Andrea Pirlo (31 Viewers)
- Thread starter Mark
- Start date
- Tags the goat of midfield
@Bianconero_Aus
Let's see. My feeling is he's gonna end up in the MLS. Although I'd love to watch him here week in week out in Sydney, just like I did with Del Piero a couple of years ago.
And that agent (Lou Sticca) is indeed a huge Juventino. Him and his son (and management company) run the official Australian Juve Twitter page, and he helped in brining out Juve to Sydney last year.
Let's see. My feeling is he's gonna end up in the MLS. Although I'd love to watch him here week in week out in Sydney, just like I did with Del Piero a couple of years ago.
And that agent (Lou Sticca) is indeed a huge Juventino. Him and his son (and management company) run the official Australian Juve Twitter page, and he helped in brining out Juve to Sydney last year.
Time for Pirlo to leave Juve?
Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus future is at a crossroads. Luca Cetta wonders whether the veteran should remain in Turin.
A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. The iconic image of the Champions League Final was that of Xavi in his last game for Barcelona consoling a dejected Andrea Pirlo in the centre of Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Two of football’s greats together on the biggest stage, perhaps for the last time. For the Spanish star it’s a certainty, as he will leave Barcelona to join Al-Sadd in Qatar. And Pirlo? His future is subject to discussion.
The 36-year-old, who still has a year left on his Juventus contract, is being courted by New York City FC. Qatari club Al-Jaishnin was believed to have offered a hefty sum. Most recently there has been talk of interest from Australia, including Alessandro Del Piero’s former club Sydney FC. Director Giuseppe Marotta could only 'hope’ the final wasn’t the end of his Turin adventure.
With Pirlo’s current contract not expiring for another 12 months, the ball remains in Juve’s court. That complicates outside negotiations. After losing on Saturday, the Bianconeri have made no secret of their desire to make a quick return to the showpiece fixture.
“The Champions League Final is our starting point for the future,” President Andrea Agnelli outlined in a Press conference on Monday. The final, in Milan’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza next May, will be Juve’s goal. Player and club must decide whether Pirlo can help achieve that aim.
Signed in 2011 on a free transfer, the World Cup winner was a pivotal figure in Juve’s revival. The Turin giants benefitted from what was seen as a major Milan blunder to allow Pirlo to leave for nothing. He became the midfield lynchpin under Antonio Conte. Having just completed his fourth season at the club, Pirlo remains integral. His style is suited to Juve’s method of attack, especially domestically.
Nobody was on the ball as much as Pirlo in Serie A for Juventus. His 72.7 average passes per game were higher than last season, but down on his first two. He averaged 2.2 key passes per match and, while fewer than previous seasons, was still the most of any Bianconero.
Pirlo’s free kicks remain a dangerous weapon. He netted three times from set pieces – all game-changing goals. The Derby della Mole winner in November was a further example of the Metronome’s decisiveness. And for a club aiming high in Europe, somebody of his experience remains significant. The tears last Saturday were not ones of goodbye, he stressed. Rather, Pirlo says he knows the difficulty in reaching a final. He may want a last crack at a third crown.
But it’s in that competition where the doubts creep in. On the continent Juve utilised more of a counter-attacking style not in keeping with his approach. When Juve needed inspiration in Berlin, their talisman’s impact was minimal. Against Real Madrid – which to be fair was about doing what was required – it was a similar scenario. The question is whether he can still do it against the best.
Also factor in two sustained periods of absence. Pirlo only made his season debut in Week 6 against Roma. He was later injured in the first leg against Borussia Dortmund and returned for the home clash with Monaco. That’s a nine game stretch. He finished with just 20 Serie A appearances, 33 in all competitions. Was it a one-off?
This leads to another dynamic: Claudio Marchisio. In Pirlo’s absence he anchored the midfield and proved capable. The Turin native interprets the role differently. He does not have the Maestro’s passing range, instead is tidy in possession.
In four matches of the six before Pirlo debuted, Marchisio completed more passes than anybody. He continued in a similar vein earlier this year. Marchisio also offers greater defensive solidity, important for Europe. At 29 he can grow in the role. The arrival of Sami Khedira would add another midfield option.
