I Nearly Quit Italy, Admits Del Piero
Monday 18th December 2000
Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero has revealed that he considered quitting
the Italian game when he was attacked by a fan during the summer.
The Italian international struggled to score from open play throughout last
season as Juventus ended the campaign emptyhanded. He also had a poor Euro
2000 tournament and was widely blamed for Italy's defeat in the final to
France after missing two glorious chances in the second half.
During pre-season he was attacked by a frustrated fan after a friendly game
in Rome and, speaking on Italian television, Del Piero said: "I can't hide
the fact that when a supporter attacked me I thought of leaving Juventus and
Italy.
"Juventus is my life, but there are moments in a man's life when he has to
choose. Now I think I'm important for the team, and if that continues, well
there's no reason to stop it."
Manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed he had no idea that his star forward was
thinking about a move, saying: "Del Piero didn't talk to me about this.
"If he had I would try to convince him to stay with us. We have confidence
in him."
Director Luciano Moggi said: "I can understand how he felt two months ago. I
mean, money is not everything in life. Alex has suffered from an incredible
number of injuries over the last few years and it's always possible to get
discouraged if that happens.
"We have to understand his position, but now he has said Juventus means
everything to him and we are very happy about that."
