Roberto Baggio and I spoke in the same dialect: Alessandro Del Piero

Mumbai: Legendary Italian footballer Alessandro Del Piero – who represented Delhi Dynamos in the inaugural edition of Indian Super League – was here for the launch of a new Vespa (the Italian scooter brand of which he is the brand ambassador) model.

The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner spent a few minutes in an exclusive chat with this correspondent. Excerpts...

You’ve grown up playing with stalwarts like Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini. How did they make a difference in your career?

I have spent two years with Roberto in Juventus, played and won together, have fond memories of winning the Italian Cup. He (Roberto) was born only 50 km away from my hometown, so we could speak in the same dialect. It was great to have him around, along with Paolo Maldini who was an incredible leader for 24 years in Milan. They have been champions.

Would you rate the dying minute goal you scored against Germany in the 2006 FIFA World Cup semifinal as the best in your career going by the situation and circumstances?

I would say yes if I have to be honest but you see we also won the World Cup within the next five days.

But that goal took Italy to the finals..

Yes, that’s true. We thought the earlier moment was the best but then, there were better moments that followed. But it is always good to win that kind of a game against a team like Germany.

Was there any special instruction from your captain, Fabio Cannavaro?

Nothing as such. We already knew what to do. The team had prepared well for the tournament.

Keeping aside Baggio and Maldini, who were your childhood heroes?

I have grown up watching Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Diego Maradona. They are all my childhood idols. My inspiration you can say. Then, I got a chance to play with incredible athletes like Gianluca Vialli.

Your goal celebrations were similar to that of Michael Jordan. Which other sport are you hooked to apart from football? Coming to India, what are your thoughts on cricket?

Though I can’t wait for the next World Cup to start, I am equally interested in basketball and tennis. I like playing it too. About cricket, I learnt deeply about the sport during my stay in Australia two years back. I started to follow it after that. Well, I also met Sachin Tendulkar a few times.

What are your thoughts on Mario Balotelli’s move to AC Milan? The club has said that the footballer’s behaviour, lifestyle – smoking, drinking, maverick hairstyles – will be strictly monitored. Even his social media accounts will be under scanner. Do you think all this is necessary in a footballer’s contract?

(Laughs) This is a kind of rule any coach or club usually announces to the players. At times, what you can do and what you cannot is unclear. But if you are representing a club, you should be at your best. But I can’t really comment on how he should dress up and about his haircut. This is between him and the coaching staff and the club manager.

As a child, you wanted to drive a lorry and roam around the world. How did you get connected to scooters?

My brother had a Piaggio which I drove. That was my first ride on a scooter. After that, many other bikes came in.