09 September 2015
“To share a changing room with players from the previous generation to mine is something special. One learns of so many great stories and catches some wonderful anecdotes because, in the end, we’ve a lot in common. It’s the Juve spirit that unites us all and has allowed us to create a winning legacy.”
These the words of Gianluca Pessotto, in charge of the Juventus Legends for Tuesday evening’s fundraising match against Boca Juniors Legends, the importance of which was put into its greater context by two of his players on the night in Ciro Ferrara and David Trezeguet.
Speaking first to JTV, Ferrara began: “The most important thing today is the continuation of this project that we’ve been working on for two years. The results on the pitch could have been better but we’re doing great work off it and at the end of the day, that’s what really counts. We really enjoyed ourselves out there tonight but we’ve always got our eyes on the bigger picture.”
After jesting that the “days are numbered” for his manager Pessotto, the former Bianconeri defender went on to voice his support for the direction the initiative is taking under Trezeguet, adding that the Frenchman is proving to be the perfect man for the role of Juventus Legends president.
“We’re delighted that David decided to take over the Legends presidency as he is always on the lookout for new opportunities for us. Would we go back to Madrid or Barcelona? Why not, they’re both beautiful cities and we gave a great account of ourselves over there, it’s just a shame we let Real win here last time!”
He scored on the evening to send the Juventus Stadium into raptures, but Trezeguet was quick to emphasise the underlying reasons behind Tuesday evening’s UNESCO Cup.
“We all know the main reason for which we are gathered here tonight, as all proceeds will go towards providing young, vulnerable people with a brighter future in Mali and the Central African Republic.
"Today’s event was very important for the players, the club and the supporters in terms of contributing to this greater cause.”
The Juventus Legends president witnessed first-hand the difficulties that face young people in Africa following his visit in June and he spoke of how the trip had convinced him of the positive impact that football can have in terms of bringing about social reintegration of former child soldiers in the region.
“In Africa I discovered children enduring tough conditions, but with a great desire to improve their situations and embrace the game of football.
"This sport can give a lot from an educational perspective and I think it’s important that the game does all it can to help out. I believe that there’s a lot that clubs and ex-players can do in this sense.”
And the Frenchman stressed that the second edition of the UNESCO Cup represented merely the beginning of the Bianconeri’s contribution to the cause with several other charity events already pencilled in the diary.
“Next month we go to Canada and then we’ll play Boca again in Argentina. This is proof that the project is continuing to grow. We want to keep up the good work, because every one of us is closely associated with the club and we’ve all helped play a part in its history.”
On the game itself, Trezeguet commented: “It was an entertaining affair, but also a competitive one. After a tricky first period, we came out brightly in the second half to make a match of it, as we faced great opponents."
He concluded: "We don’t stop here. We’re a very closely-knit group and we’ll continue to meet up in the future for further fixtures. This is only the start of a new adventure.”
