5 players we never thought we would see in the ISL

#1 Alessandro Del Piero

Del Piero played for the Delhi Dynamos

The Italian and Juventus legend absolutely electrified the country when it was announced that he would be playing in the inaugural ISL season. Having won the 2006 FIFA World Cup and being a finalist at the UEFA Euro 2000 would be a commendable achievement for any player, but for Del Piero it was just a part of his impressive repertoire.

He is the joint highest scorer for Italy, the most prolific forward in Juventus’ star-studded history and one of the best players of his generation.

His loyalty to his club was reflected in Juventus’ darkest moment - their relegation to Serie B in the Calciopoli footballing scandal. Del Piero vowed to stay on as captain and guide his team back to the top-flight: they managed to return to Serie A in the very next season.

Del Piero left the Old Lady as a champion, and embarked on a voyage to spread the joy of football to a wider audience. His travels brought him to Delhi, where he put in spirited performances but could only manage to score once. However, his presence in the capital energised the residents of the city who came to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium en masse to see the legend in the flesh.