SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

The Seven Habits

The chapters are dedicated to each of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:

* First Habit - Be Pro-active. Here, Covey emphasizes the original sense of the term "proactive" as coined by Victor Frankl. You can either be proactive or reactive when it comes to how you act about certain things. Being "proactive" means taking responsibility for everything in life. When you're reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Initiative, and taking action will then follow. Covey shows how man is different from animals in that he has self consciousness. He has the ability to detach himself and observe his own self, think about his thoughts. He goes on to say how this attribute enables him. It gives him the power not to be affected by his circumstances. Covey talks about 'Stimulus and Response'. Between Stimulus and Response, we have the power to choose the response.

* Begin with the End In Mind. This chapter is about setting long-term goals based on "true-north principles". Covey recommends to formulate a "personal mission statement" to document one's perception of one's own purpose in life. He sees visualization as an important tool to develop this. He also deals with organizational mission statements, which he claims to be more effective if developed and supported by all members of an organization, rather than being prescribed.

* Put First Things First. Here, Covey describes a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important. Delegation is presented as an important part of time management. Successful delegation, according to Covey, focuses on results and benchmarks that are to be agreed in advance, rather than on prescribing detailed work plans.

* Think Win/Win describes an attitude whereby mutually beneficial solutions are sought, that satisfy the needs of oneself as well as others, or, in the case of a conflict, both parties involved.

* Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Covey warns that giving out advice before having empathetically understood a person and their situation will likely result in that advice being rejected. Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns instead of reading out your own autobiography is purported to increase the chance of establishing a working communication.

* Synergize describes a way of working in teams. Apply effective problem solving. Apply collaborative decision making. Value differences. Build on divergent strengths. Leverage creative collaboration. Embrace and leverage innovation. It is put forth that, when this is pursued as a habit, the result of the teamwork will exceed the sum of what each of the members could have achieved on their own. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

* Sharpen the saw focuses on balanced self-renewal. Regaining what Covey calls "productive capacity" by engaging in carefully selected recreational activities.

My Curriculum Vitae 2

Achmad Fadly, SS
Jl. Jeruk Garut No.1
Harapan Baru, Bekasi 17133, West Java, Indonesia
0813 83910672 / 021 8853268
fedle_duo@yahoo.co.id

16 January 2007

To The Headmaster of
SMK At-Taqwa, Bekasi

Dear Sir/ Maam

I am writing to fill the position of English Teacher in your institution as I’ve got the information from one of my colleagues.

I have just graduated from my Bachelor Education and awarded The Degree of Literature from English Faculty of Sekolah Tinggi Bahasa Asing IEC (STIBA “IEC”) Jakarta. I have also experienced in teaching English for more than 8 years in IEC and some schools.

During my career as an English Teacher I have got some self improvements through trainings, seminars and workshop activities. In this capacity I was able to be an effective teacher and coordinator as well to manage the teacher’s distribution, micro teaching forum, and facilitate the students learning process as well, and I’m good enough to teach students through internet and e-learning.

I believe my educational background and my experience in teaching qualifies me for the position of English Teacher in your institution. I look forward to discussing how my education background and my skills can be value to SMK At-Taqwa.

Sincerely,

Achmad Fadly, SS

My Curriculum Vitae

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL DATA

Full Name : Achmad Fadly SS

Nick Name : Fedle

Place and Date of Birth : Jakarta, 18 March 1978

Sex : Male

Nationality : Indonesian

Religion : Moslem

Marital Status : Single

Address (sesuai KTP) : Jl. Jeruk Garut No.1

Harapan Baru, Bekasi Barat 17133

Address (sekarang) : Jl.Lentera I No.35 Rt 010/Rw 24.

