Alessandro del Piero, in New Delhi, on Thursday. Picture by Ramakant Kushwaha

New Delhi: Italian star Alessandro del Piero, who arrived in the capital on Thursday, has said that he is looking forward to start a fresh innings with the Indian Super League (ISL), which begins next month.

Del Piero has been roped in by Delhi Dynamos as their marquee player in the eight-team city-based league. The former Juventus captain is also a brand ambassador of the tournament.

Del Piero, who represented Italy in three World Cups, was mobbed by the fans and the media at the Indira Gandhi International Airport minutes after his arrival.

Wearing a grey suit, Del Piero, who was a member of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning side, patiently obliged the fans with autographs and photo opportunities.

“With so many good players around, I expect the ISL to be a great tournament,” he said during his brief interaction with the media.

“I am really excited and will give my 100 per cent on the new turf. I intend to start a new innings with Delhi Dynamos,” the 39-year-old said.

“I am looking forward to train with the players and the coaching staff… It will be a great experience. I am especially eager to help out the young footballers of the team,” he said.

Coached by Belgian Harm Van Veldhoven, the Delhi side have some young talented players like Jagroop Singh, Adil Khan, Shouvik Ghosh and Shouvik Chakrabarty in their squad.

Del Piero also said that as the brand ambassador of the ISL, he would have the honour and responsibility of promoting the image and popularity of the game in the country.

It was not clear when Del Piero would start practising with the team, though Delhi Dynamos are expected to play a friendly match with a local side on Saturday.

His last team was Sydney FC, where he was a marquee footballer. But he decided to part ways with the Australian A League team in April.

One of the most popular Italian football stars, Del Piero played 91 times for the national team. He arrived as a teenager at Juventus in 1993 and spent 19 years with the club, including 11 years as the captain.

By the time he quit, Del Piero had played more than 700 games, the most by any Juventus player in history, and scored a record 289 goals and won almost every trophy there was to win.

With Juventus, Del Piero won eight Serie A titles, one Champions League winners’ trophy and one Italian Cup.

While Del Piero became the second World Cup winner after Joan Capdevila of the North East United FC to join the ISL bandwagon, Mumbai City FC on Thursday announced the signing of Swedish footballer Karl Fredrik Ljungberg as their marquee player.

Better known as Freddie Ljungberg, the midfielder was the captain of the Swedish national team. In club football, he played for top sides like Arsenal, West Ham United and Halmstads BK. His presence would ensure a strong midfield for the Mumbai franchise with Ljungberg comfortable playing on either wing.

Ljungberg was one of the top midfielders of the world when he was part of a strong Arsenal side.

He played a major role for the club and was a prominent member of the team which remained unbeaten in 49 consecutive matches. He was signed by Arsenal in 1998 for £3 million, which at the time was the highest transfer fee ever for a Swedish player.

In 2008, Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger placed Ljungberg in the 11th place in the list of Gunners’ greatest 50 players.

For Sweden, Ljungberg earned 75 caps scoring 14 times.

On joining the Mumbai franchise, Ljungberg said: “Mumbai City FC presents a thrilling opportunity to play in India and I am glad to be part of the team in the very first ISL season.

“Talented Indian players, together with the likes of Anelka, Friedrich and others, will make the team an exciting outfit and I look forward to contributing to the team’s success.”