The A-League has its newest marquee man. Among much fanfare, Sydney FC unveiled their new signing Alessandro Del Piero last week.
The Turin legend is a worldwide superstar and the football community were immediately scrambling over themselves to anoint him the A-League’s saviour and predicting him to rival David Beckham’s arrival in the USA’s MLS.
Unfortunately for Sydney FC and the A-League, they’re about to learn there is only one David Beckham in football.
Alessandro Del Piero is undoubtedly the best footballer to grace Australian shores. Period. His ability on the pitch is unmatched by any player to touch down on these shores at any stage in history.
Sydney FC have signed a man with over 200 Serie A goals, an incredible statistic for a player not recognised as an out and out striker. With goals against both powerhouse Milan clubs and Lazio last season, Del Piero is a player still capable of hitting the dead ball sweetly and expertly finishing off chances.
In fending off advances from Greek side Olympiakos and a last ditch move from Liverpool, the prized coup was incredibly splashed all over the Daily Telegraph’s back page in the week before the NRL finals.
Those in the football media will have you believe that this points to an imminent explosion in football’s standing in the Australian sporting landscape. Sydney FC are bringing the Beckham effect to Australia and they’ve bet $4 million it’s going to succeed.
The way I see it though, Sydney FC and the FFA are going to be severely underwhelmed by the off field impact Del Piero has on the wider sporting community. The only way a sportsman will have a David Beckham-scale impact on a sport in Australia is if an A League club lures him down under.
Alternatively the Sydney Kings could sign Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods could spend a season playing the Australia circuit. In football there is no ‘other’ David Beckham.
There is no one who matches his celebrity or media appeal and in an Anglo-centric English speaking media environment, the gloss will fade from Sydney FC’s newest marquee man quickly. While a much better footballer, I wouldn’t expect Del Piero to match the off field exploits of ‘All Night’ Dwight Yorke in the Harbour city.
Coming from a background in the English Premier League, which is the only domestic football competition popular in Australia, the Australian public was already familiar with Yorke from his Manchester United days. People and not just ‘football people’ immediately resonated with the star power of Yorke, they didn’t have to be told he was a big deal.
People outside the insular footballing community, and particularly those without an interest in Serie A, aren’t quite sure exactly who Del Piero is or where he’s from. Of course some people might remember him from 2006 but even then Fabio Grosso holds a bigger profile in Australia.
Quite simply the signing generated more interest in Turin than it did in Sydney, with blanket coverage afforded in the major newspapers and on television. By the weekend in Sydney we had articles in both major papers in which sports reporters admitted to having no idea who he was.
In a city saturated with sporting superstars – Greg Inglis, Ben Barba, David Warner and Adam Goodes among the many others – Del Piero is not a big enough star to catapult Sydney FC to the top of the sporting landscape in the way David Beckham was able to at LA Galaxy.
Of course key indicators of Sydney’s FC success will go up. But then again, could they really go down? Afflicted with a win-at-all-costs, Waratah like mentality, Sydney FC have struggled for points on the park and people in the stands over the last 12 months and Del Piero’s signing will be a massive boost in these areas.
But to suggest Del Piero will have a league-wide impact on the way Australians and foreigners think about the A League is laughable.
Over the year, plenty of people will venture out to watch Sydney play so they can tell their grandkids they watched Del Piero live, but do you seriously think they will keep coming back in numbers?
While Beckham’s capture has seen the MLS flooded with quality overseas talent – Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, Rafa Marquez and our own Tim Cahill among them – there is simply not enough commercial support in Australia to fund such an expansion of the game.
With a population of only 21 million or so there just isn’t the economics to support radical sponsorship expansion or a market for lucrative TV deals. And there is very little that a footballer from Italy can do to change that.
I congratulate Sydney FC and its fans on Austraian football’s greatest signing and having never even watched a full A League game, let alone attended one, I can honestly say my interest has been piqued and I have thought about getting out to the SFS.
Time will tell what that leads to, but let’s not kid ourselves here, Alessandro Del Piero is no David Beckham.
Hz
Guest
Looks like he has surpassed everyone's expectations in terms of his profile and his eagerness in engaging with th media and fans. Looks like money well spent! A great start to the season. A good call.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"I am not here for the end of my career; I am here for the start of a new career", said Alessandro Del Piero as he touched down at Kingsford Smith Airport. Around 500 fans were there to welcome him. So, how many were at LAX to greet Becks & Posh when they arrived? Since California has a population approximately 5x that of NSW, I guess at least 2500 would be be required for at LAX? http://www.theage.com.au/sport/a-league/football-god-descends-del-piero-lands-in-sydney-to-heros-welcome-20120916-2600z.html#ixzz26b382yyl
Bondy.
Guest
The point that I was making was that ADP doesn't need the money, he's not here with a take all financial approach that was my point. You suggested another foreigner would come for a massive cheque payday,its not true there's nothing to debate mate.Your wrong.
Punter
Guest
Happy days!!!!
