Photos: Mario Pavlović
One of the best Italian footballers of all times was nicknamed Pinturicchio after the Renaissance painter
Gianni Agnelli, the legendary Italian businessman and a long-time president of Juventus FC, was known for his sense of humour and tendency to give unusual nicknames to the players of this Turin club. Those nicknames were often both razor-sharp and witty, reflecting his unique style and relationship to football.
He nicknamed the brilliant French footballer Michel Platini Le Roi, or ‘King’, for his – you have guessed it – royal style of play. He called Zbigniew Boniek, the legend of the Polish football, Bello di Notte (‘Beauty at night’). This play on words, inspired by the title of Luis Buñuel’s film Belle de Jour, perfectly captured Boniek’s outstanding performances in European club competitions, traditionally played in the evening.
Agnelli nicknamed the subject of this article – Alessandro Del Piero – Pinturicchio (meaning ‘little painter’) after the nickname of the Italian Renaissance painter Bernardino di Betto Betti, who had acquired it because of his small stature. Agnelli wanted to emphasise Del Piero’s artistic elegance and sophistication in playing football, akin to Pinturicchio’s skill at using the brush.
The artist in football boots would later go on to become Juventus legend with most appearances and goals in the history of the Turin club and winner of the World Cup with the Italian national team. As a guest of honour at the third Sunset Sports Media Festival, he recalled some interesting details from his successful career.
The story of Alessandro Del Piero began in 1974, in the picturesque town of Conegliano, situated in the heart of Veneto. Born in a modest, working-class family, with an electrician father and a housekeeper mother, Del Piero grew up in an environment where football, as in most Italian homes, was more than a sport – it was a passion.