On this day in 2012, Alessandro Del Piero played his final Serie A game for Juventus, at a tearful Juventus Stadium.
It had been announced in October of 2011 that the captain would not be offered a new contract, so demand for tickets for the season finale with Atalanta was huge.
On this day in 2012, Alessandro Del Piero played his final Serie A game for Juventus, at a tearful Juventus Stadium.
It had been announced in October of 2011 that the captain would not be offered a new contract, so demand for tickets for the season finale with Atalanta was huge.
The Bianconeri had secured the Scudetto a week before, and though he had been a peripheral figure for much of the season, Del Piero’s winner against Lazio proved to be crucial in winning the first title of the post-Calciopoli era.
Unsurprisingly, Pinturicchio started in his final match in Turin, and Luca Marrone put the Old Lady in front after nine minutes.
The real show was yet to come though, and the stadium held its breath as Del Piero exchanged passes with Emanuele Giaccherini on the edge of the box.
The Juve captain stood on the edge of the D, took a quick look at the goal and fired a perfect shot into the bottom corner for his 289th Juventus goal.
The Bianconeri fans went wild, and Del Piero was swamped by his teammates – he’d crowned his farewell in the best way.
If that was emotional, the crowd in Turin hadn’t seen anything yet.
With 57 minutes played, the board went up – Simone Pepe on, Del Piero off. After shaking hands with everyone on the pitch – including the referee – the veteran took his seat on the bench.
The crowd hadn’t seen enough though, demanding that their idol make one final lap of honour.
What followed was a bizarre yet touching spectacle, with the game a mere distraction as Del Piero collected scarves thrown to him by the adoring Juventini.
People in the stands were in tears, though Alex himself just about managed to hold it together.
His final match, the Coppa Italia final with Napoli, would end on a more bitter note with defeat, but the lasting image will be of that final walk around the stadium.