16 January 2008

300 times Birindelli

Another piece of Juve's recent history has reached an important achievement: Alessandro Birindelli has joined the prestigious “300 Club”, meaning three hundred official games at Juventus for a player that has truly given everything to the Club in the last eleven years.

And destiny has played its role too. Indeed the tally was reached during the Italian Cup match against Empoli, the Club that holds a special place in “Biri”'s heart, as he grew up and began his career at the highest level there.

Birindelli's story at Juventus began in 1997. He wasn't 23 yet when he arrived, after playing well at Empoli, but he mixed into the group - the squad that was winning everything under Lippi - as if he'd been there for years. He made his League debut on the first day of the season (in Juventus-Lecce, on August 31). Just two weeks later he got his first personal joy: a goal, in the Champions League no less, during a goal spree against Feyenoord at the Delle Alpi.

This was the first of seven goals, as many as three of which on the European stage. The one in La Coruna, in 2002, was particularly unforgettable: a screamer in the top corner from forty yards out. His last goal came in March 2007, and it was a vital goal that allowed Juve to win at Pescara and take a big step towards promotion.

Not only did he score goals in Europe, he also played many games there: of his 300 games at Juve, as many as 52 were in the Champions League. To which two in the 2004 preliminary round, 8 in the UEFA Cup and 4 in the InterToto must be added.

Congratulations to Alessandro, an important player of the last decade, for this achievement and a “thank you” for his contribution to Juventus' victories, with the hope that he can soon add more trophies to his already rich résumé (five Italian titles and three Italian Super Cups).