Del Piero out for remainder of season

November 13, 1998
CNN/SI

TURIN, Italy -- Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero will miss the remainder of the Italian season with a torn a ligament in his left knee that will require surgery in about two weeks, the club announced Friday.

Juventus made the announcement following examinations by a French specialist Pierre Chambat in Lyon, where he confirmed the "worst expectations."

Del Piero injured the knee in a collision with an Udinese defender in last Sunday's league match, delivering a sever blow to Juventus' hopes of a third consecutive "scudetto" or Italian league title.

The Turin club, which is owned by the Agnelli family of auto tycoons, is expected to possibly sign a new forward when the transfer market re-opens in January.

The injury capped an unlucky year for Del Piero, one of the more creative and popular Italian strikers.

He pulled a muscle in the Champions Cup final lost by Juventus to Real Madrid in May and had a streak of unimpressive performances with Italy in the World Cup.

Club officials said Del Piero will undergo surgery by the end of November at an undisclosed clinic.
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