Nedved: Del Piero won’t quit

Alessandro Del Piero will not hang up his boots at the end of the season. “He wants to play on until he is 40,” said Pavel Nedved.

Juventus have confirmed that this will be the No 10’s last season at a club that he joined way back in 1993.

Del Piero, almost 37, has only played in 197 minutes of Serie A action so far this season and Nedved, a club director and a former teammate, would like to see more of him.

“I don't think that Del Piero is going through a very good moment,” the Czech noted. “I know him, he's a champion and always wants to play.

“I honestly can't stand seeing a champion like him on the bench or watching the match from the stands. Champions like him need to end their careers on their feet, playing.

“I really care about him. He has done a lot for us and it's sad for me not to see him play. But he's the one that has to take the decisions.

“I have spoken to him and he wants to keep playing until he is 40…”

While Del Piero has had his struggles, his beloved Old Lady seem to be serious Scudetto contenders following their post-Calciopoli struggles.

“Everyone seems to think that Juventus topping the table is something special, for me it's normal,” the former Lazio man noted. “That's the way it always used to be, but let's not stop here.

“The Scudetto? It's difficult to fix a goal right now, because we are at the midway stage.

“I am happy with what Coach Antonio Conte and the players have achieved so far, but in order to win we are going to have to improve even more.

“What's important is what happens at the end of the season. And we must do everything possible to make sure that we are top of the table at the end of May.”

Although Conte doesn’t seem to have too much room in his plans for Del Piero, Nedved is impressed with the tactician.

“I have been surprised by the impact that Conte has had on the team even though I knew he was someone special.

“He has passed on to the team a winning mentality and his character. I played alongside him, but I would never have guessed that he was so knowledgeable, him and his staff.

“I often go to watch him at Vinovo, during training, and he works really hard.”