By Andrew Warshaw
September 7 – Australian soccer has broken new ground with Sydney FC’s signing of iconic Italian playmaker Alessandro Del Piero.
The World Cup winner, released after 19 years at Juventus, joined the A-League club on a two-year contract which the Australian media reported was worth A$2 million (£1.2 million/$2.1 million/€1.6 million) a year, the highest in the country’s history for a single player.
“The signing of Alessandro Del Piero [pictured above, right and below] is a big moment for this club and, we believe, a historic moment for football in Australia,” said Sydney chairman Scott Barlow.
“Alessandro had many, many outstanding offers from big clubs around the world but in weighing up those opportunities, he felt Sydney FC was the right one for him.
“I think that he chose us says a lot about this club and a lot about football in this country and how it has moved on in recent years.
“He’s 37 but he’s a world class football player and still able to play at the very highest level and that’s evidenced by the fact that there was so much interest in him from clubs in the English Premier League, Serie A and others.
“Beyond the footballing perspective, clearly he is a major icon of the game and he can have an impact on us as a club both on and off the pitch.”
Domestic soccer has gained in popularity in Australia since the formation of the A-League in 2005 but still lags behind other sports like both rugby codes and Aussie Rules.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) welcomed the arrival of Del Piero who won 91 caps for his country and reportedly turned down joining Liverpool because of the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster when 39 fans died.
“Undoubtedly, this signing will have an immediate impact on attendances, membership, television ratings and corporate support for the club and the A-League,” said FFA chief executive Ben Buckley.
“The A-League’s image and reputation will grow across Europe and Asia, in particular.
“While this impact is not as immediate as the other commercial measures, the benefits will ultimately flow to the brand value of the A-League, its clubs and our corporate partners.”
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