Show of hands, who remembers the first competitive goal scored at Juventus’ new stadium in September 2011?

It wasn’t through the genius of Alessandro Del Piero, nor a long-range rocket from Patrick Swayze doppelganger Pavel Nedved, or a clinical finish from David Trezeguet.

No, it was rampaging right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner. 

It is nearing the 14th anniversary of Juve’s first game in their ultra modern arena, built on the site of the loathed Stadio delle Alpi. Parma were the visitors on the opening weekend of the 2011-12 season, and were promptly taken apart in what was a masterclass from debutant Andrea Pirlo.

Sixteen minutes into the stadium’s first competitive encounter, Pirlo took possession of the ball, ran at the heart of the Parma defence, cut in from left to right and without breaking stride, lofted a glorious ball into the path of the onrushing Lichtsteiner.

The Swiss, himself a new signing from Lazio that summer, controlled the pass with his right foot before using his left to place the ball in the middle of the goal.

It was a fine strike to christen a new Juve era and, in truth, the beginning of their total domination of the Italian landscape for the remainder of the decade.

At a Juventus fan event in Toronto, Destination Calcio spoke to the former Switzerland international about his time at Lazio and Juventus.

Lichtsteiner had impressed during a three-year spell with Lille in the mid-2000s and that earned a move to Lazio. In a show of the times and pre-Qatari investment, the right-back rejected a move to PSG in favour of a switch to the Eternal City

For a man born and raised in the calming waters of Adligenswil, a community in the district of Lucerne, a central area in Switzerland, the Italian capital was a totally different beast.

“Rome, at the beginning, was a little bit chaotic for me as a Swiss. It was a change, but it was amazing because the people were amazing,” he says. “They helped me adapt fast because they were open, and happy that I came to play football in Italy, which was an amazing thing for me.”

Lichtsteiner was coached by Delio Rossi at Lazio, and he credits the former Palermo, Fiorentina and Lecce boss for helping him adapt to Italian football.

“I grew up fast and he [Rossi] really showed me all the details of Italian football, as a defender, how to be placed with the body, how to attack balls and everything. I adapted quite fast.”

And adapt he did. Lichtsteiner played 117 games for the Biancocelesti in all competitions between 2008 and 2011, winning plaudits for his buccaneering nature down the right-hand side.

Asked about the difference in football culture in Italy, Lichtsteiner’s reply was simple: “People [in Italy] speak about football from Monday to Monday, from morning to evening. But I liked that passion.”

His form for Lazio caught the eye of Juventus, and €10million was handed over for his services. In a more understated way, his arrival was just as important as that of Pirlo and Antonio Conte.

Juve had not had a reliable right-back since the days of Lillian Thuram, going through a series of players in the late 2000s, trying to get it right. Lichtsteiner’s arrival ended that.

He was the archetypal Juventus player: possessing an unyielding work ethic and a desire to win while taking no prisoners. He was one of the cornerstones that helped build the dynasty that consumed the Italian game throughout the decade.

He won seven Scudetti, playing a major role in all of them. But which one was his favourite?

“Maybe the first. It was a really difficult one, but all seven were amazing.”

The first one, in which Juve went the season undefeated under Conte and won a first Scudetto since 2003, remains a somewhat underrated achievement and does not get the attention it deserves, likely due to everything that came after.

In addition to the Scudetti, Lichtsteiner lifted the Coppa Italia four times and won three Italian Super Cups. Moreover, he played in two Champions League finals, and both remain sore spots to this day.

“Let’s say what is a little bit hard to understand is that we lost those two finals in the Champions League,” he says. “In the [2015] final against Barcelona, the first 20, 30 minutes was quite tough because we were really under pressure.

“But how we came out [in the second half], how we came into the game again, and at the end, we were missing a little bit of luck to win it.”

Lichtsteiner was up against Neymar that evening in Berlin, and it is the Brazilian he rates as the most difficult opponent in the Barca side, with the majestic Andres Iniesta also getting a mention.

The regret for Lichtsteiner, like many Juve players from the era, was falling short in Europe. They came up against Barcelona with the fabled MSN trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar at their ludicrous peak, while against Real Madrid in Cardiff two years later, Cristiano Ronaldo was in the final throes of his absolute brilliance.

The club are now lightyears away from such heady heights. “We’re still waiting on that one,” says Lichtsteiner.

Ronaldo arrived in Turin the same summer Lichtsteiner departed for Arsenal. They were never team-mates but he does rate the Portuguese as his toughest ever opponent.

One man he did love playing with was Pirlo. They both arrived in the summer of 2011 and many of Lichtsteiner’s 15 Juve goals were created by Pirlo’s sumptuous right boot.

Such was the pair’s understanding that Juve’s social media team produced a satirical video of them eating together, and Pirlo passing Lichtsteiner cheese, salt, water and even a set of car keys.

“He gave me lots of passes so I could score. So of course, I love him,” he says. “He was an amazing player. I remember when I came to Juventus, we were pre-season in Bardonecchia and we were playing a game.

“He was between three players. I didn’t pass him the ball because I thought, ‘I’ll put him in trouble, so I’ll not give it to him’. He said to me, ‘Steph, just play me the ball’.

“Second time also, again, there were two or three people around him. I thought, ‘No, I can’t pass him the ball because I’ll create trouble’. 

“In the end, at the third attempt, he told me. I said, ‘Okay, it’s your problem now. I give you the ball’. 

“And then I understood. If I’m in trouble, just pass to Andrea and everything is good.”

Lichtsteiner left Juve after seven successful years for a brief stint in the Premier League with Arsenal. “I missed Italy because after 10 years, it would’ve been nice to finish my career there.

“But with the decision to go to the Premier League, to have that experience for me, for my family, to have a year in London with the kids, to learn the language, to see the Premier League, it was a great year.”

Now long retired, Lichtsteiner perhaps plays into the Swiss stereotype by admitting his hobbies include watchmaking and skiing. “All the things I couldn’t do [when playing],” he laughs. 

Now a coach at Basel Under-15s, we might one day see him coaching in Serie A. And who knows, Pirlo may be there to assist him one final time.