Alessandro Del Piero
Born 1974 · Age 51
Italian former professional footballer (second striker/forward). Long-serving Juventus captain and club record-holder for goals and appearances; 2006 World Cup winner with Italy. Later played for Sydney FC and Delhi Dynamos and became a pundit for Sky Sport Italia.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Conegliano, Italy
Alessandro Del Piero was born in Conegliano, Veneto, son of Gino (electrician) and Bruna (housekeeper).
Started playing with San Vendemiano youth
Began his rise to professional football in the ranks of local club San Vendemiano.
Joined Padova youth system
Spotted by scouts and left home at 13/14 to join Padova's youth side.
Promoted to Padova senior team
Joined Padova senior side during the 1991–92 season (Serie B).
Serie B debut for Padova
Made his senior professional debut in Serie B vs Messina (substitute for Roberto Putelli).
First professional goal
Scored his first professional goal in a 5–0 win over Ternana for Padova.
Transferred to Juventus (purchase by Boniperti)
Juventus signed Del Piero for five billion lire with an overlap fee arrangement (bought from Padova).
Serie A debut for Juventus
Made his Serie A debut against Foggia under Giovanni Trapattoni (as a substitute).
First goal for Juventus
Scored his first Juventus goal in his second game (against Reggiana).
Juventus youth titles (Viareggio & U-20)
Helped Juventus Primavera/youth side to win the 1994 Torneo di Viareggio and the 1994 U-20 championship.
Full debut hat-trick vs Parma
On his first full start for Juventus he scored a hat-trick against Parma, announcing himself on a big stage.
Serie A title & Coppa Italia (1994–95)
Part of the Juventus squad that won Serie A (first scudetto in nine years) and the 1994–95 Coppa Italia.
Placed 4th in Ballon d'Or
Placed fourth in the 1995 Ballon d'Or following breakthrough season.
UEFA Super Cup & Intercontinental Cup wins; Bravo Award
Won the 1996 UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup (man of the match in latter) and received the Bravo Award as best U-23 in Europe.
UEFA Champions League winner (1995–96)
Integral member of the Juventus side that won the 1995–96 Champions League (scored 6 goals in the competition).
Scored in 1997 Champions League Final
Came off the bench to score with a back-heel in the 1997 Champions League Final (Juventus lost 3–1 to Dortmund).
Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year (1998)
Awarded the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year for 1998 performances.
Best club season to date; Serie A title (1997–98)
Scored a career-best 32 goals in all competitions, Juventus won Serie A; Del Piero was one of the standout players of the season.
Top scorer in 1997–98 UEFA Champions League
Finished as the Champions League top scorer in 1997–98 with 10 goals, including a hat-trick vs Monaco.
Serious knee injury
Suffered a major knee injury late in a 2–2 draw with Udinese, which kept him out for the remainder of the season.
UEFA Intertoto Cup winner
Helped Juventus win the 1999 Intertoto Cup, securing UEFA Cup qualification.
World's best-paid footballer (reported)
In 2000 Del Piero was reported to be the world's best-paid player from salaries, bonuses and endorsements.
Named Juventus captain (Lippi returns)
Appointed Juventus captain following Marcello Lippi's return to the club.
100th & 101st goals for Juventus
Scored his 100th and 101st goals for Juventus (against Venezia on 26 August 2001).
Supercoppa Italiana winner & scored twice
Opened the 2002–03 season winning the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana over Parma, Del Piero scored two goals.
Serie A champions (2001–02)
Juventus won the 2001–02 Serie A title; Del Piero key contributor (scored 16 league goals that season).
100th Serie A goal
Scored his 100th Serie A goal in a 2–1 win over Brescia (27 April 2003).
Champions League Final (2003) — penalty scorer
Played in the 2003 UEFA Champions League final vs AC Milan; match went to penalties and Del Piero converted his spot-kick but Juventus lost the shootout.
Named in FIFA 100 and UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll
Inclusion in FIFA 100 (Pelé's list of 125 greatest living players) and the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll (50 best European players).
Juventus relegated to Serie B due to Calciopoli; Del Piero stayed
Following the Calciopoli scandal Juventus were relegated and stripped of two titles; Del Piero pledged to remain with Juventus and captain the side in Serie B.
2006 FIFA World Cup winner with Italy
Member of the Italy national team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Became Juventus' all-time leading goalscorer
Scored a hat-trick in the Coppa Italia vs Fiorentina to reach 185 goals, surpassing Giampiero Boniperti's record.
Serie B champions (2006–07) & top scorer
Helped Juventus gain immediate promotion as Serie B champions; Del Piero finished as top scorer in Serie B with 20 goals and scored his 200th goal for the club on 21 Oct 2006.
