Del Piero breaks remaining Juventus record
MILAN - An ecstatic Juventus fan ran on the San Siro pitch with a T-shirt which read "179, there are no more records left to beat" after the 2-1 win at AC Milan, but Alessandro Del Piero may have other ideas.
The 35-year-old forward became Juve's all-time top Serie A scorer with a 179th goal which beat Giampiero Boniperti's record and turned out to be the winner against his old rivals on Saturday.
Del Piero, Juve's top scorer in all competitions and record appearance holder, was expected to retire or leave the club when his contract expired at the end of the season but he left the door open for a extension.
"I'll have a think, maybe tomorrow," he told Sky when asked about next season.
"I'm fit and I want to play, this is the most important thing. Bit by bit we'll see how things go in the coming months. My future is very open."
The former Italy forward, who has said he would be willing to pull on the Azzurri jersey again if called, has moved up to 10th on the all-time Serie A scoring list but Silvio Piola's record of 274 is too far away.
An attempt on fifth-placed Roberto Baggio's tally of 205 goals and more minor records may tempt him to play on.
Speculation had linked the captain with a move to MLS in the United States for next term but Juve are gradually improving as they seek to rediscover their former glory.
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The Turin club, Italy's most successful and best supported team, are still recovering from a 2006 demotion for match-fixing but a first serious assault on the scudetto in five seasons looks possible if they can pull off more results like Saturday.
"It has a special taste. At the San Siro we haven't won for a long time. We've had difficulties with injuries, even tonight," added Del Piero, aware his fourth-placed side still trail Milan by two points and surprise leaders Lazio by four.
Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri, who had disappointed owner Silvio Berlusconi in the dressing room after the game, refused to give Del Piero credit for the win.
"We are talking about a match where definitely the result was not what the play on the pitch said," he said.
"Tonight is certainly the first game where we haven't deserved to lose."