What it means to be Juve number 10
Following the furore surrounding Carlos Tevez being handed
the iconic number 10 at Juventus after his switch from Manchester City, I look a
selection of stars that’ve held that feted position in an attempt to illustrate
why it means so much.
There are clubs all over the world that hold a particular
number dear due to the illustrious performers that have worn that jersey. In
the case of the number 10, it’s often the symbol of the flair player, the
playmaker, the Fantasista. He’ll
invariably be the fulcrum of the side, the heartbeat, the one that makes the
whole team tick.
Famous number tens of the past and present include Maradona,
Messi, Kaka, Hagi and Pele to name but a few. Many fantastic players have
donned the black-and-white of Juventus and the club have been blessed to have
had more than their fair share of extraordinary footballers throughout history
who’ve had the numero dieci bestowed
upon them.
Going back to the 1980s, one of the greatest ever to play the
role was French superstar Michel Platini. His arrival coincided with a
trophy-laden period for the club, as they grabbed the European Cup, two Serie A
titles, the Coppa Italia and the European Cup Winners’ Cup during five splendid
years that he spent in Italy. His supreme balance, passing ability, dashing
runs and sublime finishing made Platini the complete attacker; an archetypal number
10.
A forerunner to Platini was Irishman Liam Brady, who enjoyed
a two-year stay in Turin. The left-footed midfielder was renowned for his
passing skills and close control on the ball. He won the Italian championship
in both of his seasons with Juve, before moving on in the summer of 1982 when Monsieur
Platini came to town. An elegant footballer, Brady moved on to Sampdoria, Inter
and Ascoli before eventually returning to English football.
Roberto Baggio, The
Divine Ponytail, ruled the roost for club and country in that number 10 shirt
for many years and quickly became an adored figure with the Delle Alpi faithful.
After Fiorentina made the decision to sell Baggio to Juventus for a world
record fee in 1990, full-scale riots broke out on the streets of Florence.
He was unfortunately injury-prone throughout his career, but
when at his pinnacle he was a world-beater. Highly skilful and displaying almost
balletic control of the ball, Baggio was capable of taking opponents apart on
his own. He would set the tempo, against the greatest of opposition teams, and
make them look ordinary. His record of a goal every two games for Juventus
proves his worth in front of goal, too.
Alessandro Del Piero became the new kid on the block when
joining from Padova in 1993, two years before Roberto Baggio left for
arch-rivals Milan. Unlike the other protagonists mentioned previously, Alex was often employed as an
out-and-out centre forward, though he could play as a second striker. Once Il Divin’ Codino chose to move on, the young
Del Piero was handed the huge responsibility of the number 10 jersey.
He gave 19 seasons in total to the Bianconeri, featuring in over 500 games and scoring just a tad less
than a goal every two appearances. A fact that endeared him even further to the
fans was that he stuck around to help the team gain promotion after they were demoted
to Serie B due to the 2006 match-rigging scandal.
Del Piero featured an astounding 91 times for his country
and went down as one of the all-time Italian football greats when bowing out to
try a new adventure with Sydney FC in Australia.
Controversial Argentine Tevez, fresh from a tumultuous seven
years in English football, is the latest in line for the honour. Some fans are
happy, most are not. They’ve witnessed from afar the manner in which Tevez has
conducted himself throughout his career and doubts prevail as to whether he has
the style and grace to fill such an important role for their beloved club.
Carlos has some work to do before playing his way into the
affections of the Juve faithful; starting off with a hatful of goals next
season would be a great idea! He will simply need to keep his head down and let
his football do the talking from this point on. Should he manage to score regularly
and perform to the upper limit of his capabilities, then he’s sure to win the
hearts of the vociferous fans.
One thing he MUST always bear in mind...10 is more than a
number!
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Twitter @davewh1980
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