For the best part of two decades, when Juventus won a penalty, Alessandro Del Piero put the ball on the spot. He scored over 60 in his career, mostly for Juventus, with a conversion rate above 85% across a 20-year career.
The kick itself was simple. A low, hard strike into the bottom corner. Keepers knew it was coming and rarely stopped it.
Did he score them when it counted?
Yes. Del Piero took penalties in Champions League finals, in Serie A title deciders and for the Italian national team. His nerve never seemed to change with the size of the occasion. Precise placement, clean technique and steady nerves did the rest.
The penalties feed into a bigger number. Del Piero is Juventus' all-time top scorer with 290 goals, and a significant number of those came from 12 yards.
He was Juventus through and through, and from the spot he was their first choice for nearly twenty years. Over 60 penalties, an 85%-plus rate and a long list of important kicks. The prince of Turin is number 8.
Tomorrow: number 7.
