Italy grieves for 'l'Avvocato'

By Paddy Agnew

Honorary Juventus FC and Fiat president Gianni Agnelli, who died in Turin on Friday aged 81, was arguably Italian football's most loved fan.

Influential figure
Agnelli, known throughout Italy as 'l'Avvocato' or 'the lawyer', was not only one of the most influential figures in the industrial, commercial and political affairs of post-war Italy but he was also a steadfast fan of the Agnelli family-owned team, Juventus.

Loyal supporter
Until his losing battle with prostate cancer restricted his movements, Agnelli was an ever-present figure not only at the Stadio delle Alpi for Juventus's home games but also at the old Stadio Comunale where Juventus trained until this month.

Emotional attachment
Asked recently what it meant for him to be a Juventus fan, Agnelli replied: "For me, to be a Juventus fan means that when I see that black-and-white shirt step out on to the pitch, it creates a very particular emotion in me, just the same now as 50 or 60 years ago."

Famous habits
Although he actually served as club president for only seven years from 1947-54, Agnelli always followed Juventus closely, advising, planning and sometimes acting from behind the scenes. He became legendary for his 7am phone calls to star players such as Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero on the Monday morning after a big game.

Signing Platini
Furthermore, on one famous occasion in 1982, he wrong-footed his own club president, former Juventus star Giampiero Boniperti, by personally concluding the deal which saw French legend Michel Platini move to Turin.

Favourite players
Not surprisingly, Platini was far and away his favourite player of all the many great names to have worn the Juventus shirt. On the day of Platini's last official game, playing for Juventus in May 1987, Agnelli offered a poignant tribute to the Frenchman: "Today is a sad day," he said. "Another piece of our lives has come and gone on us. Platini will be forever recalled as one of the great Juventus players."

Caustic wisdom
Widely respected by the football community, Agnelli was no fool when it came to assessing players. His caustic comments were as eagerly sought after by a respectful Italian media as they were feared by footballers and coaches.

Wicked humour
He baptised current Juventus idol Del Piero 'Il Pinturichio' in reference to the 16th century renaissance maestro but later, when Del Piero was recovering slowly from injury, updated that to 'Godot', in reference to the character for whom everyone is waiting in Samuel Beckett's play.

Harsh judgements
Baggio was famously dubbed a "drowned rabbit" after being substituted during a 1994 FIFA World Cup match, while French player Zinedine Zidane was described as a player "more exciting to watch than useful".

Ronaldo assessment
When Brazilian striker Ronaldo arrived in Italy in the summer of 1987, Agnelli was among those to express reservations about Internazionale FC's new purchase: "He's a terrific player, the best striker around, but that does not mean that, with him in the team, you're going to win everything," he said.

'A lucky man'
Once on the eve of a big game involving Juventus, a reporter asked Agnelli whether he would like to see the best team win or Juventus win. The reply was vintage Agnelli: "I'm a lucky man. Often the two things coincide".

Lifelong commitment
Although in recent years, he took great pride in the success of the Fiat-owned Ferrari Formula One team - the current world champions - Agnelli never made any secret of the fact that, for him, nothing compared to Juventus: "In my sub-conscious, at difficult times there's always something that I want to find out, and that's how come Juventus won again today."