Perum. Pondok Ungu Permai Sektor V, Bekasi

Phone Number : 021-885 3268

Mobile : 0813 83910672

E-mail : fedle_duo@yahoo.co.id

Website : http// www.fedle.blogspot.com

FORMAL EDUCATION

Year of Graduation	Institution	Degree
2006 2000 1996 1993 1990	English Faculty of Sekolah Tinggi Bahasa Asing IEC Jakarta Akademi Bahasa Asing LPI Jakarta SMU Negeri 53 Jakarta SMP Negeri 14 Jakarta SDN Balimester 02 Jakarta	Sarjana Sastra (SS)

INFORMAL EDUCATION

Year	Courses	Institution
1995 - 1997	English Course	Intensive English Course (IEC Bekasi 03)

WORKING EXPERIENCES

Year	Position	Institution
1998-2000 2000-2001 2001 - 2002 2000 - 2005 1997 - present	English Teacher English Teacher Interpreteur Teacher Assistant’s Coordinator English Teacher	SDN Pulo Gebang 04 Jakarta SDN Kebon Manggis 08 Jakarta Paguyuban Seni Indonesia, Rawamangun Jakarta Intensive English Course Bekasi 03 Intensive English Course Bekasi 03

AWARDS

Year	Awards	Institution
1999 2000 2001 2003 2006 2006	Participant of Emotional Intelligence Participant of Teaching English for Children Participant of Quantum Teaching The Best Presenter of Teaching English for Children at Bekasi Teacher’s Conference Participant of National Seminar on Collaborative Language Learning The best teacher awarded by Intensive English Course head office, for implementing the first innovation of Collaborative Learning	Intensive English Course Intensive English Course Intensive English Course Intensive English Course Ministry of National Education and Directorate of Institutions Development Intensive English Course

Sincerelly yours,

Achmad Fadly, SS

The Schedule

AFC Asian Cup 2007 Schedule (all times local)

Sat, July 7
Thailand v Iraq (Group A), Bangkok. Kick-off: 19.35

Sun, July 8
Australia v Oman (Group A), Bangkok. Kick-off: 17.20
Vietnam v United Arab Emirates (Group B), Hanoi. Kick-off: 19.35

Mon, July 9
Japan v Qatar (Group B), Hanoi. Kick-off: 17.20

Tue, July 10
Malaysia v China (Group C), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 20.35
Indonesia v Bahrain (Group D), Jakarta. Kick-off: 17.20

Wed, July 11
Iran v Uzbekistan (Group C), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 18.20
Korea Republic v Saudi Arabia (Group D), Jakarta. Kick-off: 19.35

Thu, July 12
Oman v Thailand (Group A), Bangkok. Kick-off: 17.20
Qatar v Vietnam (Group B), Hanoi. Kick-off: 19.35

Fri, July 13
Iraq v Australia (Group A), Bangkok. Kick-off: 17.20
United Arab Emirates v Japan (Group B), Hanoi. Kick-off: 20.35

Sat, July 14
Uzbekistan v Malaysia (Group C), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 18.20
Saudi Arabia v Indonesia (Group D), Jakarta. Kick-off: 19.35

Sun, July 15
China v Iran (Group C), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 18.20
Bahrain v Korea Republic (Group D), Jakarta. Kick-off: 19.35

Mon, July 16
Thailand v Australia (Group A), Bangkok. Kick-off: 19.35
Oman v Iraq (Group A), Bangkok. Kick-off: 19.35
Vietnam v Japan (Group B), Hanoi. Kick-off: 17.20
Qatar v United Arab Emirates (Group B), Hanoi. Kick-off: 17.20

Wed, July 18
Malaysia v Iran (Group C), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 20.35
Uzbekistan v China (Group C), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 20.35
Indonesia v Korea Republic (Group D), Jakarta. Kick-off 17.20
Saudi Arabia v Bahrain (Group D), Palembang. Kick-off: 17.20

Sat, July 21
Quarter-final 1 (winner Group A v runner-up Group B), Bangkok. Kick-off: 20.20
Quarter-final 3 (winner Group B v runner-up Group A), Hanoi. Kick-off: 17.20

