Federico Bernardeschi confirmed today that he won’t take the Juventus number 10 shirt this season.
Having worn that number at Fiorentina, it was rumoured that he could inherit the iconic shirt in Turin, but Bernardeschi will instead wear 33.
The Italian international admitted that he didn’t feel he’d earned the number yet, and there are certainly some iconic boots to fill for the next wearer…
Federico Bernardeschi confirmed today that he won’t take the Juventus number 10 shirt this season.
Having worn that number at Fiorentina, it was rumoured that he could inherit the iconic shirt in Turin, but Bernardeschi will instead wear 33.
The Italian international admitted that he didn’t feel he’d earned the number yet, and there are certainly some iconic boots to fill for the next wearer…
Omar Sivori
While Sivori played for the Bianconeri before the days of assigned shirt numbers, where the starting XI simply wore 1-11, he is arguably the first great Juve number 10.
Signed from River Plate in 1957, the Argentine soon formed a deadly partnership with John Charles and Giampiero Boniperti, earning him the Ballon d’Or in 1961.
Sivori spent eight seasons in Turin, winning three Scudetti and scoring 174 goals in 259 games.
Liam Brady
Brady may have only played for Juve briefly, spending just two seasons with the Bianconeri after signing from Arsenal, but his impact was huge.
The Irishman won the Scudetto in each of his two seasons with the Old Lady, scoring the penalty which won Serie A in 1982.
However, Juventus had already agreed a deal to sign Michel Platini, and the three foreigner limit meant Brady had to be moved on.
President Giampiero Boniperti had informed Brady of the decision ahead of the final league game with Catanzaro, and despite reportedly being heartbroken by the decision, he scored the winning spot kick to say goodbye in the best possible way.
Michel Platini
Brady was a poplar figure among Juventini, but the arrival of Platini soon made them forget any misgivings they may have had about the Irishman’s departure.
Signed in the summer of 1982, Platini scored 28 goals in 48 games during his first season, though Roma would pip the Old Lady to the Scudetto.
Consecutive titles followed that, however, with the Bianconeri finally winning the European Cup in 1985, albeit under the shadow of Heysel.
Platini is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and won the Ballon d’Or for three years in a row between 1983 and 1985.
Roberto Baggio
Baggio’s move to Turin mirrors Bernardeschi’s, with ‘the Divine Ponytail’ moving to Juventus for a world-record £8m in 1990.
There were riots on the streets of Florence after the deal was confirmed, but Baggio endeared himself to the Viola faithful by refusing to take a penalty on his return, before donning a Fiorentina scarf.
In five seasons at Stadio Delle Alpi, Baggio established himself as one of the world’s greatest players, winning the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.
His record of 115 goals in 200 games was stellar, but in 1995 he was transferred to Milan, to make way for an up-and-coming youngster…
Alessandro Del Piero
Del Piero joined Juventus from Pavoda in 1993, but wouldn’t inherit the number 10 shirt for another two years.
Putting so much faith in a youngster, at the expense of Baggio, was a gamble for Juve but it paid off and then some.
By the time he left the club in 2012, Del Piero had established himself as the club’s all time top-scorer – 290 goals – as well as playing more games – 705 – for the club than anyone.
Pinturicchio won eight Scudetti, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League, but it was his loyalty which really endeared him to the fans.
When two of the aforementioned Scudetti were revoked in the Calciopoli scandal, Juve were relegated to Serie B, but Del Piero stayed.
He was top-scorer in the second division, then repeated the feat in Serie A, before bowing out with the Scudetto in the 2011-12 season.
In a pantheon of great players to have worn the black and white stripes, he is perhaps Juventus’ greatest legend.