Del Piero in surprise return

July 29, 1999
Juventus Official Site

Everyone has been awaiting his return, for almost nine months now, since that unforgettable day in November. It was November 8 when Juventus were both knocked off the top of the table and lost their star player, one who had saved the day on many occasions in recent years. Now Del Piero is ready for his big comeback. As the team’s doctors, coach Ancelotti and the player himself have often repeated, his primary objective is to be fit for the first Serie A match of the season at the end of August.
 

But between now and then Alex will gear himself up for the season by playing official matches. After a series of short training matches and a friendly against a Valle d’Aosta XI, in which he was on target, Del Piero will be facing real opposition.

The date to remember is August 4, when Juventus play their second leg against Rostselmash in Cesena, following their 4-0 victory in the first leg. Reaching the Intertoto Cup final will be virtually a formality now, but the match means a lot more to Del Piero. It will be another important step towards full match fitness for him.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti was the first to break the news: "It’s still not 100 per cent sure, but there is every chance that Alex will play in at least part of the match in Cesena. He will have to start by finding his feet in a match situation."

Dr Agricola, head of the Bianconeri’s medical staff, agrees: "As far as I am concerned, Alex can play. In the next few days the coach, myself and the player will decide the how and when of his comeback."

Alex carried on with his normal training programme on Monday and Wednesday - working on physical fitness in the gym in the morning and technical training on the pitch in the afternoon.

Now he has two days off which have been granted to all those who played in Rostov and to players like himself, Zidane and Esnaider, who stayed behind at the training ground. Everyone is due back in Chatillon on Saturday.

Iuliano, Davids and Kovacevic came back from Russia with slight niggles, but Dr Agricola said that it was nothing serious. The defender left the pitch early after he was injured on the right shin. The Dutch midfielder Davids has a slight muscular injury, while Kovacevic has dislocated his right elbow, but not seriously.
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