Alessandro Del Piero was one of Italy’s heroes during the 2006 World Cup as the Azzurri defeated France to lift the trophy. He has now reflected on the Calciopoli scandal, which was dominating Italian football throughout that period and created significant uncertainty away from the pitch.
Juventus stood at the centre of the controversy, with several members of the club also representing Italy at the tournament, including Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon. The situation placed considerable attention on the national team, yet the players remained focused on their objective despite the intense scrutiny surrounding events in Italy.
Staying focused during the World Cup
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It was an extremely difficult period for Juventus supporters, and it presented an even greater challenge for the club’s players. The ongoing developments could easily have affected their performances during one of the biggest competitions in world football, but the squad succeeded in keeping its attention on matters on the pitch.
Italy went on to defeat France in the World Cup final 20 years ago, achieving a success that the national team has not matched since. That triumph remains one of the most memorable moments in Italian football, despite the difficult circumstances that surrounded the squad throughout the tournament.
Del Piero reflects on the scandal
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The Calciopoli scandal had major consequences for Juventus. The club was stripped of at least one Serie A title and was relegated to Serie B that summer. Del Piero, along with several of his teammates, chose to remain with Juventus and help the club during its time in the second division.
He has now spoken about the experience of dealing with the scandal while representing Italy at the World Cup. As reported by [Football Italia](https://football-italia.net/del-piero-reveals-italy-focus-during-2006/), Del Piero said:
“Back then it was essential to stay focused. Within the group we lived very well, we were all focused and we didn’t want external news to harm our serenity. There was enormous tension, that World Cup was at times disarming for everything that was going on. But we were good at staying isolated from it, yes.”