[:mt]Dalgħodu il-Juventini qamu b’ħasda hekk kif tħabbret il-mewt tal-“Presidentissimo” Giampiero Boniperti fl-għomor ta’ 92 sena.

L-istorja jew aħjar ir-relazzjoni ta’ Giampiero Boniperti ma’ Juventus hija bla dubju ta’ xejn waħda ta’ importanza kbira fl-istorja tas-soċjeta’. Minn plejers għal president, Boniperti kellu sehem f’uħud mill-isbaħ snin tal-“Vecchia signora” li fihom ikkontribwixxa għal numru kbir ta’ titli. Ma ninsewx li kliem Boniperti għadu sal-lum fuq in-naħa ta’ ġewwa tal-flokk tal-Juve : “Vincere non e’ importante ma e’ l’unica cosa che conta” (li tirbaħ mhux importanti imma l-unika ħaġa li tgħodd), kliem li nsibuh ukoll fl-Allianz Stadium.

Boniperti twieled fl-4 ta’ Lulju 1928 f’Barengo (Novara). Wara illi għamel l-ewwel passi tiegħu bħala plejers ma’ Momo f’Novara stess, Boniperti issieħeb ma’ Juventus fl-1946 fl-eta’ ta’ 18 –il sena u baqa’ mal-klabb minn Turin sal-aħħar tal-karriera tiegħu  bħala plejers fl-1961 fl-eta’ ta’ 33 sena. Dan juri il-lejalta’ u d-devozzjoni li kellu lejn il-klabb, xi ħaġa li mhux daqshekk komuni illum il-ġurnata. Huwa ddebutta fis-Serie A fit-2 ta’ Marzu 1947 kontra Milan f’logħba li dawn tal-aħħar rebħu 2-1.

Grazzi għat-talent kbir tiegħu iżda anki għad-dixxiplina u sens ta’ dover li kellu, Giampiero sar wieħed mill-aqwa attakkanti li qatt libes il-flokk abjad u iswed. Wara li beda bħal centre forward il-fatt li kien jadatta għal kull posizzjoni wassal biex iktar il-quddiem jilgħab bħala wing-back u anki half-back hekk kif beda jikber. Minkejja it-tibdil fil-posizzjoni tiegħu, Boniperti dejjem kien effiċjenti u ta’ klassi inkredibli. Bħala attakkant kellu sens kbir tal-gowl, bħala wing-back kien jaħdem ħafna u b’intensita’ u bħala centre back kien kapaċi jaqra l-logħba. Dan kollu wassal biex jasal fejn ftit plejers irnexxielhom tul il-karriera tagħhom. Flimkien mal-winger Muccinelli kien jifforma parti minn koppja ta’ attakkanti li kien inissel biża fid-difizi ta’ timijiet oħra.

Bħala plejers Boniperti rebaħ 5 scudetti (l-ewwel wieħed fl-istaġun 1949/50 taħt il-kowċ Ingliż Jesse Carver) u żewġ Coppa Italia fl-1958/59 u 1959/60. Fil-15 –il staġun li lagħab ma’ Juventus, Giampiero Boniperti lagħab 462 logħba u skurja 182 gowl, rekord miksur biss minn Alessandro Del Piero.

Giampiero Boniperti lagħab ukoll 38 darba mat-tim nazzjonali Taljan u skurja 8 gowls. Id-debut tiegħu mal-azzurri għamlu fid-9 ta’ Novembru 1947, logħba li l-Italja tilfu bl-iskor kbir ta’ 5-1 kontra l-Awstrija.

Għaxar snin wara li rtira bħala plejers, Boniperti sar il-president ta’ Juventus, posizzjoni li baqa’ jokkupa għal 19 –il sena sħaħ sas-sena 1990. Fi żmienu bħala president ta’ Juventus, il-klabb kiseb uħud mill-iktar titli importanti. Fi żmienu bħala president, Juventus rebħu 9 scudetti, Tazza tac-Champions, Tazza tat-Tazzi, Supercup tal-Ewropa, 3 Coppa Italia, Tazza Interkontinentali, 2 Tazzi UEFA u Mundialito.

Grazzi Presidentissimo!

Tribute to Giampiero Boniperti

This morning, Juventus supporters woke up to a shock as the passing away of “Presidentissimo” Giampiero Boniperti at the age of 92 was announced.

The story or rather “relationship” of Giampiero Boniperti with Juventus is without any doubt of utter importance to the history of the club. From player to president Giampiero contributed to some of the most beautiful years of the “old lady” contributing to a good number of titles. Boniperti’s words are still printed on the inside of the Juventus jersey till this very day “At Juventus, victory is not important, it is the only thing that matters”, a motto which is also printed on the Walls of the Allianz Stadium.

Boniperti was born on the 4th of July 1928 in Barengo (Novara). After having spent his early days playing for Momo in Novara , Boniperti joined Juventus in 1946, at the young age of 18 remaining with the Turin club right till the end of his career as a footballer in 1961 at the age of 33. A truly admirable demonstration of faithfulness and devotion to one’s club, which is very rare in modern football. The debut in the Serie A came on the 2nd of March 1947 during the match Juventus vs Milan which the latter won 2-1.

Thanks to his great talent and also to his great discipline and sense of duty, Giampiero became one of the best attackers ever to have worn the black and white shirt. Having started off as a centre-forward his great adaptability saw him transform into wing-back and later half-back with his advancing age. No matter in which position he played Boniperti always interpreted the role with great efficiency and outstanding class. As an attacker his great sense of goal , as a wing-back his hard work on the flank and as half-back his great tactics and ability of reading the game saw him achieve what very few other players managed to achieve. Together with winger Muccinelli he formed an attacking tandem which was the terror of opposing defences.

As a player Boniperti won 5 scudetti (the first of which in 1949/50 under the English coach Jesse Carver) and two Coppa Italia in 1958/59 and 1959/60. In his 15 seasons with Juventus Giampiero played 462 matches scoring 182 goals, a record which has only been broken by Alessandro Del Piero.

Giampiero Boniperti also played 38 times for the Italian national team scoring 8 goals. His debut on the 9th of November 1947 saw Italy loose with the impressive score of 5-1 to Austria.

Ten years after having shelved his football boots Boniperti was made Juventus president, a role which he held for a good 19 years up to 1990. During his time as president Juventus saw some of their greatest victories. In fact with the “eternal zebra” as president Juventus won no less then 9 scudetti , a Champions Cup , a Cup Winners Cup, a European Supercup, 3 Coppa Italia, an Intercontinental Cup, 2 UEFA Cups and a Mundialito.

Thank you Presidentissimo!

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