In the footsteps of Zola

Alessandro del Piero is ready to guide the young stars of Juventus on the path to glory, but still wants more magical playing time.

The older Juventus' Alessandro Del Piero gets, the better a player he becomes, like Gianfranco Zola.

LONDON // Alessandro del Piero is ready to guide the young stars of Juventus on the path to glory, but he still has the desire to enjoy more magical moments in his glittering career and surpass the efforts of another Italian hero. There are not many players who can be compared to Gianfranco Zola.

The impish striker showed his class in Serie A with Napoli and Parma and then the English Premier League, where he was inspirational for Chelsea; the exquisite touch and classy finishes, brought to you by a humble gentleman. Claudio Ranieri has worked with both of them and believes del Piero is Juve's answer to Zola and can keep playing just as long as the former Blues man did until he was 38. Del Piero led them against Hamburg yesterday in the Emirates Cup, but could not stop them losing 3-0 to a determined Hamburg. Jose Guerrero slid home the opener, but as Juventus were denied an equaliser during a late attacking flurry, it was Ivica Olic who sealed the victory with two injury time goals.

Ranieri had tinkered with his team and will be hoping they are on song when it matters most in the new campaign, particulary del Piero, who scored 21 goals last season. Ranieri is hoping he will continue in that vein for the new campaign as he said: "Alex is world class and was our top scorer last season. I told Arsene Wenger, he is like wine; the more he grows older the more he gets better. He is a great player for us and I can still see the same determination in the way he plays. He is a role model for our other players. You know what I think of Zola, but I don't see why he [del Piero] cannot go on for as long as Zola did."

Del Piero beams at the accolade and laughs as he admits that carrying on longer than Zola is one of his targets. "I don't have a magic wand though and what I do on the pitch, it is my character. I believe in hard work and for the team to work together and enjoy their football. With this, the results and victories become easier. "I believe I can be number one and I want to win everything. "I missed the Champions League.

"These are crucial things and they keep me going. I don't know when I will stop. I hope I will go on longer than Zola, otherwise it would not be worthwhile. "To play at 38? We will see what happens, but if I keep feeling good and have the same motivation then I could keep playing for six or seven years." Del Piero has been joined in the striking ranks this season by Amauri, and the powerful Brazilian-born frontman, who signed from Palermo, could well be wearing the Azzurri blue if his homeland do not come calling soon.

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