Saying Goodbye to Del Piero
James Horncastle
Posted on May 16th, 2012
When the nights began to pull in around San Vendemiano, Gino Del Piero couldn’t bring himself to call out to his son Alessandro and tell him that it was time to pick up his ball and come inside. Once darkness fell, he would instead open up the garage, turn on the light, get into his FIAT 127 and park it outside. A space was left for the boy to practice in until bedtime when he’d head up to the room he shared with his brother Stefano and go to sleep under a poster of Michel Platini. Alessandro was encouraged to keep playing football for as long as he wanted. Decades later the enthusiasm he has for the game remains undiminished. It seems as…
Categories: Feature