After the A-League’s successful debut season in 2005-06, football in Australia has had it’s problems.
Poor attendances, crappy TV coverage, financial mismanagement, debates about conflict of interest, public spats with high profile multi-billionaires, on-field violence, and a stab in the back from FIFA.
Yep, it’s pretty much business as usual for football down under.
But now there is a renewed sense of optimism (not for the first time mind you) in the shape of a short, slightly over the hill, dashingly handsome (in the most heterosexual of ways), global footballing icon.
Enter Alessandro Del Piero.
Over the hill might be a tad harsh I know. Last season Del Piero helped Juventus remain undefeated on their way to regaining Serie A, playing in 31 games and contributing six goals (two of which were game winners) along the way.
Not bad for a 38-year-old playing in the third best league in Europe. That will piss off the entire municipality of Leichhardt but let’s face facts – Serie A has been on a downward slide to irrelevance ever since the weekly highlight show was taken off the SBS Sunday morning timeslot.
While Del Piero’s impact with the bianconeri has been experiencing the law of diminishing returns recently, he’s certainly still got the footballing chops to assist a big name club in their efforts to pull themselves out of the doldrums and recapture former glories.
But enough about the Liverpool Football Club.
Fortunately for Australian fans he turned his back on numerous advances from the UK, China, Middle East and USA, and instead signed with Sydney FC – much to the delight of many on the Eastern seaboard.
Del Piero’s signature cost a measly $4 million, along with a handshake deal that includes all you can eat pizza and pasta from the Italian Forum on Norton Street. It’s the largest contract paid to a footballer of any code in Australia.
For that outlay, Sydney FC and the A-League are hopeful ‘Il Pinturicchio’ can weave his brand of magic on the park regularly, bring his club into title contention, fuel the newly established local rivalry with Sydney United aka Western Sydney Wanderers, draw big crowds everywhere he plays, and generally create enough of a positive buzz that the A-League is no longer in the footballing basement.
Basically,we’re hoping for the direct opposite of the Harry Kewell experience.
No pressure, son.
Standing in the way of Del Piero’s success will be overenthusiastic centre backs ready to take a piece of the Italian’s maestro’s shins, incompetent finishing from Sydney FC’s strike force wasting chance after glorious chance, and playing fields that resemble the potato farms of Northern Ireland.
While I’m all for fair play, I really hope that the referees do their best to ‘protect’ Del Piero from a physical onslaught that has the capacity to derail his Sydney stay very quickly.
And I pray that Lovrek, Powell and Co. will put away their chances lest there be an Underbelly style hit squad waiting outside the gates of the Sydney Football Stadium. As for the playing fields…well, two out of three ain’t bad!
Personally I can’t wait to get out to the SFS and cheer on the little master. With the Eels suffering in football purgatory, the Swans on the cusp of an inevitably heartbreaking loss to Collingwood, and the Wallabies just absolutely rubbish, I’ll be jumping on the FC bandwagon and swearing my allegiance to the Sky Blues.
Now let’s re-open the chequebook and get Scholes and Giggs Down Under!
langou
Roar Guru
My comments were a little bit misleading. It was more along the lines of Capacity reduced to only 9,500. Either try your luck and hope that capacity won’t be reached and that you can buy a general admission ticket or buy a season membership and be guaranteed a ticket. I still imagine that they may change the game to Subi latter on anyway.
mahony
Guest
So this is what your life has been reduced too......
Minister for Information for the Democratic People's Republic of Football
Guest
I object!
Punter
Guest
Forget about Rebecca Wilson, what about those Roarers who frequent our football threads on the pretense of being multi facet sport fans with a huge AFL bias. They are quick to jump in & put the boot on any negative happenings within football & readily put negative comments on any positive happenings in football. They have been relatively quiet since the arrival of THE MAN & thanks for that.
Stevo
Guest
@langou, "I got an email from the Glory recently saying that the only way to see ADP is to buy a season membership. " Interesting! The Glory brains trust must have been reading Peter Wilt's comment http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/250309,how-to-sell-alessandro-del-piero.aspx saying that a way for A-league clubs to leverage ADP's popularity "If you want to be assured a ticket, or at least a good ticket, to see ADP you must buy a ticket to one or more other games"
Philip
Guest
Does anyone know Rebecca Wilson's email addy ... we should all pepper her with emails asking where's her article about the inherent hooliganism and thuggery that seems ingrained in rugby league players and supporters, and has she called for a "zero tolerance" approach to managing rugby crowds.
Philip
Guest
TomC, I dont think it's sad, i think we should be happy that you cant tell the difference between a pisstake and league/AFL journalist talking about soccer. We should laugh at the pisstake, and laugh at the league/AFL journalist. Sometimes we can get a bit precious about the game and feel aggrieved and insulted by the writing of others (see some comments here about Aleks article) when we should just have a chuckle at their silliness (and in this case some clear satire) without getting our knickers in a knot.
pete4
Guest
I agree we seem to be getting some clueless author's turning up on the Football tab lately who themselves admit they have no idea after a pointless ramble
BigAl
Guest
Nobody has the right to not being offended !
nachos supreme
Guest
Damn OH&S, Turns out that bloody Farina was some kind of Workcover Stooge. He goes and bans emotional gesticulation in the sheds on account of somebody slipping on Ned's sweat and look what happened then!!
Punter
Guest
Hey BigAl bring the dogs in as well.
Ian
Guest
nathan - i see the point i had missed. yes, perth v sydney fc at NIB will sell out. i didn't realise the capacity was that low. so yes, your home game against sydney will be sold out. surely they will move than one to subiaco
Ian
Guest
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/bloody-brawls-mar-weekend-junior-football-games-20120916-26026.html http://www.qt.com.au/story/2012/09/17/grand-final-day-is-marred-by-an-all-in-brawl/ http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/greater-brisbane-junior-rugby-league-game-erupts-into-brawl/story-fndo1yus-1226474871274 hopefully these links work. on the courier mail this article was really hard to find. its disappeared already and i couldn't find it under 'sport'. i'm positive the mini 'riots' with WSW were found under soccer/football on the newspaper websites.
TomC
Guest
I must admit I didn't realise this was a satire (of sorts) until I read the comments. Its sad to think that we can no longer tell the difference between a rugby league or AFL journalist talking about soccer and a pisstake.
Australian Rules
Guest
I trust you have a cabinet position in Fuss' government.
Newcastle Michael
Guest
Alek's, I gue'ss your taking the pi'ss? Two can play at that game!
Nathan of Perth
Roar Rookie
Crowds are higher yes, but 13 home games v 8 home games, would be interested in the cumulative attendance.
Futbanous
Guest
There yer go Kasey doin a Harps on us unsophisticated Football fans.
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Im not sure the Glory were screwed,the Force get (were getting)bigger crowds so i guess NIB had to give them priority,even though it would have been nice to see some kind of loyalty to the Glory seeing we've been there longer.Its just a shame im positive crowds would have been up this season but hey following the Glory in the A-League era has never been easy.I don't have anything against the Force but im interested to see if they can survive,the novelty has well and truely worn off and they are getting worse on the pitch.
Kasey
Guest
Fut, curious on your thoughts re: How does ability to laugh at oneself translate Into an advanced/developed religious/secular society? Oops, too soon?;-)