Sydney FC skipper Alessandro Del Piero is adamant there is no truth to rumours he wants out of the A-League club, declaring he is committed to seeing out the season with the Sky Blues.
Sydney FC skipper Alessandro Del Piero is adamant there is no truth to rumours he wants out of the A-League club, declaring he is committed to seeing out the season with the Sky Blues.
The 39-year-old has been the subject of growing speculation that he’s unhappy in Sydney and is preparing to jump ship before the end of his second season with the club.
But the Italian maestro, who has scored three goals in seven appearances this season, insists he is happy at the Sky Blues and has no plans to jump ship before the end of the current campaign.
“I don’t know (what to say about the rumours) because I’m happy here,” Del Piero said before training on Friday morning.
“I’m focused about this season with Sydney. I don’t have other thoughts about other teams at the moment and for me the future is here until the end of the season, and this for me is only rumours.
“I know the January window is very big and everyone can move, me too for sure because nothing is forever, but this (Sydney FC) is my intention.
“This is what I think, what I want to do. Everything at the moment is rumours.”
Asked if he has been disappointed or hurt by speculation over his future, the World Cup winner concedes he experienced much worse in his time with Italian giants Juventus.
“I don’t know where the rumours come from, I really don’t know. If I’m sad because I have an injury it’s because I have an injury, not because I’m not happy,” he said.
“At the moment we have a good moment also with the team so for me is only rumours. but I’m not scared because in Italy sometimes the rumours are worse, so that’s why for me it’s OK.”
Coach Frank Farina is so confident Del Piero remains committed to the club that he hasn’t even bothered to raise the issue with his marquee man.
“That’s social media again and as I said a few weeks back it’s a new player in the game which everyone has to deal with, but it’s just rumours and gossip but people read it on social networks or whatever you want to call it, and you guys are obliged to report on it,” Farina said.
“So it’s a new player that’s in the game and everyone has to deal with it, but as I said that’s just rumour and gossip.
“As I said, people go on these sites and mention something and it’s the duty of the media to follow them up, but no I haven’t spoken to him and there hasn’t been any need to.”
Meanwhile, Farina is confident both Del Piero and Brett Emerton (leg) will be available for Sunday’s clash against Melbourne Heart, with a decision on the duo’s availability to be made on Saturday.
Del Piero, who trained with the main squad for the first time this week on Friday, said of his own prospects of playing: “We have two more days and the day of the game for understand with Frank what is the best situation but for sure I’m okay now and I can train with the team and we’ll see what happens after that.”
“I hope everything is fine for me in the next two days and Frank can choose the best team and the best guys for the game.
“I have to train with the team and take the next step for me. Alone everything is okay, now inside the team if everything is okay today and tomorrow I think I’ll be fine.
The veteran says he is not concerned by calf and hamstring injuries that have seen him miss two matches this season and say he doesn’t need to change his training habits in a bid to stay on the field.
