No fear for Del Piero

By Paolo Menicucci

There is no doubt that football matches are won as much in players' heads as they are won on football pitches. Nor that the higher the level of competition, the stronger a team has to be mentally.

Big occasion 
That is why Juventus FC are lucky to have Alessandro Del Piero in their ranks for tonight's UEFA Champions League final against AC Milan at Old Trafford, Manchester. A veteran of three Champions League finals, Del Piero knows all about handling the pressure of the big occasion.

Tense moments 
"The tension increases every day until the eve of the match," Del Piero told uefa.com ahead of his 60th appearance in the competition. "The important thing is to control the tension - to be motivated by the pressure and not to let it affect you in a negative way."

Unique match
Adding to the pressure, or motivation, is the unprecedented nature of this final. "The match is unique because it is between two Italian sides," said Del Piero, who has scored five times in 12 Champions League games this term. "Every small detail will be analysed beforehand. It happens even with two teams who do not know each other, but this time the build-up will be really intense."

Final defeats
Del Piero was part of the Juventus team that beat AFC Ajax to win the 1996 Champions League - the club's second European Cup success - but he also played in two subsequent final defeats. In 1997, he scored a fantastic back-heel goal but it was not enough to prevent BV Borussia Dortmund winning 3-1 in Munich. The following year the Bianconeri lost again, 1-0 against Real Madrid CF.

'Extra motivation'
According to Del Piero, however, the memory of those reverses can inspire Juventus against a Milan side with five Champions' Cups already under their belt. "We have lost the last two finals we have played in this competition and we have to use this as extra motivation to defeat Milan," he said.

Nedved suspension
As skipper, Del Piero also had words for Pavel Nedved, the Czech international midfield player who will miss the Old Trafford showdown through suspension after picking up a yellow card in the semi-final second leg against Real Madrid.

'We are sorry'
The inspirational Nedved scored in the 3-1 win, and Del Piero said: "I really hope that at the final whistle we are not saying that we missed Pavel. But it is impossible to deny how important he is for us. He has played really well this season and deserved to play in this match. We are sorry he has to sit out a final like this."

Personal aim
Del Piero's own strike against Madrid allowed the 28-year-old to move into third place in the Champions League scoring charts with 29 goals. He is one behind Manchester United FC's Ruud van Nistelrooij, and 'Pinturicchio' aims to equal the Dutchman's tally at Old Trafford today. "To win this match and score would be the perfect way to finish a fantastic year," he said.