A View From the Top
Roar Pro
I'd be more than happy to be debate with you, if i could understand what it is you are trying to say. I think your trying to say footballers overseas earn more than Australian sportmen domestically. Congratulations Captain Obvious, well done. It may be chicken feed for ADP but is it sustainable for Australian football? That of course will depend on the commercial revenue ADP is able to generate
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
For the True Believers ... Alessandro Del Piero, one of the Greatest Living footballers, will arrive at Sydney International Airport Date: Sunday, 16 September 2012 Time: 10:30 am. Flight: Singapore Airlines SQ231
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Essentially will he be the A League’s David Beckham?" How about you list 3-5 key quantifiable metrics, and the benchmarks you will set, to help you decide, in 24 months time, whether ADP has or has not been the A League's Davide Beckham? Does he have to marry Posh Spice & produce 4 children? Does he have to sell "x" number of shirts? Does he have to increase crowds by Y%? You tell us the tangible & measurable data you want us to analyse for the next 24 months, to answer your asinine, nebulous question: "Is Del Piero going to be the A-League's David Beckham"?
Bondy.
Guest
View from the top. This player ripping more money out of the A League I was out jogging this arvo "thinkin about Ale's coin case"that player sucking the big money out of the sport has been collecting earning roughly between 30-60.000 " i'd suggest higher at stages " a week for 19 yrs,2 million is chook feed mate round here. Talking about afl and nrl players on 600.000 a year is loose change that hasnt paid Rooney or Tevez yet for the month I cant find a Man cty offensive player whos earning under 10 mill "Aus",the most exotic thing some sports do in this country is cross the Nullabor.
Titus
Guest
Which is better, Apples or Oranges?
A View From the Top
Roar Pro
And what exactly was Kewell's impact on the A Legue? 12 months later another big name through the turnstiles collecting a bigger cheque. If you want to 'fanboy' the stars go right ahead. I am merely trying to take a reasoned and gathered approach to the hyperbole and rhetoric being thrown around. The article states he has me interested in going to a game or at the very least watching or reading about how he goes. But it questions what this will physically generate for the A League and clubs. A fairly well credentialled concern in light of the arguments presented. Essentially will he be the A League's David Beckham?
Reynoldsinski
Guest
No thanks. If I was a star struck kid I might, but surely adults have got better things to do. Each to their own I guess. I'll wait until he is on the park.
Bondy.
Guest
Aiports are mandatory for Ale,hes' a genuine star. Reynoldski go out and have a look at the most expensive football player in the country ,surely thats a highlight. He'll be here sunday.
Bondy.
Guest
Double post.
Bondy.
Guest
No it doesnt go away.
Reynoldsinski
Guest
I've got to say that I don't really like that comparison. I don't like hearing about who has the most Facebook likes or who has the highest Twitter traffic. It's all a bit immature. Let's not worry about bothering him at the airport, and let's vote with our feet by turning up to the games.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Are we - football fans - overestimating the impact ADP will have to raise the profile of the HAL and AUS football? When Harry arrived at Tulla 12 months ago, a couple of hundred greeted him at the airport and ... ... hundreds are expected at Kingsford Smith to greet ADP on Sunday. So, here's a question for the author - and other non-HAL fans, who like to diminish the HAL at every instance ... 1. How many fans turned up at Coolangatta Airport to greet KHunt when he started work for The Suns? 2. How many fans turned up at Coolangatta Airport to greet the best ARF player in the world - Gary Ablett - when he started work for The Suns? 3. I'm told NRL is the best RL competition in the world and I'm also told NRL is a global sport so, it stands to reason, the best foreign RL players must be playing in the NRL ... How many were at Kingsford Smith/Brisbane Airoprt to greet the highest profile foreign RL player when he arrived to play in the NRL? So, odd that huge crowds turn up at airports to greet footballers ... who are allegedly so low profile & no one in AUS knows of them?
Az
Guest
well said!! come at us australia!
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
People, who don't watch HAL & have no interest in HAL (other than to troll on Football forums) are desperately hoping that Ale Del Piero won't have an impact on Australian football. People, who love HAL, watch HAL & understand the AUS football market - i.e. experts in the HAL - disagree with the negativity. And, today, in the SMH, we read that: "the FFA and the company that owns the A-League's international television rights, World Sports Group, are set for major pay days as a direct result of Del Piero's arrival in the harbour city. WSG is deep in talks with Italian broadcasters Sky Italia and state-owned broadcaster RAI, while also speaking to Japanese networks. With the countries boasting a combined population of almost 200 million - and with Juventus boasting an estimated 180 million fans worldwide - matches of Sydney FC would almost certainly generate the largest global broadcast figures of any Australian club in any code by a considerable margin." Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/wanderers-waited-in-vain-for-del-piero-20120913-25v8j.html#ixzz26OD0TyNX This is going to be a HUGE year for Australian football, in general, and the A-League in particular. Get involved or get out of the way!
N
Guest
A-League is about speed and strength, and when it's given the chance you will see that is very entertaining. It's a style of it's own, much like how AFL and NRL evolved. Del Piero is giving it a chance, and when he plays on the pitch then every player will try to play well. Why are writing about a sport you don't know anything about and being so critical of it? Who cares if NSW is an NRL state, like there's only room for one code then why the hell there's AFL??! I reckon if A-League is a little minnow in global football, then NRL & AFL is even smaller, much much smaller because there is no World Cup that brings the entire world together. Atleast Beckham plays the same sport as Del Piero.
Bondy.
Guest
View from a top. Your wrong so wrong your equating more or less with rugby league say that since it has a billion dollar tv deal its national and has a national presence so wrong and that can be said for the same with afl on the eastern seaboard their largely pronounced in certain sectors of Australia and have minimal national presence.how many people in Perth now the hooker for the Auckland Warriors,how many people in Penrith now the ruck rover for the west coast eagles. Nearly all major body contact sports struggle to be national games think about it. Cricket has proper national significance the others dont.