Off the field, there is little in common between Antonio Cassano and Alessandro Del Piero. The former is young and unruly while the latter is battle-hardened and a model professional.

But yet Cassano and Del Piero also have much in common. Though at different stages of their respective careers, they are similar players- creative forwards with a penchant for dazzle and the deftest of touches.

Not for nothing has the Italian press unanimously named Cassano the natural heir to Del Piero at Juventus. Cassano’s current contract wrangle at Roma has only added to speculation that Del Piero is perhaps on his way out to make way for the 23-year-old hot-head.

Juventus coach Fabio Capello has done little to stem the tide of rumours. Over the weekend, as Juventus were plowing through Chievo with customary grit, Del Piero cut a somber figure on the bench. The message was clear: Del Piero’s time as Juventus’ standard bearer was coming to an end. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Trezeguet seem to be Capello’s first choice in attack and with Adrian Mutu and Fabrizio Miccoli in reserve, Del Piero might spend many nights gazing longingly at the fray.

It was not always so bleak for ‘Pinturicchio’ (the late Juventus patron Gianni Agnelli bestowed upon Del Piero this name in memory of a Renaissance painter). In the mid-1990s Del Piero was the great hope of Italian football. As Roberto Baggio was greying, Del Piero was coming into his own at Juventus, alongside veterans such as Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli. He was a key figure in his club’s 1996 Champions League triumph — despite only being twenty-two at the time – as he scored some truly astounding goals on the European stage.

Yet just when Del Piero was enjoying a tremendous rise to prominence, he suffered a horrific knee injury against Udinese on November 8, 1999. The setback kept him out of action for ten months and when he finally did return, he struggled to regain his scintillating form.

The nadir of his career came during the final of Euro2000 when he missed two golden opportunities to score and lead Italy to triumph against France. His post-match comments were a telltale of despondency: “We all feel pain, but mine is so much greater than my teammates because I was the one who had the two chances to score the second goal. I simply cannot forgive myself.”

Since 2000 Del Piero has been extremely successful with Juventus – winning three Italian titles – but Francesco Totti has now taken over the ‘golden boy’ role of Italian football (though after the Euro2004 spitting incident his moral decline has been well documented). At 31, Del Piero knows that while he may not be the player he once was, he still deserves to play his last years with some form of continuity.

Not that Capello is about to afford any such grace to the player. He rules with an iron fist and evaluates the situation with typical equanimity: “Del Piero is a player here like everyone else. If I feel I need to play him, I will.”

Try telling that to the Juventus faithful who on one hand have warmly welcomed Capello and last year’s Scudetto and on the other have been extremely displeased with the treatment of their captain. Del Piero, with his disarming charm and sincerity, is a fan favourite and so Capello knows that he cannot win this ‘cold war’ based on popular consensus.

One obvious recourse for the coach is to offload Del Piero to another club. Italian newspapers have sensationally suggested Milan as a possible destination, especially after their coach Carlo Ancelotti publicly praised Del Piero a few days ago. But given the abundant options Milan have in their attack that move seems unlikely.

With the transfer window about to close on August 31st, Cassano’s arrival and Del Piero’s departure seem more and more improbable. It seems then that Del Piero will have to slug it out for a starting place in the black and white of Juventus. He may appear to be fighting a losing battle but Del Piero knows all about imposing odds.

Capello, beware.

Hasan Saiyid
TotalSoccer.ca writer/editor