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The question may seem unusual but it is worth asking. I'll give an introduction to those unacquainted with Pinturicchio.
Alessandro Del Piero has always been an inscrutable figure of Italian football. In 1998, many hailed him as the next successor to Baggio but Del Piero, obviously struggling with injury, failed to deliver and Christian Vieri stole the limelight during the World Cup.
Then Del Piero injured himself against Udinese. Critics and fans alike say that he never recovered from that injury, even if some apologists point to his newly-discovered physical approach to the game. That scarcely rises to the level of his earlier genius, in my opinion.
The nadir of his career, arguably, was when he missed two sitters in the Euro2000 Final. Those missed chances proved fatal, as Italy fell to a French team they had largely dominated.
A few months after that loss, his father passed away in February 2001.
In the 2002 World Cup, Del Piero scored a timely equalizer against Mexico but Italy would have progressed anyway since Ecuador stunned Croatia 1-0. Against South Korea, Trapattoni, intent on giving incompetence a bad name, took him off when Italy were leading 1-0. I don't need to recount any further.
There was then the 2003 loss to Milan in the Champions League Final. True, Del Piero was not exactly poor in that game but he barely made an impression.
Del Piero's redemption at international level came this past World Cup; no one was more overjoyed than I when he scored the second goal against Germany and no one was more relieved than I when he converted the penultimate penalty.
But even that wasn't emphatic redemption. Grosso had effectively killed off the Germans and the same player stepped up to take the most decisive penalty (even though I think De Rossi's was equally crucial).
Moreover, Italy's triumph this past summer was not built on a virtuoso attacker. The back-line stole the plaudits and Pirlo was the only player further up the park that deserved commensurate acclaim.
So, now that Del Piero is playing in Serie B, trying to help his Juventus bounce back, what are your opinions of the player -- either currently or of his entire career? Aside from the reductive poll poser, what do you think of Del Piero?
I know there are some on here who love him (waft springs to mind); in my opinion they have undeniable discernment. There are still others who have maybe never forgiven him for Euro2000 or maybe some who are just ambivalent towards him. Even Del Piero's greatest admirers have been whimsical in his praise. The late Gianni Agnelli gave Del Piero the name Pinturicchio, in honour of the Renaissance painter. He then, rather trenchantly, likened Del Piero to Godot (a character from Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot) as Del Piero struggled to find his old self after injury.
I'm a big fan of all aspects of Del Piero -- from his understated, modest disposition to his more explosive side (plainly evident in the cathartic celebrations after the second goal against Germany). I have even forgiven him for Euro2000 as I now see that as a necessary event in Del Piero's bittersweet career.
Alessandro Del Piero has always been an inscrutable figure of Italian football. In 1998, many hailed him as the next successor to Baggio but Del Piero, obviously struggling with injury, failed to deliver and Christian Vieri stole the limelight during the World Cup.
Then Del Piero injured himself against Udinese. Critics and fans alike say that he never recovered from that injury, even if some apologists point to his newly-discovered physical approach to the game. That scarcely rises to the level of his earlier genius, in my opinion.
The nadir of his career, arguably, was when he missed two sitters in the Euro2000 Final. Those missed chances proved fatal, as Italy fell to a French team they had largely dominated.
A few months after that loss, his father passed away in February 2001.
In the 2002 World Cup, Del Piero scored a timely equalizer against Mexico but Italy would have progressed anyway since Ecuador stunned Croatia 1-0. Against South Korea, Trapattoni, intent on giving incompetence a bad name, took him off when Italy were leading 1-0. I don't need to recount any further.
There was then the 2003 loss to Milan in the Champions League Final. True, Del Piero was not exactly poor in that game but he barely made an impression.
Del Piero's redemption at international level came this past World Cup; no one was more overjoyed than I when he scored the second goal against Germany and no one was more relieved than I when he converted the penultimate penalty.
But even that wasn't emphatic redemption. Grosso had effectively killed off the Germans and the same player stepped up to take the most decisive penalty (even though I think De Rossi's was equally crucial).
Moreover, Italy's triumph this past summer was not built on a virtuoso attacker. The back-line stole the plaudits and Pirlo was the only player further up the park that deserved commensurate acclaim.
So, now that Del Piero is playing in Serie B, trying to help his Juventus bounce back, what are your opinions of the player -- either currently or of his entire career? Aside from the reductive poll poser, what do you think of Del Piero?
I know there are some on here who love him (waft springs to mind); in my opinion they have undeniable discernment. There are still others who have maybe never forgiven him for Euro2000 or maybe some who are just ambivalent towards him. Even Del Piero's greatest admirers have been whimsical in his praise. The late Gianni Agnelli gave Del Piero the name Pinturicchio, in honour of the Renaissance painter. He then, rather trenchantly, likened Del Piero to Godot (a character from Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot) as Del Piero struggled to find his old self after injury.
I'm a big fan of all aspects of Del Piero -- from his understated, modest disposition to his more explosive side (plainly evident in the cathartic celebrations after the second goal against Germany). I have even forgiven him for Euro2000 as I now see that as a necessary event in Del Piero's bittersweet career.
Last edited by Forza Italia!Forza Milan! on Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
