Alessandro Del Piero, 2006 world champion and Juve icon, Alex for all sportsmen and even "Italian legend" of Italian football for the English and Japanesepunctually arrives at the Spazio Porsche in Viale Stati Uniti in Padua around 20.30 pm on a Wednesday evening. It is an evening organized by Banca Generali, of which Del Piero is testimonial, for the VIP clients of the Northeast of the private banking of Banca del Leone and of the car manufacturer. “He finished training in Vinovo around 18 pm – says his brother Stefano who acts as his sports agent and business manager – then he ran to Caselle and got on a plane that took him to Venice and from there he came here : we can stay until 22.30 pm and then off to Venice and back to Turin”. Only two but pleasant hours, in the midst of 200 people from the rich Northeast who eat it with their eyes, because Alex is not only a champion but he is an intelligent, polite and cheerful person: on the pitch he is used to dribbling past his opponents but here he has to dribble past Juve's press silence which forces him to stay away from football issues. “I am happy – begins Alex – to meet you in Padua, which is closer to my home than Turin and to listen to cadences dear to me because this is where I started with football and here where I lived from 13 to 18 years until I moved to Juve: Padova is always in my heart".
It seems like yesterday when Giampiero Boniperti signed him and Giovanni Trapattoni made him debut in Serie A with Juve in the early 90s. Then off to an endless series of successes, made up of many championships, a Champions League, the legendary goal he scored in Tokyo in the intercontinental final for clubs until he became world champion in Lippi's national team with Italy in the German championships of the 2006. Now he lives his last months in black and white. His contract will expire in June and for now it will be goodbye. Goodbye to Juve but not to football. There is time for later. "Alex - says his brother Stefano - he wants to play football for another two years and we are evaluating the offers" that come mainly from abroad. Will he talk about it again after the summer? "That's not certain, because this year Alex could skip the holidays if they call him to a league that plays in the summer." So Japan, Russia or America? "For now we can't say anything, but keep in mind that Alex has three young children and that he is looking for an accommodation that does not create problems for the family". His attorney-brother doesn't say it but the identikit of the point of arrival is all too clear: the future that awaits Del Piero is stars and stripes. The Galaxy? Two more football in America and then what? What will he do after football? Will the captain one day return to Juve as manager? “Who knows, we like to think in terms of projects: we'll see”.
While waiting to hang up his boots, Alex and his personal team are thinking about business: “My luck – explains the captain – is to be assisted by extraordinary people who, in addition to being excellent collaborators, are relatives or friendsi: six or seven in all of which Stefano is the coordinator and who manage, in addition to the investments, also the site, the blog, the graphics and the image and the blog in Japanese”.
Yeah, but How does Del Piero invest his fabulous earnings? Gigi Buffon has become the first shareholder of Zucchi, others have invested in properties and restaurants: and Alex? “60% in finance and 40% in real estate but I especially like the latter because you see them immediately, they are solid and concrete”. His brother is directly involved in real estate investments, while financial investments are handled by a person from Turin linked to the world of Banca Generali: Dario Tosetti, founder and promoter of Tosetti Value Sim who has been managing the assets of Tosetti with his family office for 15 years Alessandro Del Piero and other sportsmen but not other Juve players. "It was a fortune to know him through a mutual friend" says Alex who doesn't hide his complete trust in the Turin professional. But what kind of investment is it? "Nothing aggressive and adventurous - clarifies his brother Stefano - don't forget that we come from a humble family that taught us the value of savings from an early age: we just want to protect and enhance our capital, thinking about the future but without ruthlessness". Are there also Juventus shares in the portfolio? “Yes I have since the company was listed on the Stock Exchange and I have kept them”. But in the Del Piero house, who manages the day-by-day money? “Of course my wife Sonia. We don't miss anything, but we have few vices. We especially like the trips we decide together”.
As he speaks, Alex signs autographs in a continuous stream: he never backs down. Mr. Del Piero, how many have you signed in your career? “Eh, good question, I've never counted but you can do it: on average I sign 300 a day, but it can happen that I even get to a thousand, like the other day when they came to Vinovo to see our training several coaches of fans”. So let's do the math: 300 autographs a day for 360 days a year make up for all at least 108 autographs a year. In twenty years of career there are more than 2 million autographs. More than the fabulous Del Piero free-kicks that made him famous and that Alex never stopped playing.
Great champion, Juve icon but a symbol of Italian football, respected by everyone, including his opponents. Class isn't just on the pitch and a detail at the end of the Paduan evening confirms what he's made of. It is sincere displeasure that he manifests when one of the guests whispers to him that Napoli are losing in London: "Too bad, I'm really sorry." Alex, tell the truth: were you also sorry to see Inter mocked by Deschamps' Marseille? "It's an Italian team." But it's Inter, Juve's arch-rival. It's useless to try: Alex doesn't slip on the ground of sinister cheering and takes refuge in one of his classic dribblings. “But are you – he asks – by any chance a fan of Marseille?”. Then she says goodbye and leaves. Now that's class. Thanks Alex, for the soccer and style lesson.
