By Chris Wright
On a weekend that saw several venerable insitutions of Italian football moving on (AC Milan waved off Pippo Inzaghi, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Gianluca Zambrotta and Mark van Bommel), one man’s final game for his club was just that little bit more grandiose than the rest – with Alessandro Del Piero laying down his sword at Juventus after 19 years of service, signing off with a goal (his 289th for the club) on his last appearance for the Old Lady against Atalanta before being subbed off in the 58th-minute to a rapturous ovation.
Juve won 3-1 to keep their season untarnished, becoming the first club to ever make it through a 38-game Serie A season without losing a game which, of course, meant that Del Piero could then mark his farewell in fitting style – by lifting the Scudetto trophy amid a hail of champagne, fireworks and confetti.
Nice when things work out like that, ain’t it?
Highlights…
Photos: Massimo Pinca/PA
Suggested further viewing…
Alessandro Del Piero: The Man They Call ‘Pinturicchio’