Alessandro Del Piero is Juventus' all-time leading scorer with 201 goals. (Max Solinas/Associated Press)

Soccer fans in Turin are doing penance for the sins of Juventus, but that doesn't mean they have abandoned the famous Italian club as it languishes in purgatory.

When Juventus played its home opener of the Serie B season in September, supporters displayed a massive banner stretching across the end section of Turin's Stadio Olimpico in bold letters that read, "NON IMPORTE DOVE, SIAMO SEMPRE CON VOI."

"It doesn't matter where, we'll always be with you."

The devotion of the Juventus tifosi (fans) has not been lost on captain Alessandro Del Piero who blew kisses to them last Saturday after scoring his 200th goal for the club in a 1-0 victory over Frosinone.

Over the years, soccer fans have grown increasingly cynical of such public displays by players because more often than not they have pledged their undying allegiance to their club one minute only to hightail it out of town on a multi-million dollar transfer the next.

Del Piero is a notable exception. His love affair with Juventus, famously referred to as La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady) in Italian press circles, is beyond question - it is romance that has endured in sickness and in health.

The relationship between the former golden boy of Italian soccer and Italy's most successful club began in 1993 when he transferred to Juventus from Serie B team Padova.

At 19 years of age, Del Piero had the weight of the soccer world on his shoulders when he arrived in Turin. But he lived up to the hype and in 1995 Juventus showed how much they valued him when they sold star forward Roberto Baggio, who was named FIFA's World Player of the Year just two years earlier, to AC Milan.

By selling Baggio to their archrivals, Juventus was banking its future on Del Piero, a risky move at the time, but as it turned out, a wise investment that has paid off handsomely.

Del Piero has been to Juventus what Steve Yzerman was to the Detroit Red Wings: the heart and soul of the team. Del Piero played a pivotal role in turning around a fledgling squad that went eight straight seasons (an eternity in soccer) without a single Serie A title back into a soccer superpower.

In his 14 seasons in Turin, Del Piero helped Juventus win five Serie A titles, one Champions League crown, the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup and a host of other major trophies. As the club's all-time leading scorer, his standing as the greatest player in Juventus' 109-year history is unquestioned.

Numbers and statistics only tell half the tale, though.

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

Long before David Beckham became famous for bending the ball, Del Piero developed a dangerous curling, dipping free kick that he used time and time again to fire past helpless goalkeepers; in fact, the 10-yard area outside the penalty box from where he routinely took his free kicks became known simply as La Zona Del Piero (The Del Piero Zone).

Like any relationship, Del Piero and Juventus have experienced some rough patches.

Del Piero's artistry on the field earned him several flattering nicknames - most notably "Pinturicchio," the famous Renaissance painter - but it was Gianni Agnelli, Juventus' late patron, who renamed Del Piero "Godot" because he was tired of waiting for his star forward to regain his top form after suffering a debilitating knee injury during the 1998-99 season.

He eventually did re-discover his scoring touch and helped Juventus fill its crowded trophy cabinet with four more Serie A titles.

The last two, won in 2005 and 2006, were taken away as punishment for the club's involvement in the match-fixing scandal that rocked Italian soccer weeks prior to this year's World Cup.

Though the players were not involved, Italian soccer authorities showed little mercy and booted Juventus from Serie A. For the first time in its storied history, Juventus, the flag bearers of Italian soccer, were demoted to Serie B.

After being betrayed by club management, Del Piero would have been well within his right to demand a transfer like so many of his other teammates did.

At 31 years old, Del Piero's career is beginning to wind down. He still has several good years left in him, to be sure, but time is precious, and a player of his calibre can't afford to spend an entire season in Italy's second division.

And yet, just days after scoring in Italy's shootout victory over France in the World Cup final, Del Piero announced to the world he was staying at Juventus.

Like the Turin fans who unfurled that banner at the beginning of the season, Alessandro Del Piero's message to Juventus was clear: "It doesn't matter where, I'll always be with you."