Former Juventus goalkeeper, Michelangelo Rampulla has slammed Alessandro Del Piero and says he is not a leader after the striker refused to help one of his clubs.
Del Piero remains one of the best strikers Europe has ever produced and he was a leading figure in the Juventus and Italian national team dressing room.
But he wasn’t always perfect and Rampulla, who probably expected too much from him, relates a story of how the former striker refused to help him at Ferrara.
He said as quoted by Calciomercato:
“Del Piero? He is a friend, we have raised him since he was in the Primavera. When I was on the staff of Ferrara, we asked him for help, to stay with the team, but two days later he took his personal trainer and minded his own business.
“What leader is a guy like that? The leader doesn’t do that. He told us he would help us and instead he was just playing practice games.
“So they don’t recognize you as a leader, if a comrade screwed up and did it. go hug is for the audience, not for the group. He was the strongest of all, he always had to be. “
Juve FC Says
No one knows the reason Del Piero did what he did, but that singular act cannot discredit him for all the great things he did during his playing career.
The striker remains one of the best players Juve has had in the last few decades and he is also an outstanding leader.
The current Juve dressing room is crying for a striker of his quality, not just for his goals, but for his leadership skills as well.
Paulo Dybala is the attacker to lead this Juve attack in the next few years, but the Argentinian’s fitness looks set to affect his contribution to the Bianconeri team.
Dusan Vlahovic could bring the impact that Del Piero made back to Juve, but signing him would be much harder than when the Bianconeri brought Del Piero in from Padova in 1993.