Sun, July 22
Quarter-final 2 (winner Group C v runner-up Group D), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 18.20
Quarter-final 4 (winner Group D v runner-up Group C), Jakarta. Kick-off: 20.20

Wed, July 25
Semi-final 1 (winner Quarter-final 1 v winner Quarter-final 2), Kuala Lumpur. Kick-off: 18.20
Semi-final 2 (winner Quarter-final 3 v winner Quarter-final 4), Hanoi. Kick-off: 20.20

Sat, July 28
3rd/4th playoff (loser Semi-final 1 v loser Semi-final 2), Palembang. Kick-off: 19.35

Sunday, July 29th- 2007
Final (winner Semi-final 1 v winner Semi-final 2),

Jakarta Indonesia. Kick-off 19.35

Piala Asia 2007 Jakarta Indonesia

Drawing group

KUALA LUMPUR – Profiles of the 16 teams that will be involved in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 final draw, which will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on Tuesday, December 19 at 8:00pm.

AUSTRALIA
Despite the absence of many of their Europe-based stars for the majority of the qualifiers, the Socceroos comfortably secured a spot in the Asian Cup for the first time by topping Group D. They began with a come-from-behind 3-1 win in Bahrain in their opening match before 2-0 home wins against Kuwait and Bahrain confirmed Graham Arnold’s side of their place in the finals.

BAHRAIN
Semi-finalists at the Asian Cup in 2004, Bahrain were staring at an early elimination after picking up on only one point from their first three qualifying games in Group D. Facing a crucial must-win home game against Kuwait in their final qualifier, Hans-Peter Breigel’s side prevailed 2-1 with first half goals by Talal Yusuf and Salman Issa ensuring that the Kuwaitis missed out on the Asian Cup for the first time since 1972.

CHINA
Runners-up in 2004, China made hard work of qualifying this time around. Although beaten only once in six Group E games, Zhu Guanghu’s side needed a last-ditch Shao Jiayi penalty to defeat Singapore 1-0 and were also held to a goalless draw in the Lion City. A 2-0 win against Palestine in their penultimate game sealed China’s place in the finals but they will need plenty of improvement if they hope to go one better than their last Asian Cup performance.

INDONESIA
Having claimed their first victory at the Asian Cup finals with a 2-1 win against Qatar in 2004, Peter Withe’s side will be hoping for an even stronger performance in front of their own passionate fans in Jakarta when they make their fourth consecutive appearance in the finals in 2007. The Indonesians have been runners-up in the last three editions of the ASEAN Football Federation Championship, and should prove a difficult side to beat on home soil.

IRAN
Having narrowly lost out on penalties to China in the 2004 semi-finals, Iran will be keen to add to their tally of three Asian Cup triumphs when they make a record 11th consecutive appearance in the finals in 2007. Despite being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Syria, Amir Ghalenoei’s side were the only team not to lose in the qualifying competition and qualified as winners of Group B with a 2-0 victory against Korea Republic in Tehran in their final game.

IRAQ
The Iraqis began their qualification campaign in the worst possible way with a 2-0 defeat in Singapore but the 2004 quarter-finalists bounced back with a crucial 2-1 win against China in their next game. They remained unbeaten for the rest of their campaign, sealing qualification for a fourth Asian Cup with a 4-2 victory against Singapore on their ‘home’ ground in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

JAPAN
Despite patchy performances in their qualifying campaign, defending Asian Cup champions Japan secured their place in South East Asia by topping Group A with five wins in six games. Although they made hard work of their two victories against Yemen, a last-minute Kazuki Ganaha strike in Sana’a assured Ivica Osim’s side of qualification after only four games and they rounded off their campaign with a 3-1 win against Saudi Arabia.

