Juve fans love him. Supporters of other teams fear him but can only watch in admiration. Because Andrea Pirlo is a true champion whose talents transcend all borders and rivalries. Sheer class and impeccable behaviour on and off the pitch make him an idol and an example to be upheld. And now Italian football fans have paid Andrea Pirlo the highest honour by naming him Player of the Year 2012 in a poll run on the Lega Serie A's official Facebook page.
It's a result that surprises no one, given the incredible consistency with which the 'Professor' has pulled Juve's strings over the past 12 months. Having steered the team to Scudetto success and an Italian Super Cup triumph last season, he has guided them back to the top of the pile again this term, helping the Bianconeri qualify for the Champions League last 16 at the same time. And of course he also had a fantastic tournament for Italy at Euro 2012.
Andrea was picked ahead of the rest by the fans: 67,000 votes were made via the Serie A's Facebook page with the Bianconeri playmaker collecting 13,398 nominations, just pipping Stephan El Sharrawy of AC Milan (13,292), while Napoli's Edinson Cavani came in third with 5,669 votes.
This is the first prize of the year for Pirlo but it's not the only award the midfielder is in the running for. Along with Buffon, Barzagli and Marchisio, he is one of the nominees for UEFA's Team of the Year 2012 - another accolade decided by the fans. You can cast your votes on the official website until 4 January 2013.
Source: Juventus.com
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