Del Piero backs Juve to beat United

March 31, 1999
Sporting Life

Juventus ace Alessandro Del Piero is backing his team-mates to knock out Manchester United and hand him a dream ending to a nightmare season.

The Italian international has been out of action since last November with knee ligament damage.

Injury also saw him miss last season's Champions' League final defeat against Real Madrid.

But he is now praying for a semi-final victory for the Turin giants over United next month that could yet see him return for the final in Barcelona on May 26.

"It would be great to be able to say in a few months' time that my troubles started in one European Champions' League final and finished in another," he said.

"It would be marvellous.

"And I want to believe it could happen, even though that won't shorten my recovery time.

"The conditions would have to be right even for me to be on the substitutes' bench."

As for the battle with Alex Ferguson's men, with the first leg at Old Trafford next Wednesday, he said: "We know that it's going to be tough against Manchester United.

"But if Juventus play like they can, that will be enough."

The brilliant 24-year-old is determined to see a miserable season off in the best possible way.

"I'm living it in a positive, optimistic way," he said.

"In times like this, you develop as a person, you reach for the strength and the motivation you have inside you, and it makes you realise how important, and how unimportant, certain things are.

"One thing is for certain, I'll be different when I come back.

"Probably with a stronger personality."

Realistically, though, that will not be until the summer.

"The hope is to join the rest of the squad for the start of pre-season training in July," he said.
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