By: Nima Tavallaey
Ahead of tonight's match between AC Milan and Juventus at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Gazzetta dello Sport interviewed Alessandro Del Piero and Andrei Shevchenko (click here). The legendary Bianconeri captain was aksed to look back at the Milan vs Juventus fixture of yesteryear which have always been of particular importance for him.
"In the 1990's surely, but also a bit further back but how can I not mention the matches against Inter or Roma and many others. Sure, the appeal of playing against Milan at the San Siro is hard to match. Prediction? Juventus will win 2-1. The Bianconeri have 20 wins out of 21 matches after having started poorly. It's really a great feat. No-one can match the mental strength of Juventus but never before this year has the physical strength in the team's legs been as fundamental as it is this year. It takes a lot to comeback this way and to stay on top and react when you've reached the top. The essence of sport is to beat your opponent, giving everything you have to beat your opponent, being obsessed by winning. Only this way can you respect and honor sport. We're not talking about any slogan but what it means to be a champion. At Juventus this is very clear. When you win and when you don't win."
Del Piero was then asked to give his thoughts on Paolo Dybala who's having a great frst season with the Bianconeri: "From the first moment I saw him in a Juventus shirt I thought, he must always play. I was immediately struck by the personality with which he takes on responsibility in realtion to his young age. Together with the technical aspect it is this that unites my start at Juventus with his. The best Milan team I've ever played? I have appreciated many Milan teams, starting with the first one that I faced with Tassotti-Baresi-Costacurta-Maldini in defense. I have always had a high regard for their team and their club."
In conclusion Del Piero was asked to give his thoughts on Francesco Totti's situation at Roma: "I can't make any judgements from a distance and then anything I'd say would be compared to my own story. I'll limit myself to saying that on a human level I have always been close to Francesco who deserves the best."