Contract renewal to 30 June 2010
After the club returned to Serie A Del Piero negotiated and signed a new contract extending to 30 June 2010; around this time he also became a father (birth of first child).
Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer) 2007–08 — 21 goals
Finished the 2007–08 Serie A season as top scorer with 21 goals, winning the Capocannoniere for the first time in Serie A (had been top scorer in Serie B the previous season).
Set new Juventus appearance record
On 6 April 2008 he overtook Gaetano Scirea's tally of 552 matches to set a new Juventus appearance record.
Scored a brace at the Bernabéu (Juventus 0–2 Real Madrid)
Scored both goals in Juventus' historic 0–2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu on 5 November 2008, receiving a standing ovation from both sets of supporters.
250th goal for Juventus
Scored his 250th goal for Juventus (penalty) in a 4–0 home win over Reggina on 29 November 2008.
Extended contract to 30 June 2011
Del Piero extended his Juventus contract by one year, keeping him at the club through the 2010–11 season.
Broke Boniperti's club Serie A appearance record (445th Serie A appearance)
On 14 February 2010 he marked his 445th Serie A appearance, breaking the all-time Juventus club record previously held by Giampiero Boniperti.
300th and 301st career goals
Recorded his 300th and 301st career goals in a 3–3 draw with Siena (14 March 2010).
Became Juventus' all-time top scorer in Serie A
On 30 October 2010 he scored his 179th Serie A goal, surpassing Giampiero Boniperti as Juventus's top scorer in Serie A.
Most capped Juventus player
With his substitution against Cagliari on 5 February 2011, Del Piero became the most capped Juventus player, edging Boniperti.
Signed one-year contract to stay (2011–12 season)
Signed a new one-year contract to stay with Juventus for the 2011–12 season.
Juventus announced his last season with the club
Juventus confirmed the 2011–12 season would be Del Piero's final season at the club after 19 years.
700th appearance for Juventus & free-kick winner vs Lazio
On 11 April 2012 he made his 700th appearance for Juventus and scored a free-kick to secure a 2–1 win over Lazio.
Scored in final league game as Juventus won 28th Serie A title (undefeated season)
Started Juventus's final league game of the season vs Atalanta, scored, and was substituted to a lap of honour; Juventus completed an undefeated Serie A season and clinched the title.
Final match for Juventus (Coppa Italia Final) and left club
Played his final match for Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final (lost 2–0 to Napoli). Left club at end of contract and became a free agent; total Juventus totals later recorded as 705 appearances and 290 goals.
Signed for Sydney FC (A-League) — two-year deal
Signed a two-year contract with Sydney FC; reported salary approx AU$3.5 million per season, making him the highest-paid footballer in Australian history at the time.
A-League debut for Sydney FC
Made his A-League debut on 6 October 2012 in a 2–0 away loss to Wellington Phoenix.
First goal for Sydney FC
Scored his first Sydney FC goal (a free-kick) in a 3–2 loss to Newcastle Jets on 13 October 2012 (his first home game).
Four-goal haul for Sydney FC vs Wellington Phoenix
Scored four goals and provided one assist in a 7–1 Sydney win — his first time scoring more than three in a single match.
Renewed Sydney FC contract until 2014
Extended his contract with Sydney FC through 2014 and was named club captain for 2013–14 season.
Captained A-League All Stars vs Juventus
On 10 August 2014 he captained the Hyundai A-League All Stars in a match against his former club Juventus in Sydney (attendance over 55,000).
Signed for Delhi Dynamos (Indian Super League) — four-month deal
Signed a short-term contract with Delhi Dynamos for the inaugural ISL season; reported as one of the highest-paid players in Indian football history.
Delhi Dynamos debut
Made his debut for Delhi Dynamos in a 0–0 draw vs Pune City (14 Oct 2014).
First and only goal for Delhi Dynamos
Scored from a free-kick in a 2–2 draw against Chennaiyin (9 Dec 2014); finished the ISL season with 10 appearances.
Began work as pundit for Sky Sport Italia
Since 2015 Del Piero has worked as a TV pundit for Sky Sport Italia.
Career totals & club records (summary point)
Left Juventus as club record holder with 705 appearances and 290 goals; career totals across clubs later cited as 462–462/346/462 in various counts — widely reported as 462 or 462+ goals across all matches depending on inclusion criteria.
Announced retirement from professional football
Officially communicated his retirement from professional football in October 2015 and indicated intent to pursue a coaching career; began punditry later.
Recognitions and legacy (ongoing)
Widely acclaimed as one of Italy's greatest forwards: multiple Serie A Footballer of the Year awards, Golden Foot, inclusion in FIFA 100, many club and international records; active media figure and ambassador for the sport.
Key Achievement Ages
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