SoccerAfter all these years, Del Piero sill a class act

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Juventus' forward Alessandro Del Piero celebrates his 179th Serie A goal on Saturday. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

The passage of time has not slowed down Alessandro Del Piero one bit.

Del Piero turns 36 next week, but the man they call Il Pinturicchio continues to be a crucial player for Juventus, scoring important goals along the way.

Del Piero stabbed home a shot in the 65th minute against AC Milan on Saturday, his goal standing up as the winner to give Juventus its first victory at San Siro in six years.

The strike from close distance was also a historical one, allowing Del Piero to collect his 178th Serie A goal and eclipse Giampiero Boniperti's club record.

That the Italian maestro is one of the best players of his generation goes without saying.

Demonstrating ballet-like grace and mesmerizing skill, Del Piero has won the respect and admiration of teammates and opponents alike for his work ethic and dedication every time he steps onto the field - former teammate Ruben Olivera said when he was first introduced to Del Piero, "it was like touching the heavens with my finger."

Indeed, a 19-year-old Del Piero had the weight of the world on his shoulders when he arrived in Turin in 1993. Heralded as the new golden boy of Italian football, Del Piero lived up to the hype, so much so that no less of a player than Roberto Baggio became surplus to requirements and was sold off to AC Milan two years later.

Consummate loyalty

Del Piero helped to deliver Juventus several league titles and a Champions League crown, on top of scoring a boatload of goals. But he is much more about championships and statistics.

His most enduring quality is his loyalty and commitment.

What does Del Piero mean to Juventus? Think about what Ryan Giggs means to Manchester United, and you'll get a sense of how important of a player Del Piero has been the Juventus cause over the years.

While Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a host of others jumped ship in 2006 when Juventus was demoted to Serie B as punishment for its role in the calciopoli scandal, Del Piero stayed put. Coming off a starring role in Italy's World Cup victory, he was in high demand, with several clubs looking to procure his services and he could have easily written his own ticket.

But Del Piero remained loyal to the club that made him a star, and helped the Bianconeri win promotion to Serie A at the first time of asking.

Such is the character of a person who leads an exemplary life away from the game. A devoted family man, Del Piero has never been fodder for the tabloids because he carries himself with an aura of humility, shunning the trappings of celebrity that so many of his contemporaries actively seek and revel in.

Be it match-fixing penalties, Juventus doping trials or relegated to a role of a bench-warmer under Fabio Capello, Del Piero has never spoken out, never acted out, never pouted, never acted like a spoiled brat, never complained.

In short, he has never wavered in his love for Juventus.

Even today, when he only ever sees first-team action when a teammate is injured of suspended, Del Piero quietly goes about his business and continues to beguile opponents - AC Milan being the latest victims of his genius.

Some of the game's all-time greats have worn the famous black-and-white striped shirt of Juventus - including Boniperti, Platini, Zidane, Baggio, Sivori, and Zoff.

But Del Piero remains the ultimate symbol of Juventus as a beacon of class, dignity and grace.

Follow John F. Molinaro on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/JohnMolinaro

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