Sydney FC star Brett Emerton has described the A-League club’s signing of Italian great Alessandro Del Piero as one of the most significant moments in Australian football history.
The Sky Blues completed the biggest coup in eight seasons of the A-League as the 37-year-old striker inked a two-year deal on Wednesday.
Marquee star Emerton says he can’t wait to play alongside the Juventus great and believes his arrival will have a massive impact on the competition.
“This is just the shot in the arm football in Australia needs,” Emerton wrote in a News Ltd column.
“I really hope his arrival will see more people than ever sign up for Sydney FC memberships and huge crowds flood Allianz Stadium throughout the season.
“I truly believe this is one of the most significant days in the history of our club – and the game in Australia.”
Emerton predicted Del Piero’s arrival would have an even bigger impact than that of former star A-League imports Dwight Yorke and Robbie Fowler and said it could open the door for more big names to come to Australia.
“I can honestly say that when I left Blackburn for Sydney FC last year, I didn’t expect to be playing alongside someone like Del Piero,” Emerton said.
“You only have to look at the calibre of clubs internationally that were chasing him to realise that, even at 37, he is still a world-class striker.”
HarryBalding
Roar Guru
I'd have to agree. 2 million a season will be easily made up for by the management of Sydney FC. Crowd numbers will swell, memberships, sponsors wanting to get in on the action. Best thing to happen to the A-league. ADP > Dwight Yorke any day of the week! And really, even at 37 he will still be the best player in the A-League (no, I'm not a 'Euro snob'). It will be really interesting to have a tangible comparison between the skill levels of our national competition and an ageing superstar from one of the best leagues in the world.
mahony
Guest
Absolutely - thinking people always will love football, even if they have made an honorable career elsewhere.
mahony
Guest
Clown.
H
Guest
+1Million
Al
Guest
Almost as desperate as a sport that signs two players as the highest paid players to play a game they have never played before.
Bondy.
Guest
Interesting the D Tele has a poll running is ADP worth 4 mill over two years, I think 91% is a majority.
Bondy.
Guest
What would you expect hi'm to say, i'm comig to Australia to watch ausie rules, your brain dead.
Kasey
Guest
Team mates with Everton's Kevin Sheedy?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@DuffyV The publicity has got you stirred up enough to post on a football forum. So, already, the publicity has reached well beyond the football family and has infected the football-illiterate community. I'd rather be a sport that buys a world-class 38 year old, who has won every trophy in his sport at club & international level, than .. a) a sport that relies on pubescents, who will never achieve anything; or b) hiring players, who have never played the sport and use them as circus acts c) hiring players, who are an embarrassment off-field with their disgusting, bogan-behvaviour - fornicating with animals & releasing their bowel contents in hotel fire-escapes Give me a classy 38-year old - a multilingual, elegantly dressed, well-mannered bloke ... oh, yeah, did I mention he's won every trophy possible in football.
Kasey
Guest
unfortunately FFA might have to loosen some of its tight stadium entry regulations, regarding non-Australian national flags prior to October. I wonder if they will think ahead and anticipate that the very people they want to come out and see ADP will want to support him with Italian tricolours and Juventus flags? Nah, thinking ahead isn't their specialty:( I'll tweet pignata to jolt him into action I think.
MV Dave
Guest
What are you actually fearful of Duff? Your ignorance and fear are palpable...
Jonny G
Guest
Nice troll Dufuss, do some research on the guy please, he is far from a has been
DuffyV
Guest
What sport in Australia would agree to pay a 38 year old Italian, has been, who never quite made it, the highest actual wage in the country???? How desperate must said sport be?????? And of course the media is going to build it up initially as just wonderful and then we know what they will be reporting next. When will administrators actually learn that you can only buy bad publicity, sometimes preempted by some that is free, without actual merit.
DuffyV
Guest
Yeah they found the money between the club and sponsors and yet he still has nothing to offer as a player anymore. Would have made more sense if they hired him as coach!!!!!!!!!! And all those retarded Sydney locals are going to rush out and buy tickets to watch a player they have either never heard of or long forgotten, its fortunate the media has a longer memory even though of what exactly????? As previously mentioned its a stitch up by FFA to calm the waters before they spend five times as much on the new opposition in Sydney.
Football Authority
Roar Rookie
Can't wait to confiscate those Juventus and Italian banners from the soccer hooligans and wade into them with batons flailing, attack dogs and capsicum spray. That'll be our sport mate.
Realfootball
Guest
I think it is fair to say that there is nothing NOTHING more parochial and close minded on sport than the average AFL fan. I've grown up with em all around me.
Realfootball
Guest
Yup, and Folau didn't even work long term - 6,600 to the GWS last home game. ADP will have a genuine effect, because he's not a sorry ring in from another code.
Bondy.
Guest
Calcio. Smacks of a super payout ?. What were Liverpool going to pay hi'm, its a small payment, though some find it massive.
MV Dave
Guest
and your post smacks of jealousy or fear...which is it?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Robert Shaw is a former senior coach & premiership player with AFL club Essendon. This is his reaction, on Twitter, to ADP coming to Australia: Robert Shaw@shawry_analyst Juventus vs Real Madrid 1 0 Gol di Del Piero: http://youtu.be/0hcmv-hJRWw via @youtube. Del Piero 'slices' Real Madrid. Tickets please. #royalty Fantastic to see AFL personalities whom appreciate the Beautiful Game.