“Piero” defended goal for 28 years, retiring in 2015. Now the whole city is with him in his moment of illness
A salvation in the name of “Piero”, Andrea Pierobon, symbol of the Citadel between the pitch (200 appearances from 1988 and 2015 at various intervals between B, C1 and C2) and bench. Current goalkeeper manager of the Paduan team, protagonist in his career with 434 other appearances, also the shirts of Giorgione, Massese, Fidelis Andria, Treviso, Venezia and Spal. Loved everywhere, living monument to Cittadella.
History
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Pierobon was born on 19 July 1969 in Cittadella, a province between Padua and Vicenza, growing up right in the nursery of the Venetian training, where he did the whole process, landing among the greats in 1987-88. In Serie A Sacchi changes the history of football, in Interregional, Pierobon changes its history. “I was 18 and it was the last day of the 1987-88 season. We were playing away in Schio and I remember I made a great save from a header by an opposing forward.” From that moment there would have been 28 years of great saves, with his retirement in the Citta shirt on May 22, 2015, at 45 years, 10 months and 9 days. A longevity record for Italian football, now being targeted by another legend like Gianluigi Buffon.
The hardest challenge
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Eight years later, here is the most difficult challenge, the most insidious of all those experienced in 28 years of honorable service on playing fields throughout Italy. After retiring, Piero is already there, in his natural habitat, the field. Only one goal: to make the Cittadella goalkeepers among the best in their category. And he succeeds, because the goodness of man and the excellence of the professional go hand in hand. For info, ask Alfonso, Paleari, Maniero, Kastrati, all goalkeepers who have reached their peak performance in Serie B under the care of Andrea Pierobon. Because Pierobon is methodical, just like a footballer. Severe with the youngsters, a real hammer with the stars, the first to take the field in the warm-up, even before his supporting cast. The whole Citadel world, upon hearing the news of the disease, immediately rallied around one of his heroes. And it could not be otherwise. One from Sitadea, Cittadella dop. The first thought of Gorini and Marchetti during the grenade salvation party. And now there’s the biggest challenge: foiling the biggest threat, to be repelled in style, as always done in a career.
24 maggio – 19:57
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