If one was to believe the media reports coming out of Croatia earlier today, then former Sydney FC superstar and Sunday night’s A-League All-Stars’ captain, Alessandro Del Piero, is off to the Adriatic coast.
According to reports, ADP is about to pack his bags and head for the dazzling city of Split to play for Croatia’s biggest football club, HNK Hajduk.
Hajduk Split has just qualified for the final hurdle of qualification for the UEFA Europa Cup, in which the Dalmatian icon must overcome a tough Ukrainian opponent, Dnipro Dnjepropetrovsk.
A player of Del Piero’s calibre would no doubt be a major tonic for the youthful Hajduk side, coached by none other than a former teammate of Del Piero’s, ex-Juventus and Croatian international defender Igor Tudor.
A report in the leading Zagreb based daily, Vecernji List, revealed that Hajduk Split had instigated an approach to the loveable Italian maestro to finish his career at the majestic Poljud Stadium.
In reality, however, it was an audacious and it must be said, ambitious approach made by a single Hajduk fan to Del Piero’s official Facebook page. The post – as well as the Page itself – was subsequently swamped by Hajduk fans the world over, in a collective fan effort to strengthen their beloved team’s playing roster.
Hajduk is without doubt the biggest Croatian football club, but the ‘Masters from the Sea’ have fallen on tough times, economically.
For years, their bank account was frozen as the club teetered on the verge of bankruptcy.
There has even been speculation in recent times of the club being sold to foreign interests, including a much publicised bid by a Melbourne businessman of Croatian extraction, who once was heavily involved with the Melbourne Knights Football Club.
“Our previous directors left the club with big debts, but now Hajduk Split is building a new team with young and eager players, and is financially doing well,” the e-Invitation by a die hard supporter called Marjan Kraljevic.
“We’ve heard that you’ve recently become a player without the club, and have decided to try to talk you into considering coming to Hajduk Split.
You would be adored among our fans, and although we can’t offer you big money, we can give You something money can’t buy; emotion, connection between fans and club you can’t find anywhere in the world, beautiful sea, nature, and friendly people.
“You could be creating history alongside your friend Igor Tudor, because our fight to bring old great Hajduk Split back is bigger than football and if you would consider our invitation for joining our club and our football family, we would gladly tell You more about it,” concludes Kraljevic.
Although the efforts of this fan can either be applauded or ridiculed, the fact that thousands of his fellow Hajduk fans jumped on board the bandwagon and flooded Alessandro Del Piero’s Facebook page, illustrates the lengths some fans would go to help out their club.
And Hajduk Split’s fans will tell you – it’s not the club’s administrators who own the club. More often than not, they are the reason for bringing a once proud giant to its knees.
Rather, it’s the fans on the outer who really have the club in their hearts.
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