Former midfielder Giuliano Giannichedda, who wore the shirts of Udinese, Lazio and Juventus, has looked back on key moments from his playing career and shared a revealing anecdote about Alessandro Del Piero’s leadership during Juventus’ toughest period.
Now the coach of the Serie D representative team, Giannichedda began by reflecting on his early days in football. “When I played in Serie C2 with Sora, Pasquale Luiso used to joke that I had ironing boards for feet,” he recalled with a smile. “Technique was never my strongest asset — I made up for it with determination.”
Joining Juventus and Del Piero’s Words
Giannichedda moved to Juventus in 2005, quickly realising the level of commitment expected at the club. “For my first training session in Turin, I arrived an hour early, thinking I’d be the first one there. But Buffon, Trezeguet and Ibrahimović were already out on the pitch. The next day, I turned up two hours early,” he said.
Then came the summer of Calciopoli. As Juventus faced demotion to Serie B, the players gathered to discuss the future. “After Calciopoli, the senior players called a meeting,” Giannichedda revealed. “Del Piero said: ‘Juventus is always Juventus — the division doesn’t matter.’ We all agreed instantly.”
Facing Legends: Messi, Ronaldo and Zidane
Giannichedda’s career also gave him the chance to face some of the greatest footballers of all time. “We played the Gamper Trophy against Barcelona, and Messi was just 18,” he said. “I tried to tackle him, but he swerved past me and I fell awkwardly while he went on towards goal. Capello turned to us and said: ‘He’ll become the best in the world.’ He was right.”
He also recalled duels with other icons. “Ronaldo was like a Martian — you couldn’t stop him. And I once marked Zidane when facing Juventus in 1997. I tried everything to unsettle him — kicks, slides, little fouls — and he didn’t react. Then in the second half, with a brutal challenge, he caught my ankle. That’s when I realised: don’t make Zidane angry.”
Memories with the Azzurri
Giannichedda earned three caps for Italy under Dino Zoff and still remembers them fondly. “I played in the Euro 2000 qualifiers against Denmark and got sent off at the end,” he said. “But the best memory is with Roberto Baggio. We were opponents and teammates with the national side. In my whole 15-year career, I scored four goals — and Baggio set up two of them in a training game, giving me a double.”
