Should Del Piero extend his Juve stay?
It was just a couple of days back, at the Juventus Arena and Juve were playing out an embarrassing draw against Lazio. Conte then decided to sub in Del Piero for the last few minutes. A free-kick was awarded at the edge of the box- though not in the best of shooting ranges. Pirlo and Del Piero came over it and Del Piero cannoned the ball across the face of the wall which took the Lazio goalkeeper for a daze and the ball was in the back of the net.
The goal was the winner, worthy of 3 points and Juventus were back in the race for the scudetto. The goal fired up not only the scudetto race but also another long lasting debate- should Del Piero stay another year at Juve?
Earlier in the season, the Juventus management had quite absurdly announced that this season would be Del Piero’s final one and he would ply his trade outside Turin once he is done with it. It didn’t surprise many Juve fans at that time, since the 37 year old had done his job for the club. Not only did he cement his position as the greatest player ever to wear the black and white stripes, but also Juventus were doing more than what was expected.
For the last two seasons, Del Piero had flirted with the exit door, only to renew his contract by a year each. But this time around, it looked that his age would take a toll and he would have leave for a younger player to take up his position. Conte’s tactics also proved to be another reason for his exit. Plus Conte was achieving considerable success WITHOUT the contribution of the No. 10. The inevitable was bound to happen.
Suddenly now, things have changed. Looking at the current run of games, Juventus have been very profligate in front of the goal. They lack the finishing touch that is quintessential for winning matches. Del Piero would have been the perfect piece in their unfinished puzzle. However, Conte had different ideas; he preferred the more wide-men in the likes of Pepe, Estigarribia and Giaccherini. It meant that Del Piero did not get any playing time, nor even as a substitute. However this goal, coupled with the winner at Derby’d Italia and the assist against Napoli has given a talking point to the Juventus tifosi. He has shown the right amount of spark that was so missing in the Juve line-up. Two goals and an assist in as many matches, Del Piero came as a panacea for Juve’s problems.
This is the time when Juve need Del Piero the most – as a person who would provide the spark in the attack at the same time keep the score sheet ticking. Next year when Juve will compete in the Champions League, they will require quality in the lineup and experienced patrons to do so. It doesn’t seem that Juventus’ current attacking lineup has any of those. Thus, Del Piero is the ideal choice, who would lead Juve from the front, literally. Juve need him the most, NOW!
In conclusion, one must say that the Juventus management must act quickly and smartly to extend Del Piero’s stay for another season. At the same time, they should be looking deep into the transfer market to look for an apt replacement . This can be the turning point in the history of Juventus, which may help them revive their glory years.
You might also like to read:
https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/12/capitano-keeps-the-dream-alive/
https://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/04/10/interlegend-giuseppe-bergomi/