Del Piero signs five year deal

June 29, 1999
Juventus Official Site

Juventus have finally reached an agreement concerning the renewal of Alessandro Del Piero's contract. The player will stay with The Bianconeri for another 5 years.

Del Piero gave a long press conference in front of hoards of cameras and journalists. At his side were Luciano Moggi and his two agents Pasqualin and D'Amico, as well as his brother Stefano. He was casually dressed and wore a satisfied smile, rarely seen of late.

"I'm very, very happy. The club and I are going to work together, not just from the competitive point of view but also in terms of the image. I know I have signed something very important for my life: five years mean everything and includes the period of my maturity and yet the desire to stay at Juve has always been stronger than the problems that I have had to solve to bring this difficult negotiation to an end."

"Additional responsibilities? The responsibilities are the same as ever, the difference being that now I've been changed and moulded by the experience of eight months off the pitch".

The contract is very modern, even by Juventus' standards, but the player was clear: "The price for a footballer now follow the market laws but for me the money wasn't the main point of this story.

"The prices for a footballer now follow the market laws but for me the money wasn't the main point. Obviously the money will enable me to have an easy life but it isn't everything.

"An NBA-type contract? I'd like to meet some of them, I… After the win in Tokyo I said I wanted to reach the top and, if I said that, it was thanks to the drawing force of the love for this sport. A sport which I miss incredibly, that I can't wait to get back to playing.

"I've started to train now and hope to be almost up there with the others by 10 July. It's just a matter of getting a new ligament used to certain stresses and movements."

Del Piero says he never doubted the successful outcome of this deal: "I never thought it wouldn't come off. And seeing as at the beginning I sometimes showed myself up, I hope that the club will continue to believe in me.

"The same goes for the fans, I don't think I'll have to win them over again. It's just a pity that certain team-mates and friends have gone. I'll have to find another room-mate now that Di Livio's gone. It'll be my second goal after getting back on the pitch…"

Del Piero's final comments were about this multi-million pound contract which will be talked about for a long time.

"I still believe in loyalty even if many players no longer do. I don't think I'm old-fashioned just because I'm tying myself to Juventus for a total of eleven years, on the contrary. I'm certain that wearing this shirt is my one great wish and I wouldn't do it if I didn't know that the club wants it too - they've shown they want to invest in me."
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