Alex exclusive

December 2, 2000
Juventus Official Site

After a time spent away from the cameras and journalists, working in silence and concentration, Alex Del Piero decided it was once again time to speak about Juve and his own form, especially after his impressive performance in the San Siro against Internazionale in Sunday evening’s clash.

It has been a difficult time what with elimination from the Champions League and having to get used to the inevitable moments spent on the bench which a large squad and rotation policies dictate. "Not only on the bench, in the stands too, let’s not forget!" pointed out Alex. "The media always speak of just four strikers fighting over two starting places, but one shouldn’t forget other areas of the pitch. There are players of great quality such as [Fabian] O’Neill and young promising players like [Marco] Zanchi who are currently often in the stands."

It’s not an easy situation to manage, given that it’s never enjoyable for a player to have to sit out a match. But Juve are a very close-knit group of players and there are no problems amongst them. "We all accept the situation, although when you’re left out you still remain unhappy about it. That’s normal, but let’s not forget that we put ourselves in this situation. Had we been competing in more than one competition there would have been more space for others," he explained.

"Unfortunately things didn’t go our way and so we must concentrate on our one objective. If we keep our minds fixed on this objective then all Carlo Ancelotti’s decisions will be acceptable, because what counts is the good of the team."

On a more personal note, Alex is quite happy with his current contribution. "Let’s say that my form fluctuates with that of the team. I played a good match at the San Siro, but we can’t allow ourselves to drop a two goal lead, to allow the opposition to catch us like that. When you can win, you must. At the moment our main rival is Roma, but the one thing I’m missing is the odd goal."
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