KOREA REPUBLIC
Winners of the first two editions of the Asian Cup, Korea Republic will be looking to end their title drought of 47 years when they compete in next year’s tournament in South East Asia. Pim Verbeek’s side secured qualification for the finals for the 11th time after only five Group B games but they were far from impressive and were surprisingly held to 1-1 draws at home by both Iran and Syria.

MALAYSIA
An Asian footballing power in the 1970s, Malaysia will make their first appearance in the Asian Cup finals in 27 years when they co-host the tournament in 2007. Home ground advantage could be of benefit to Norizan Bakar’s side, who held eventual quarter-finalists Iraq and semi-finalists Bahrain to draws in Kuala Lumpur during the qualifying rounds for the 2004 Asian Cup.

OMAN
Oman recovered from losing their opening Group C qualifier against United Arab Emirates, winning their next four games to seal their second consecutive appearance in the Asian Cup finals with a game to spare. Having guided the Omanis to their first Asian Cup appearance in 2004, Czech coach Milan Macala returned to take charge of the team following the dismissal of Croat Srecko Juricic.

QATAR
Qatar had a poor campaign in China in 2004, finishing last in their group with just one point from three games, but the Gulf Cup holders made amends with an impressive display in the qualifiers for the 2007 tournament. The Qataris won their first five games to top Group F, advancing to the Asian Cup finals for the seventh time in eight attempts, and were only denied a perfect record in qualifying by a 2-0 loss against Uzbekistan in their final match.

SAUDI ARABIA
Looking to make up for the disappointment of going out during the group stage in 2004, three-time Asian Cup winners Saudi Arabia qualified impressively for the 2007 tournament winning their first five games in Group A. Marcos Paquesta’s side netted 21 goals and conceded only one in those five games, and only a 3-1 defeat in Japan in their final game denied them a perfect qualification record.

THAILAND
Although they finished third when they hosted the Asian Cup in 1972 and have qualified for the finals on every occasion since 1992, the Thais are still seeking their first regulation time victory in the final rounds. The three-time ASEAN Football Federation champions have been in transition for the past couple of years but a quarter-final appearance at the 2006 Asian Games by their under-23 side bodes well for the future.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Following a disappointing performance in China in 2004, where they managed one point in three games, the 1996 Asian Cup runners-up returned to form with a strong qualifying campaign that saw them finish in first place in a tough Group C. Bruno Metsu’s side did much of the hard work in their first four games, winning the first three and securing their place in South East Asia with a goalless draw against Jordan.

UZBEKISTAN
Quarter-finalists in 2004, Uzbekistan had to wait until their final game in Group F before securing their passage to a fourth consecutive appearance in the Asian Cup finals. Defeated 2-1 in Qatar in their second game, the Uzbeks were also held to a pair of draws by Hong Kong, and only confirmed their place in South East Asia when they defeated Qatar 2-0 in Tashkent in their closing match.

VIETNAM
South Vietnam played in the finals of the first two editions of the Asian Cup in 1956 and 1960 but the 2007 Asian Cup will mark Vietnam’s first participation in the tournament as a unified nation. The closest that the 2007 co-hosts have previously come to the finals was in 2004 when they recorded a memorable 1-0 win against Korea Republic in Oman but missed out by three points.

Wanitas

Bukti bahwa wanita itu sungguh cantik nan indah. Smart juga jadi alasan mengapa wanita banyak disukai pria. Kalo blo'on males ngincernya pasti!!

Self Improvement

How to Improve Your Memory

Wouldn’t it be nice to just look at a page and never forget what was on there? What if you could never again forget a friend’s birthday? The bad news is, almost all scientific experts agree that photographic memory—the ability to recall facts, images, and events perfectly—simply doesn’t exist. The good news, however, is that everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started.

