Paulo Dybala is off to a bright start as he carries the torch of a long line of footballers to wear No.10 for Juventus.
The Bianconeri gave the Argentine striker the iconic jersey earlier this month and he rewarded the club’s faith in him with a goal, and spectacular performance, in Saturday’s 3-0 victory against Cagliari to open the 2017/18 Serie A season.
Numerous footballing legends have endured the spotlight that’s currently fixed on the 23-year-old attacker.
Wearing the No.10 for Juventus is an honour, due, in large part, to the stars that have worn it in the past.
The jersey comes with enormous responsibility and fanfare, and it’s generally been prophetic of a footballer’s later success; it’s been donned by Scudetto winners, World Cup winners, esteemed coaches, heads of football associations, and on and on.
Beyond that, both controversy and glory have been heavily tied to the wearer of the iconic kit for decades.
Michel Platini, the ex-President of UEFA and a Bianconeri player from 1982-87, almost left in the middle of his first season with the club because he struggled to transition into Serie A and was the subject of repeated criticism by the media.
After some time, the Frenchman found his place on the squad and led his side to win the Scudetto twice as well as lifting a European Cup.
Roberto Baggio inherited the No.10 from Platini when he signed for the Old Lady from Fiorentina in 1990 for 16 billion Lira, at the time a world record transfer fee.
The Italy national team legend took some time to win over his new supporters, especially when he declared shortly after his arrival from Florence that he felt in his heart that he’d always be tied to the Viola.
And another master tactician, Fabio Capello, wore the jersey when he was just 24 years old and helped the Bianconeri win three Scudetti; as the club’s coach, the Italian helped the Turin side capture another two league titles.
Meanwhile, Omar Sivori played for Juventus from 1957 to 1965 and has a goals to games ratio of 0.62, with 139 strikes in 224 matches, the highest in Juve’s history.
Arguably the most famous player to wear the No.10 for Juventus is Alessandro Del Piero, the club’s all-time leading scorer with 288 goals in all competitions.
A 2006 World Cup winner with the Azzurri, the now-retired star helped the Old Lady win six league titles, a Coppa Italia, a Champions League title, and a UEFA Super Cup.
Certainly, Dybala’s tenure at Juventus hasn’t been marked by unrelenting love, longevity, or even controversy, though he has shown he is quite deserving of wearing the No.10.
The Bianconeri have been an ideal fit for the 23-year-old, who has recorded 45 goals in 97 matches in all competitions for the Old Lady since he ventured north to Turin from Palermo in the summer of 2015.
Through only two full seasons, Argentine is already inside the top 20 of Juventus’ all-time leading scorers, joining other club legends—many of whom also wore the iconic jersey.
What’s most remarkable about the 23-year-old is that his story is still being written in its early stages; he’s at the start of his professional career and he’s played in a Champions League final, won the Scudetto multiple times, and become one of the world’s top finishers.
Dybala has been given a high honour and appears to have the skills to not only add more to Juventus’ famous history, but also his own.
