October 30 – Serie A brought former Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero to Vinitaly USA 2026 in New York as part of its partnership with the Italian Trade Agency and Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Del Piero, a Serie A ambassador, joined the ribbon-cutting at the international wine trade event and visited stands run by Italian producers. The event brings Italian wineries together with US buyers, importers, distributors and sommeliers.
He was joined by Matteo Zoppas, president of the Italian Trade Agency, Marco Peronaci, Italy’s ambassador to the US, Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere, and Riccardo Guariglia, secretary-general of the foreign ministry. Serie A commercial and marketing director Michele Ciccarese represented the league.
The appearance is part of a long-running arrangement in which Serie A sends former stars to international trade fairs to promote Italian businesses. The idea is simple: use the league’s global recognition to help sell Made in Italy products abroad.
Del Piero is well suited to the role in the US. The 2006 World Cup winner played the final season of his career in Australia, but has spent much of his life since in Los Angeles, where he has owned a restaurant, run an academy club, and remains one of Italian football’s most recognisable figures in North America.
For Serie A, the partnership serves several purposes. It strengthens the league’s relationship with the Italian government, puts its brand in front of business audiences that do not normally follow football, and keeps it visible in the US, one of its priority markets for international growth.
The league has been working to close the gap with the Premier League and LaLiga in the American market, where interest in European football has risen sharply since the World Cup. Nielsen figures released this month showed US audiences for both rivals up significantly, with Serie A looking for ways to keep pace.
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