Alessandro Del Piero does not come to Perth simply as a visitor. He comes as a symbol — of a specific and precise idea of what it means to be Juventus, one that the thousands of Australian fans who mobbed the former number ten at Casa Juventus, housed in a former ice cream factory in the heart of the city, understand instinctively. Meeting Del Piero is not simply a nostalgia trip. It is, for any bianconero, a reminder of the standard against which everything else is measured.
Behind the main stage, away from the ceremony of the public appearance, Del Piero spoke with characteristic intelligence and warmth about a Juventus that, for the first time in a long time, he believes is beginning to find its way back.
“Spalletti Does Not Need My Confidence — He Has Everything He Needs”
Del Piero’s opening assessment of the manager cut straight to what matters. “Spalletti does not need my confidence, or anyone else’s — he has a background of such importance that the premise is already there. The point for him will be to find the right balance, give the squad confidence, and deliver performances, as he did in many cases last year. This year, starting from the beginning, Spalletti will have more opportunity to transmit his mentality. The conditions are there. Then obviously there are many other factors needed to reach the final result.”
On the question of whether rebuilding a winning cycle at Juventus is realistic: “That is the objective of everyone working at the club today — to build a winning team, a winning cycle. The competition is high. Even if today other leagues may be considered more prestigious than the Italian one, we know internally how difficult it is to play in Serie A and win consistently. It will be a complicated season. On the Juventus side, everyone will have fingers crossed.”
“The Europa League Is an Objective — If You Enter a Competition, You Can Only Have One Thing in Your Head”
On the subject of the Europa League — a competition Juventus are participating in next season as a direct consequence of their failure to qualify for the Champions League — Del Piero was unequivocal. “Is the Europa League an objective? If you are playing in a competition, how can it not be? When you enter a competition you can only start with one thing in your head — and that is winning it.” It is a message that aligns precisely with what Spalletti and Locatelli have both said throughout the pre-season tour: no second prizes, no consolation prizes. Win or go home.
On Yıldız: “I Have Never Seen Him Lacking Energy”
The encounter with Kenan Yıldız — the player who has inherited not only Del Piero’s number ten shirt but something of his creative spirit — was evidently warm and genuine. “I saw Kenan looking well — he has returned recently but I already saw him in good shape. We greeted each other, as I greeted the whole squad, and had a brief chat. I have to say that I have never seen him lacking energy.”
Del Piero’s read on what makes the difference for a player of Yıldız’s gifts was characteristic: “In him and in the other players I saw a great deal of enthusiasm, in a moment that is not easy — because travelling this much, changing time zones and climate, are all components of difficulty. And the point is this: difficulties are made to be overcome. They test the squad. It is a moment that gives you challenges but also gives you the opportunity to be together for a long time. That unity is fundamental.”
“Alajbegovic Is a Serious Proposition — Don’t Put Him Under Pressure Too Soon”
On the arrival of Kerim Alajbegovic, Del Piero was enthusiastic but measured — the warmth of a man who has seen many talented teenagers arrive at Juventus and understands what the transition demands of them. “I am very pleased that this new talent has arrived. He is a boy with great qualities, very young, and so in future terms he is a serious proposition — especially at a moment when it is so difficult to attract talent to Italian football, because everyone else gets there first. I hope he does well, that he has time to grow, that he is not put under pressure too soon because that makes no sense, and that he integrates well with the squad. That is fundamental. Then I think in the course of the season Spalletti will have the opportunity to give him space.”
“Kolo Muani? Everyone Knows What He Has Already Done Here”
On the man around whom the entire summer has been constructed: “The fact that he has already performed well here in the past, and that his return has been welcomed with great enthusiasm, is very clear to everyone.” It is Del Piero in his most economical mode — saying everything in two sentences that others would spend a paragraph on. Kolo Muani does not need introduction. His Juventus chapter already has a beginning. Now it gets the continuation it deserved.
