Post by Salem6 on Nov 4, 2006 14:30:52 GMT
The unforgettable celebrations at the Olimpico this afternoon which marked the 109th anniversary of the foundation of Juventus were attended by some of the legendary champions of the past, among them Michel Platini. In an interview conducted in Spain yesterday, ‘Le Roi’, candidate for the UEFA presidency, spoke about one of our players who was recently nominated for the Balon D’Or: “If it weren’t for the World Cup I would have said Ronaldinho or Henry, but after his performances this summer, I would love to see the Balon D’Or go to a goalkeeper, Gigi Buffon, after so many years”. Before arriving at the stadium, the guests met chairman Cobolli at the Juventus HQ, along with CEO and Managing Director Jean-Claude Blanc. Then it was off to the Olimpico where the heroes were invited onto the pitch by the stadium announcer Nanà, who then presented each of them with their own Juventus shirt and a short history of their achievements with the club: Anastasi, Bettega, Bonini, Brio, Cabrini, Castano, Carrera, Causio. Then came Deschamps, who said hello before returning to the changing rooms to continue preparations for the game. The roll-call continued with Ferrara, Candido Fortunato, in memory of his brother Andrea, Furino, Garzena, Gentile, Leoncini, Lippi, Morini, Platini, Ravanelli, Salvadore, Riccardo Scirea, in memory of his father Gaetano, Sentimenti IV, Tacconi and Torricelli. Then Del Piero, who just stayed on the field long enough to watch the entry of Boniperti, who presented him with a special captain’s armband in honour of his 200 goals. While the captain returned to the changing rooms, Boniperti took his position on the field and the candles were lit on a giant cake in the centre circle. 26 candles, one for each champion, and a further three: one for all the fans at the stadium, one for all the Bianconeri fans across Italy and the world, and one for the 39 victims of the Heysel tragedy.
Little Matteo, from the Juventus Soccer Schools, took to the field and handed a ball to Sentimenti IV who passed to Tacconi, then each player in turn from defence to attack. Anastasi passed to Bettega, then Bettega to Ravanelli, before Platini played a wonderful one-two with Boniperti and smashed the ball home to the delight of the crowd. The players then went under the curva to salute the fans, who presented ‘Le Roi’ with a special award with the club’s them tune from the 80s in the background. An evening to remember. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUVENTUS!
www.juventus.com/uk/news/detail.aspx?lml_language_id=0&trs_id=1370000&ID=9157
