Del Piero: "I am afraid of nandrolone"

November 23, 2001
Sportal

On a Juventus that, between ups and downs, tries to assimilate Marcello Lippi's ideas, Alex Del Piero has gone back to being decisive again. In an exclusive interview to Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, the black-and-white captain talks about his rebirth, about Juve ("I want to stay here for the rest of my life") and about the World Cup. He would like to play the Euro2000 final against France again, "as a starter and in a different way". He reveals that his best match ever has been "the one with River Plate for the Intercontinental Cup, but the most beautiful goal has been the one I scored against Fiorentina" and explains that since last February he came out of the crisis: "Everything has changed since my father passed away. It seems absurd but from that moment on, it's like my profession has been unblocked. But it's not absurd because I could see and think about many things".

Del Piero also gives his opinion about the "Baggio to the World Cup" affair: "His call-up is seen as a problem by some people, and as an opportunity by other people. It's a little bit like what happened in 1998: I remember well how things went then".

He reveals his fears of doping after the Guardiola case: "I am afraid myself, something has to be done. Whenever I am picked for the drug test, I think: "Let's hope everything goes well", even though I don't take anything, naturally. It seems impossible to me that, in a moment like this, such things happen to players like Guardiola. That's why I say: let's be alert before censuring the others; there are so many unclear things. To me there's a big question mark over this argument". His best friend on football? "Di Livio. Inzaghi? Well, Pippo is several steps below Di Livio".
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