Del Piero on Juventus 'Atomic Bomb,' a future roll with the Azzurri
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus’ #10 referred to the scandal as an “atomic bomb.” “Calciopoli was like an atomic bomb in 2006,” he said. “Italian football was broken, and I'm not just talking about Juventus.”
As punishment for their role in the match-fixing scandal, Juventus were relegated to Serie B. Del Piero was one of the players, along with Gigi Buffon, who elected to remain with the club despite the punishment.
When asked what he would change about the current Italian youth system, he provided an example from his formal years. “When I was in Padova I weighed 67 kg, and they told me that if I did not get to 80 I could not play in Serie A. Now that I do not play anymore I finally weigh 80…In Spain the only thing that matters is if you can play ball. In Italy we are, unfortunately, following logic contrary to my idea of football.”
On whether he’d take a position in the FIGC, Del Piero said, “If they were to call me for an answer? I do not have their number saved so I would let it ring. Then if they were to leave me a message I would listen to them."