Wellington Phoenix made sure the Italian’s first A-League appearance was a losing one as Sydney went down 2-nil in an abysmal display.

Such is Del Piero’s popularity that the match was beamed live into Italy but those watching in Turin, Rome and Milan were probably asking “mamma mia, che cosa ha egli stesso per?” – that’s Italian for “mamma mia, what has he got himself in for?”.

While Del Piero was clearly a class above, Sydney as a collective unit was nothing short of woeful and the former Juventus star wasn’t afraid to vent his frustration to his new teammates.

The Sky Blues will need a dramatic improvement this weekend for their first home game of the new season, when they take on Emile Heskey and the Newcastle Jets.

Speaking of Heskey, the former Liverpool and England striker misfired as the Jets went down 2-nil to Adelaide United.

The big guns may have been off target, but the league as a whole enjoyed a bumper weekend as a record-breaking 93,500 fans went through the turnstiles. 

‘NUTCASE’ RUINS WEBBER’S F1 PLANS

Mark Webber is not a happy chappy after the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend .

The Queanbeyan man’s Formula One hopes are all but over after he finished a disappointing ninth on Saturday, due in large part to a crash on the very first lap.

French driver Romain Grosjean was at fault for the incident, which momentarily relegated Webber to 22nd after starting from second on the grid.

Grosjean, who had only just returned from a one-race ban, was given a 10-second penalty in the pits after the Webber incident.

The Frenchman has been involved in six other similar mix-ups so far this season and a justifiably furious Webber said that enough was enough.

After labelling Grosjean a “first-lap nutcase”, Webber suggested his rival should be given “another holiday”.

Stern words, sure, but when you consider what’s at stake and the fact that any hopes Webber had of winning this year’s title are essentially over, you can understand his frustration.

SOUTHERN STARS SHOW UP THE BOYS

The Australian women’s cricket team did something on Monday morning that their male counterparts have not been able to do for a while – win something meaningful.

Australia – known more affectionately as the Southern Stars – overcame women’s cricket powerhouse England in a thrilling final of the women’s World T20 championships. 

Jess Cameron starred with the bat to lift the Aussies to 142 before Ellyse Perry got the crucial breakthrough with the ball when she sent Sarah Taylor back to the sheds for 19.

England needed 16 off the final over and, despite some wayward bowling from Erin Osborne, the Southern Stars held on for a four-run victory.

Well done, ladies!