Alex is the Azzurri's hero

October 7, 2001
Juventus Official Site

One of the leading players at Juve, and now one of the leading players for Italy. The start of the football season carries ever more the imprint of Alex Del Piero. He's already scored important goals this season, and he added to these yesterday, with the one goal that proved enough to beat Hungary, and secured Italy's world cup qualification.

Referring to the goal, he said: "I'm very happy, obviously for the goal, but above all for the fact that Italy has now qualified for the next World cup finals. I think we've deserved to qualify, for the way that we've played in the last few months, and for the fact that we have always led the group. We all had a fierce desire to ensure qualification, and I think that you all saw that tonight. We started the match well, right from the outset, expending energy, perhaps even nervous energy. We are a young side, but already we are quite expert. Now, in the world cup, we should take our anger at being eliminated from the finals three times in a row on penalties, and turn it into a positive motivation. However, I'm sure we'll talk about all this again, in the next few months".

At Parma we saw a Del Piero who looked excellent on the ball, and who seemed in great condition; confirming the impression that he had already made at Trondheim with Juve ten days earlier. However, above all, he seems fine psychologically. "Feeling satisfied in my work is the thing that helps me most; it gives me enthusiasm and motivation. However, even in the more difficult moments, I worked really hard. I feel I'm an ever better footballer for having gone through these moments, but that wasn't the objective. My happiest moment since the injury? I think it's been my gradual improvement in form".

Now Del Piero has turned his focus back to Juventus, and in particular to the champions league match against Porto on Wednesday night. "It's an important match for us. We've done well in the first two matches of the group, and we sit on top of the table, but this doesn't give us complete tranquillity. We've had Porto watched, and they look like a good side, with some players that we should keep an eye on. It will be a difficult game, especially as we are playing at their ground. Furthermore, it will mark the  start of a really intensive period for us".
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