An Andrea Pirlo is born once in a blue moon (or once in an Inter Champions League win - roughly every half century). After a ten year spell with the Rossoneri, Pirlo has parted ways with Milan, leaving behind a legacy and slew of trophies that will be nearly impossible to replicate.
The laundry list of trophies Pirlo has been a pivotal part of will be listed below. It is indeed a staggering list. In a few decades from now, you will be telling your children, or grandchildren: I had the pleasure of watching Andrea Pirlo for a decade.
Andrea the Person: I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea for a moment back in the Summer of 2010. I was in the beachside town of Forte Dei Marmi in Italy, where hundreds of Milanese residents migrate to in the warm summer months. I exited the hotel where I was staying and made my way to the beach. On the way, I see a familiar slender figure approaching on a bicycle. With his scraggly black hair fluttering in the breeze, a very unassuming Andrea Pirlo rode by himself to buy a morning Espresso before going to the beach with his family. I froze in place, waved to him and excitedly shouted: "Grande Pirlo!". Hiding behind dark sunglasses, he blushed and greeted me back sluggishly. You see, Andrea Pirlo's personality is a carbon copy of his abilities on the field. His subtle demeanour is a breath of fresh air from the usual Ferrari driving, bling bling wearing, trouble causing professional football players who feel they're invincible. While Cristiano Ronaldo was out somewhere dressed in tighter clothes than Paris Hilton, testing the speed limits with one of his 2,391 cars, Andrea Pirlo was riding a rusted bicycle along the brick streets of a quiet beach town.
Andrea the Player: Not a football player that is beginner friendly to comprehend, Pirlo's array of subtle skills and elite vision took someone of equal knowledge to understand the beauty of his unique talents. He made up for his frail physique and lack of pace by learning a few twirls that gave him enough space to deliver one of his signature defence splitting passes. Pirlo at his peak was surgically precise with every 40 meter lob, that would land on the toe of his intended target. His free kick ability has also been well documented, as he replicated his preciseness on set pieces, often scoring stunning goals that would root the goalkeeper in place as they soared into the top corner.
Reasons leading to Pirlo's departure: Chelsea made a multi-million pound offer for Pirlo last summer that was denied by both the Player and Milan. We knew of Ancelotti's affection for his former playmaker, but Berlusconi was keen on keeping Pirlo for another year or two in hopes of him helping Milan to their first Scudetto in nearly a decade. Fast forward to the match against Bari in the first few months of last season. Pirlo was unavailable for the match and Coach Allegri was forced to try a highly defensive center midfield consisting of Ambrosini, Flamini, and Gattuso. Milan dominated the midfield in that game, and both Ambrosini & Flamini scored. This was the turning point of Andrea's career with Milan. Injured and not able to display his talents on the pitch, Allegri came to the realization that *gasp* Milan might be better without the traditional deep lying playmaker. I recently watched an interview with Galliani where he stressed the point that Pirlo was not sold because the player wanted more money, but rather because he was told that he wouldn't have a starting spot in a more youthful Milan formation next year. While it is a tough blow to swallow for anybody who has been following Milan or appreciates Pirlo's skills, one has to realize that Football is a business at the end of the day. The sad truth is that the Milan management has seen Andrea practice every day for the last decade. They know Pirlo inside-out (never mind the horrific sexual innuendo, immature readers!) and they realized that Milan did not need his services anymore. Essentially, Pirlo was deemed as surplus.
While it is still uncertain where Pirlo will play in the future, one has to hope that he ends up in an ideal situation. In a sports world that is becoming more and more superficial and materialistic, the simplistic Pirlo is a dying breed. Not only because of his personality, but also his position - the deep lying playmaker. Some say his position will become extinct like the sweeper did a few decades ago. Nonetheless, we will remember Andrea Pirlo as a Milan legend, who won two Champions League finals, one World Cup, two Scudetti, and a slew of other trophies that will be nearly impossible to rival for future players.
A last note: watch this highly emotional Andrea Pirlo tribute. If you have been watching the Rossoneri for a long time, there's a good chance you'll be wiping your eyes by the time it reaches the halfway mark: watch it here.
