Once Upon A Time In Padova: The Making Of Alessandro Del Piero

The verdant slopes to the north of Treviso are dressed with orderly rows of vines. In this idyllic rural landscape, the patient work of the winemakers is reflected in a tranquil pace of life. It was against this peaceful backdrop, the unlikely setting of Prosecco country, that one of Italy’s finest footballing talents emerged.

Alessandro Del Piero’s footballing journey began in the red and white shirts of his local San Vendemiano club. His mother, Bruna, had initially wanted him to play in goal, away from the rough-and-tumble in the centre of the pitch. A quiet but determined child, thankfully, Alex managed to persuade her otherwise.

That steadfastness came to the fore once again when Del Piero was forced to spend a year on the sidelines after a nasty accident on his bike. That early setback only served to strengthen his resolve as he became increasingly absorbed by the idea of becoming a professional footballer.

With graceful movement, balance and an elegant touch, it was as if the young Del Piero had cast a spell over the ball. Professional clubs were soon beginning to take note of this prodigious talent. Aged 12, Del Piero was offered the opportunity to join the academy at Torino. However, he made the difficult decision to turn down Toro’s offer, concluding that he was not yet ready to leave his rural home and head to the big city.

Another year with San Vendemiano passed before Padova came calling. Despite Del Piero’s slight physique, Padova scout Vittorio Scantamburlo was in no doubt about the precocious talent he saw before him. He eagerly awarded Del Piero three stars in his notebook; the highest possible rating.

Agreeing the L30 million price tag was a formality for Padova; the greater challenge came in persuading Bruna. Naturally, she had reservations about her 13-year-old son going to live in another city. At the third meeting with the club, she finally relented, on the condition that Alex completed 8th grade before he left.

“77km divide Padova and San Vendemiano, 77km which were the exact distance between the child I was no longer and the man I was becoming”
– Alessandro Del Piero

Del Piero was the model of a young professional. He dedicated himself to his football and his studies, setting the highest standards and never once the source of trouble. However, those early years in Padova were undeniably challenging. His homesickness was eased by an enduring friendship he struck up with teammate, Ivone De Franceschi. Gradually, Del Piero’s personality began to shine through and his teammates grew to recognise the mischievous twinkle in his eye.

In-coming Padova Sporting Director Piero Aggradi remembers a pivotal moment in 1989 when the then-head of the youth sector recommended that Del Piero be released. But Aggradi wasn’t sure and sought a second opinion before ultimately deciding to keep Del Piero on. Soon enough, Del Piero began to fill out physically and Aggradi’s faith in the youngster’s potential was vindicated.

Del Piero’s phenomenal goalscoring exploits in the youth ranks for Padova led to his selection for the 1991 under-17 World Cup. Whilst Italy succumbed to a disappointing Group Stage exit on home soil, 16-year-old Del Piero emerged from the competition with an enhanced reputation. A well-taken goal against China that saw him juggle the ball in the area before applying a neat finish was the highlight of his truncated tournament.

Unfazed by the growing chatter about his potential, Del Piero returned to his Primavera duties with Padova. It would be a full 9 months before he made his senior bow as a late substitute in Messina (March 1992). Padova were not entirely safe from relegation and recognised that they needed to blood this rare talent carefully. A 17-year-old Del Piero made a handful of first-team appearances without getting on the scoresheet.

Del Piero vividly remembers the day he made his full debut, “For the first time I felt a strange sensation, adrenaline-filled, difficult to define. But I liked it. From then on, every time I found myself having to take on a great responsibility, whether it was taking a decisive penalty, a free kick at the end of the game or attempting a decisive play, it was like reliving the sensations of that moment. I can say that I discovered a new Alessandro”.

The following season, Del Piero found himself very much in the plans of newly-appointed Padova coach, Gino Stacchini. He was handed a full home debut in November 1992, which was quickly followed by his first goal, an angled drive in the 5-0 demolition of Ternana.

Del Piero’s mature performances in a Padova shirt were attracting a growing ensemble of admirers. However, it was on the international stage, with the Italy under-18 team, where Del Piero exploded onto the scene. During a busy sequence of games in the autumn of 1992, Del Piero struck ten goals in seven matches for the Azzurri, including a clinical hat trick against Poland.

As the 1992/93 reached its conclusion, the heavyweights of Italian football were closing in on Del Piero. Fiorentina, Milan and Juventus – the team Del Piero supported as a child – had been routinely dispatching their scouts to Padova. The Bianconeri eventually tabled an offer of L2 billion, surpassing what others were willing to offer for the teenager. What appeared to be profligate in the eyes of her rivals would transpire to be a moment of tremendous wisdom from the Old Lady.

Juventus were attempting to reclaim the ground they had lost to rivals Milan and Inter in recent years. But they were having to do so on a budget. Dwindling profits at their parent company, Fiat, meant that Sporting Director Giampiero Boniperti was looking to the future with the signings of Del Piero (18), Alessio Tacchinardi (18) and Andrea Fortunato (22). Meanwhile, the more established names of David Platt and Pierluigi Casiraghi were ushered to the exit door to balance the books.

“I will have new and more important responsibilities and the pleasure of playing with Roberto Baggio. I will discover day after day what it means to be close to him.”
– Alessandro Del Piero

Such was Juventus’ financial predicament, they offset Del Piero’s transfer fee by sending goalkeeper Adriano Buonaiuti in the opposite direction and agreeing to play a pre-season friendly in Padova. Del Piero therefore made his very first outing in a black and white shirt in the city where he had come of age. As Del Piero entered the pitch that afternoon, warm applause rang around Stadio Appiani; there was an overriding sense of pride, tinged with regret that Del Piero would continue his journey away from Padova.

Del Piero was presumed to be a long-term investment for Juventus. With Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Baggio, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Andreas Moeller ahead of him in the pecking order, the youngster was expected to play only a supporting role in Giovanni Trapattoni’s team. And that’s how it began, with a few minutes here and there from the substitutes bench.

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However, by the time the first green shoots of Spring appeared, an injury crisis had blown a hole in Juventus’ front line. The Bianconeri turned to 19-year-old Del Piero, who seized the opportunity. His devastating hat-trick in the demolition of rivals Parma definitively heralded the arrival of a new superstar in Serie A.

From there, he never looked back.

The unassuming boy from Prosecco country became a Juventus icon and a national hero; a six-time Scudetto winner, conquerer of the Champions League and a World Champion. He was tenacious, loyal, and above all, brilliant. In homes and bars, in the stadium and online, Del Piero’s story will be told and re-told for generations to come.

A story that began in Padova.