Baggio, Ravanelli send comfort to Del Piero

November 11, 1998
SportsServer

MILAN - Roberto Baggio has told his international rival Alessandro Del Piero not to rush back from injury.

Del Piero will be out for five months after damaging knee ligaments last weekend and Baggio, who competed with him for a place in Italy's team at the World Cup, was sympathetic.

"I feel great disappointment and also great solidarity for Alex," said Baggio, whose own career has had its share of injury torment.

"No-one more than me can understand what he's going through at the moment. The only advice I could give him would be to not to rush things. I tried to take things too quickly once and I lost two years.

"It's better if he just concentrates on making a good recovery."

Baggio was due to make his own return from injury on Wednesday afternoon, after nearly two months out with tendon trouble, in Inter Milan's Italian Cup third round, second leg tie at Castel Di Sangro.

There was a message of support too from former strike partner Fabrizio Ravanelli, now with French league leaders Olympique Marseille but tipped to replace Del Piero when the transfer market re-opens on January 4.

Del Piero comforted Ravanelli when the he had to leave Italy's World Cup training camp at Senlis.

And Ravanelli told Tuttosport on Wednesday: "Now it's my turn to give him some encouragement. Alessandro has always shown his maturity, in the good times and the bad times. He's a champion and I'm sure that will come out.

"I'm very sorry for him, he's a friend."

The centre-forward also revealed he was willing to make a surprise return to the club he served from 1992-96, before joining Middlesbrough after Juventus' European Cup final triumph over Ajax Amsterdam.

"A bolt from the blue can be harmful, but it can also light up the world," he said. "Today I'm with Marseille and I'm happy living in Marseille, and being top of the French championship.

"But before that I was a Juventus man. And I cannot forget that. I will always remember that goal I scored in the European Cup final in Rome. It was our greatest triumph, the one we wanted most.

"For that especially, I am proud to have played for Juventus. Winning is my job and perhaps for that reason, something incredible might happen."
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