cup, having made his debut against Estonia in 1995. Helped Italy reach the UEFA EURO 2000™ final but missed a great chance in the loss to France. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup he was second in coach Giovanni Trapattoni's thinking behind Francesco Totti, though he did score against Mexico, and struck five goals in six UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying matches but failed to find the net in three starts in Portugal. Not a regular under new coach Marcello Lippi, he still claimed Italy's winner in the 2006 World Cup qualifier in Moldova.
The Treviso-born star joined Juventus FC in 1993 after just 14 games for Serie B club Padova Calcio, and quickly became an integral part of a team whose attack also boasted the holy trinity of Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Gianluca Vialli. As Del Piero matured, his dazzling runs and free-kicks helped the club to three successive UEFA Champions League finals; he was part of the team that defeated AFC Ajax to win the 1995/96 edition but he also played in two subsequent final defeats, against BV Borussia Dortmund in 1996/97 - when Del Piero scored a fantastic back-heeled goal - and Real Madrid CF the following year. He helped them to titles in 1994/95, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2001/02 and 2002/03, in the latter season experiencing another Champions League final defeat, this time to AC Milan, although he did score in the penalty shoot-out. He managed eight league goals the next season despite suffering with muscle injuries.
Did you know?
'Pinturicchio' was man of the match in Juve's European/South American Cup success against CA River Plate in 1996.