For Pirlo there could be an additional factor in staying. At the end of next season is Euro 2016, probably his final international tournament. Antonio Conte stated on Monday that Pirlo has not indicated a desire to retire from the Azzurri and a year away from France the Coach “will always keep him in consideration.” A move away from Turin would not be ideal preparation.
Juve and Pirlo must examine these various factors. It’s a delicate situation and one the player, plus Marotta and his team, will have to decide. Just as his signing four years ago was crucial for Juventus, so too is this decision.
Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus future is at a crossroads. Luca Cetta wonders whether the veteran should remain in Turin.
A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. The iconic image of the Champions League Final was that of Xavi in his last game for Barcelona consoling a dejected Andrea Pirlo in the centre of Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Two of football’s greats together on the biggest stage, perhaps for the last time. For the Spanish star it’s a certainty, as he will leave Barcelona to join Al-Sadd in Qatar. And Pirlo? His future is subject to discussion.
The 36-year-old, who still has a year left on his Juventus contract, is being courted by New York City FC. Qatari club Al-Jaishnin was believed to have offered a hefty sum. Most recently there has been talk of interest from Australia, including Alessandro Del Piero’s former club Sydney FC. Director Giuseppe Marotta could only 'hope’ the final wasn’t the end of his Turin adventure.
With Pirlo’s current contract not expiring for another 12 months, the ball remains in Juve’s court. That complicates outside negotiations. After losing on Saturday, the Bianconeri have made no secret of their desire to make a quick return to the showpiece fixture.
“The Champions League Final is our starting point for the future,” President Andrea Agnelli outlined in a Press conference on Monday. The final, in Milan’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza next May, will be Juve’s goal. Player and club must decide whether Pirlo can help achieve that aim.
Signed in 2011 on a free transfer, the World Cup winner was a pivotal figure in Juve’s revival. The Turin giants benefitted from what was seen as a major Milan blunder to allow Pirlo to leave for nothing. He became the midfield lynchpin under Antonio Conte. Having just completed his fourth season at the club, Pirlo remains integral. His style is suited to Juve’s method of attack, especially domestically.
Nobody was on the ball as much as Pirlo in Serie A for Juventus. His 72.7 average passes per game were higher than last season, but down on his first two. He averaged 2.2 key passes per match and, while fewer than previous seasons, was still the most of any Bianconero.
Pirlo’s free kicks remain a dangerous weapon. He netted three times from set pieces – all game-changing goals. The Derby della Mole winner in November was a further example of the Metronome’s decisiveness. And for a club aiming high in Europe, somebody of his experience remains significant. The tears last Saturday were not ones of goodbye, he stressed. Rather, Pirlo says he knows the difficulty in reaching a final. He may want a last crack at a third crown.
But it’s in that competition where the doubts creep in. On the continent Juve utilised more of a counter-attacking style not in keeping with his approach. When Juve needed inspiration in Berlin, their talisman’s impact was minimal. Against Real Madrid – which to be fair was about doing what was required – it was a similar scenario. The question is whether he can still do it against the best.
Also factor in two sustained periods of absence. Pirlo only made his season debut in Week 6 against Roma. He was later injured in the first leg against Borussia Dortmund and returned for the home clash with Monaco. That’s a nine game stretch. He finished with just 20 Serie A appearances, 33 in all competitions. Was it a one-off?
This leads to another dynamic: Claudio Marchisio. In Pirlo’s absence he anchored the midfield and proved capable. The Turin native interprets the role differently. He does not have the Maestro’s passing range, instead is tidy in possession.
In four matches of the six before Pirlo debuted, Marchisio completed more passes than anybody. He continued in a similar vein earlier this year. Marchisio also offers greater defensive solidity, important for Europe. At 29 he can grow in the role. The arrival of Sami Khedira would add another midfield option.
For Pirlo there could be an additional factor in staying. At the end of next season is Euro 2016, probably his final international tournament. Antonio Conte stated on Monday that Pirlo has not indicated a desire to retire from the Azzurri and a year away from France the Coach “will always keep him in consideration.” A move away from Turin would not be ideal preparation.
Juve and Pirlo must examine these various factors. It’s a delicate situation and one the player, plus Marotta and his team, will have to decide. Just as his signing four years ago was crucial for Juventus, so too is this decision.
