Del Piero’s Poem (not quite Giacomo Leopardi)

WE WERE THERE By Alessandro Del Piero

When we were winning, always. On the pitch, more than anyone else.
When we fell.
When we didn’t know where we would end up.
When we learnt, and accepted it. Struggling to rise up again.
When we took the field in Rimini.
When the others celebrated.
When we were just watching.
When they hoped we would never return.
When we started climbing back up.
When we couldn’t find our way.
When we found it: winning.

This is our party, conquered right at the last drop of sweat.
It’s the party of all those who always believed.
It’s the party of all you Juve fans who instead of abandoning us let your voice be heard even louder,
It’s the party of those who cheered for a goal in serie B as much as the one that brought the scudetto.
It’s the party, why not, of opponents (not all) who always respected us.
It’s the party of Balzaretti, Belardi, Bianco, Birindelli, Bojinov, Boumsong, Buffon, Camoranesi, Chiellini, De Ceglie, Giannichedda, Giovinco, Guzman, Kovac, Lanzafame, Legrottaglie, Marchionni, Marchisio, Mirante, Nedved, Palladino, Paro, Piccolo, Trezeguet, Venitucci, Zalayeta, Zanetti, Zebina. Manager Deschamps.

And it had to end like this, I never stopped believing.
Thank you, lads. Let’s enjoy this, we deserved it.
I was there, you were there. We were there. And we are here, finally.
We have returned.

Alessandro

[My translation from the original Italian here. Grazie Vlad for sending it!]