‘ADP risked tarnishing his legacy’

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IN the end it was something of a relief. Fabulous though Alessandro Del Piero has been for the A-League, he is now so far past his physical prime that a third season in the colours of Sydney FC would have risked tarnishing the legacy he wants to leave here.

So, if the timing of his announcement left something to be desired - inevitably overshadowing the A-League Awards on Monday night - the manner of his departure won't detract from everything good since his arrival.

DEL PIERO HANGS UP SKY BLUES BOOTS

Seismic changes have been made to a variety of metrics around the league since he first set foot on Australian soil. Sydney have record crowds around an average of 20,000 - the days when they pulled in 7000 are uncomfortably recent history.

TV ratings for big games involving him have been consistently powerful, and Sydney FC have overtaken Melbourne Victory as the most-watched team by TV viewers, grabbing some 42% of the market last season.

Alessandro Del Piero paved the way for Shinji Ono and Emile Heskey's signings. Source: News Limited

The club's memberships reached 10,000 this year for the first time, a welcome response to counter the attention-grabbing success of the Wanderers across town.

In other ways too his impact was felt across the league, and not just in the way teams sold out when he came to town. No ADP, no Heskey or Ono - he blazed the trail for the marquees who gave the competition an incredible jump-start 20 months ago.

And in response, certainly in the first season, ADP delivered. Remember the freekick he curled home early in his home debut against Newcastle last season? Remember the four goals against Wellington, the screamer away to Perth?

Adelaide fans pay homage to Alessandro Del Piero. Source: News Limited

The outrageously casual brilliance of his goals against Brisbane in the final round of his first season as he single-handedly tried to get Sydney into the finals?

The wonder is that as his contribution has waned this season, the metrics have ticked on. Asked how they intend to shore-up the interest and money Del Piero brought to the club, Sydney officials note that those figures are higher still in his second, obviously less-impactful season.

Whether that's the case remains to be seen, but for now he has one more contribution to make to Australian football as captain of the All-Stars against Juventus in August. And that's only right and proper, for we may not see his like again, not a star of quite such brilliance. He deserves the thanks.

Check out all the reaction to ADP's departure here.

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