Steps

1. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly “exercising" the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
2. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures."
3. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.
4. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
5. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
6. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
7. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or the date of the Battle of Hastings, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
8. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
9. Use mnemonics. Mnemonics, also called “mnemonic devices" are memory aids. There are a wide variety of mnemonics suitable for different tasks. Some are very simple, such as “first-letter" mnemonics: the nonsense name Roy G. Biv, for example, uses the first letters of each of the colors of the spectrum in order. Mnemonics of increasing complexity, such as creating a story which includes things you need to remember, or creating a sentence the words of which correspond to a series of digits (the number of letters in each word is the next number in the series) can be used to remember longer or more complex ideas. One of the most powerful mnemonics is the “memory palace," a mental journey that can be used to remember almost anything.
10. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).

Tips

• Most people’s brains are not very good at remembering abstract information, such as numbers. The key to being able to recall such things is to build associations and links that evoke the memory. This is why almost anybody with normal brain functioning can dramatically improve their ability to recall things using mnemonics. While building a memory palace, for example, actually requires that you "remember" more, by associating the thing to be remembered with other things (emotions, other memories, images, etc.) you build more mental "links" to the memory, thus making it easier to access.
• A large number of memory improvement products are available (a search on the internet will produce hundreds of such products). Most of these products actually teach you mnemonic strategies, and while some are no doubt bunk, some are legitimate.
• One easy method to help you remember people’s names is to look at the person when you are introduced and say the person’s name: "Nice to meet you, Bill."
• Try memorizing the order of a deck of playing cards. Although this may seem like a pointless task, it will allow you to discover memorization techniques that work best for you.
• Try a tray of objects (say, 10 objects). Study them for 30 seconds. Take the tray away and write down all the objects you can. Increase the number of items for more mind excercise. Or get someone else to find the objects on the tray; this makes them harder to remember and will test you more.
• Put black ink at the end of your palm to remember any important thing for the next day or for that day itself. Whenever you see the black dot, you'll remember what to do.
• Visualize whatever you have to do as part of something you see every day. For example, if you have to give your dog some medicine, visualize your dog in your fridge every time you walk past it or look inside. This will keep your dog fresh in your mind.
• Write the event or task down immedietely. If you don't have a pen, one thing you can do is change the time on your watch; later on you will remember why it is set at the wrong time. You could also wear your watch upside down.
• Write in a diary or journal every day without fail. Even small issues should be written down -- this is a good way to make sure you don't miss anything.
• Leave yourself a telephone message reminding yourself of important "to do" tasks.
• Memorize your favorite song or poem until you can say it to yourself without any help. Try to do this often.

dedicated to you

Jika tanya di hati tak terjawab
lalu jangan kau sakiti pula asalnya
Meski waktu terlalu lama memutar
lalu hentikan saja harapan biar memudar

Yakinlah nanti pasti
Menetes tetesan embun surga untukmu
Untuk kita yang membutuhkannya
Membasuh bersama kilauan cahaya-Nya

Tatkala langit meredup
Manakala mentari tak mampu bersinar
Diantara risalah do'amu
Merentang di relung besitan cinta

Kini hujan menanti . . .
Panas pun menemani . . .
Tuk meretas indahnya hidup
yang membawa keseimbangan cinta dan mimpi
Untuk kamu, wanita yang (harus) tercinta
dengan cinta yang meski (tak) dicinta

Dated : 27 November 2006

Formasi Baru Guns N' Roses

Duet klasik baru AXL-FINCK (atas) Duet klasik lama AXL-SLASH (bawah)

'CHINESE DEMOCRACY', Rilis Desember 2006

“JANJI TERAKHIR AXL ROSE”

Lebih dari tujuh tahun absen menggarap album baru, namun bukan berarti Guns 'N' Roses mati berkarya. Masih mengusung musik sebanding The Lost City Of Atlantis, kali ini grup band beraliran hard rock yang pernah sukses dengan penjualan album dan meraih rekor penjualan Multi-Platinum album ini bakal meluncurkan album bertajuk CHINESE DEMOCRACY pada Natal akhir tahun ini, seperti dilansir radio station London, XFM.