You'll be missed, Andrea!
Decent article by a AC Milan blogger onb soccernet...
The laundry list of trophies Pirlo has been a pivotal part of will be listed below. It is indeed a staggering list. In a few decades from now, you will be telling your children, or grandchildren: I had the pleasure of watching Andrea Pirlo for a decade.
Andrea the Person: I had the pleasure of meeting Andrea for a moment back in the Summer of 2010. I was in the beachside town of Forte Dei Marmi in Italy, where hundreds of Milanese residents migrate to in the warm summer months. I exited the hotel where I was staying and made my way to the beach. On the way, I see a familiar slender figure approaching on a bicycle. With his scraggly black hair fluttering in the breeze, a very unassuming Andrea Pirlo rode by himself to buy a morning Espresso before going to the beach with his family. I froze in place, waved to him and excitedly shouted: "Grande Pirlo!". Hiding behind dark sunglasses, he blushed and greeted me back sluggishly. You see, Andrea Pirlo's personality is a carbon copy of his abilities on the field. His subtle demeanour is a breath of fresh air from the usual Ferrari driving, bling bling wearing, trouble causing professional football players who feel they're invincible. While Cristiano Ronaldo was out somewhere dressed in tighter clothes than Paris Hilton, testing the speed limits with one of his 2,391 cars, Andrea Pirlo was riding a rusted bicycle along the brick streets of a quiet beach town.
Andrea the Player: Not a football player that is beginner friendly to comprehend, Pirlo's array of subtle skills and elite vision took someone of equal knowledge to understand the beauty of his unique talents. He made up for his frail physique and lack of pace by learning a few twirls that gave him enough space to deliver one of his signature defence splitting passes. Pirlo at his peak was surgically precise with every 40 meter lob, that would land on the toe of his intended target. His free kick ability has also been well documented, as he replicated his preciseness on set pieces, often scoring stunning goals that would root the goalkeeper in place as they soared into the top corner.
Reasons leading to Pirlo's departure: Chelsea made a multi-million pound offer for Pirlo last summer that was denied by both the Player and Milan. We knew of Ancelotti's affection for his former playmaker, but Berlusconi was keen on keeping Pirlo for another year or two in hopes of him helping Milan to their first Scudetto in nearly a decade. Fast forward to the match against Bari in the first few months of last season. Pirlo was unavailable for the match and Coach Allegri was forced to try a highly defensive center midfield consisting of Ambrosini, Flamini, and Gattuso. Milan dominated the midfield in that game, and both Ambrosini & Flamini scored. This was the turning point of Andrea's career with Milan. Injured and not able to display his talents on the pitch, Allegri came to the realization that *gasp* Milan might be better without the traditional deep lying playmaker. I recently watched an interview with Galliani where he stressed the point that Pirlo was not sold because the player wanted more money, but rather because he was told that he wouldn't have a starting spot in a more youthful Milan formation next year. While it is a tough blow to swallow for anybody who has been following Milan or appreciates Pirlo's skills, one has to realize that Football is a business at the end of the day. The sad truth is that the Milan management has seen Andrea practice every day for the last decade. They know Pirlo inside-out (never mind the horrific sexual innuendo, immature readers!) and they realized that Milan did not need his services anymore. Essentially, Pirlo was deemed as surplus.
While it is still uncertain where Pirlo will play in the future, one has to hope that he ends up in an ideal situation. In a sports world that is becoming more and more superficial and materialistic, the simplistic Pirlo is a dying breed. Not only because of his personality, but also his position - the deep lying playmaker. Some say his position will become extinct like the sweeper did a few decades ago. Nonetheless, we will remember Andrea Pirlo as a Milan legend, who won two Champions League finals, one World Cup, two Scudetti, and a slew of other trophies that will be nearly impossible to rival for future players.
A last note: watch this highly emotional Andrea Pirlo tribute. If you have been watching the Rossoneri for a long time, there's a good chance you'll be wiping your eyes by the time it reaches the halfway mark: watch it here.
You'll be missed, Andrea!
Decent article by a AC Milan blogger onb soccernet...
Buy on AliExpress.com