Sejumlah track bakal digeber hasbis-habisan dalam album ini, sebut saja MADAGASCAR yang memberikan kesegaran dialbum ini, selain juga menyuguhkan musik live tur mereka di Docklands Arena, London Augustus 2002 silam. Meskipun rumor menyebutkan jika studio harus membatalkan beberapa penampilan mereka dalam album ini karena menunggu terlalu lama.

Sebuah sumber dari Universal Music Group yang menolak menyebutkan namanya membenarkan peluncuran CHINESE DEMOCRACY pada Natal depan, meskiupun belum ada informasi spesifik beberapa bulan kedepan.

Namun para fans GNR tak perlu menunggu terlalu lama, karena mereka bisa mengintip bocoran 'IRS', lagu baru dalam album ini, yang bakal diposting di fansites dan messageboards GNR. Rumor juga menyebutkan GNR bakal mengusung beberapa lagu baru berjudul THIS I LOVE, IDES OF MARCH, CLOSING IN ON YOU dan CATCHER IN THE RYE. (fedle)

PS : Mau download langsung lagu2 barunya Guns N' Roses formasi terbaru, kontak Mr.Fadly atau kunjungi websitenya di www.fedle.blogspot.com or e-mail at fedle_duo@yahoo.co.id gratis loh !!!! Buruan sebelum album barunya keluar..

My Idol

Alessandro Del Piero Birthday Special

As a boy, did he ever imagine he would become captain of Juventus, or even a football player for that matter? “When I was little I wanted to be either a truck-driver, a cook, or an electrician. Why? Because I wanted to travel, I liked eating and I wanted to follow in the foot steps of my father”. And now, after a legendary career with both the Bianconeri and the Azzuri, is there anything else he might have liked to have been? “I don’t know, maybe a rock star performing in front of 70 000 fans every night! There are also other sports I admire, especially when they’re played at the highest level. A golfer? Let’s just say I’m working on it!”. What about taking up a post on the board of directors when he hangs up his boots? “It’s not really something I’ve thought about, I still have a burning desire to play and to do well here. I’ll start thinking about other things much further down the line.”

This summer Alex finally laid his hands on football’s most coveted prize, but how has 2006 been for him as whole? “Personally, there have only really been highs this year. To date, I’m very satisfied with the way I’ve played, the goals I’ve scored and what I’ve won. The lows are nothing to do with me, they stem from the choices of others. Sure, I could have done better, I can still do better, but I’ve always been there, I’ve scored a lot of goals and I’ve won both a league title and a World Cup. Of course it would be nice to win every game, but on a wider scale there’s nothing for me to be unhappy about”.

Following this summer’s triumph in Germany, the captain had some big choices to make. “Despite everything that was happening, I arrived at my decision with complete peace of mind, and I believe I’ve gone through with it in the best way possible, with passion. It was important for me to stay and I’m satisfied I did. Of course there’s still something sad about being in Serie B this season, but the mission is to take Juve back in A and I’m not going to let any other thoughts get in the way of that”. The way Alex sees it, things aren’t that different to how they were fourteen years ago. “I like to look at my career year by year. It was very hard being out injured for so long but when I came back in ’98 I had one of my best seasons ever. Since then I’ve been happy with the progress I’ve made. I’m more experienced now for a number of reasons, but my football is still the same. I’m not nineteen any more, but things aren’t radically different”.

At thirty-two, Del Piero is now one of the side’s veteran players. Does he ever worry about drawing nearer to the end of his career? “Not at all because I really don’t see myself in any sort of decline. Unlike others, it’s not something I’m worried about. What counts most is that I feel good and that I continue to be what I’ve always been: a protagonist in everything I do. As long as I’m enjoying myself and I’m happy at the club, I see no need to consider other options. People said I was in decline at twenty-seven but look at what’s happened over the last five years. People can see things how they want but I judge myself on how I play, whether I score, and what I bring home at the end of the season. I know I still have a good few years left in me at the highest level”.