To the Azzuri, Andrea Pirlo is known as “l’architetto” (the architect). To Serie A fans, he is known as “il professore” (the professor). To Milan, he was known as “no longer essential.” And as Juventus fans set their sights on a third straight Scudetto, they hope for one thing: that in a few months, Pirlo simply won’t be known as “gone.”
Pirlo’s contract with Juventus expires this summer, and thus, the decision to offer Pirlo an extension is looming. With his success at Juventus, fans were confident that Juve would structure a new deal for its most important player. Yet general director Giuseppe Marotta and president Andrea Agnelli have made it clear that contract negotiations will be on hold until February or March of next year. In the meantime, the reverberations of this neglect have echoed throughout Europe, as Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and, most recently, Tottenham, have expressed interest in signing the Juve midfielder. And while all of these clubs would greatly benefit from such a move, the impact of such a departure would be utterly disastrous for Juventus.
After spending ten seasons with AC Milan, Pirlo was signed by Juventus in 2011 on a free transfer of contract until 2014. Pirlo explained that the real reason he left Milan “…was because [Massimiliano] Allegri wanted to use Ambrosini and Van Bommel in front of the defense. So that meant I had to change position on the pitch. So I said, ‘No, thanks’ to Milan and chose Juve. Milan decided that I was no longer useful to them.” Moreover, after winning the Scudetto with and without Pirlo on the pitch, Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani felt as though Pirlo was no longer the same dominating presence that had tormented opposing defenses for years, both on the national and international scale.
Juventus, on the other hand, was a team still rebuilding after losing many of its star players upon demotion to Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal of 2006. They believed that the 32-year-old’s career was far from over and that he was the last piece of the puzzle in restoring Juve’s dominance of Serie A. Once again emerging as one of the best playmakers in football, Pirlo helped Juventus capture consecutive Scudetti during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 campaigns. Yet with the impending expiration of his contract, management has not made resigning the maestro a top priority, as Agnelli is happy to let Pirlo decide his own future at Juventus.
Unlike most of the recent transfers (yes, I’m looking at you Gareth), Pirlo’s predicament is particularly unique. After a tremendous club and international career in which he amassed 4 Serie A titles, 2 Champions League titles, and a World Cup for Italy in 2006, Pirlo’s decision is simple: he just wants to find somewhere he can play. He remarked, “My priority is Juve, but I don’t want to be a burden to anyone…The years go by and it’s not said that I should stay just because my name is Pirlo. I want to feel important and the architect of the team’s success, otherwise I’ll leave. Anyhow I’d like to underline that it will not be a financial problem or a choice between one team and another.” The emergence of 20 year-old Paul Pogba has made Pirlo feel as though his presence is no longer fundamental to the team’s success. Moreover, his frustrations have been magnified following his antics at the Hellas Verona game. After being replaced in the 65th minute, he walked straight past the team bench and into the tunnel without remaining on the bench for the rest of the game. Though there was no rule against this, head coach Antonio Conte explained that if a player leaves the pitch, unless it is for medical treatment, that player will be fined. Yet Conte declared that he has no ill will towards Pirlo and insists that there is no bad blood between the two. I’ll leave it up to you about whether Pirlo’s exit from the field is a foreshadowing of a future departure from Juventus or simply something that the media made too much of. Regardless, Pirlo’s attitude eerily resembles that after his tenth season at Milan, and with Tottenham “lining up to make a bold move for Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo,” l’architetto’s future at Juventus does not seem optimistic, which does not bode well for Juve.
Amidst these transfer rumors, Juventus legend Gigi Buffon has spoken out by saying, “Not holding on to Pirlo should not even be an option. If Pirlo were to leave, we might as well dismantle the stadium bit by bit and stop playing football altogether.”
And though these comments seem extreme, Buffon could not be any more accurate in his assessment of Pirlo’s value. He is the most experienced player in Europe and represents a composure that targeted successors of Vidal, Pogba, and Marchisio cannot match. Tactically, he is the heart of this team, one whose passing and ball control is one of the best in the history of the game. Moreover, Juventus is simply not ready for life without Pirlo.
Paul Pogba is arguably Juve’s most skillful player, yet his playing style is nearly opposite that of Pirlo. While Pirlo is steady and patient, Pogba is fast and pressing. With Pirlo at midfield, it is a slower game of precision, and with Pogba, it is a game of full-on attack, which has often left a defense prone to quick counterattacks. And while Pogba strives to emulate the playing style of Pirlo, Pogba has shown that he is not quite there yet. In the Inter Milan and Chievo matches, Pogba was off his game, as he tried to slow things down a la Pirlo, yet his hesitancy nearly proved costly in both occasions. Moreover, with soccer in Italy becoming more of a transient, developmental experience, the future of Paul Pogba is even more ambiguous, as he has reportedly been linked to transfer rumors throughout Europe. Thus, by investing in Pogba at the expense of Pirlo, Juventus may wind up losing both players, which would prove calamitous for a team still searching for an identity.
Nearly two weeks ago, Pirlo tormented his former Milan club, scoring from a free kick (nearly twice) in a 3-2 victory for Juve. Juventus cannot make the same mistake that Milan made, as Pirlo has shown that even at 34, he is still one of the top players in the world.
The best-case scenario would be to offer Pirlo a 2 year contract and let him retire contently to his vineyard in Brescia where he can continue making his cherished wine.
It’s a shame that Ac Milan left Pirlo to juventus.
Colby, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. I was in Europe during the 2012 European Championships and was continuously delighted to watch Pirlo. In particular, I will never forget his “Panenka” penalty against England that seemed to spook Joe Hart and helped propel Italy to victory. While reading your post, my mind kept returning to Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United, both legendary midfielders in their own right. For some time, it has been understood widely that these two players would be allowed to hang up their boots when they wanted to, such was their skill and respect at the club. Scholes retired (for the second time) after last season. Giggs, astonishingly, turns 40 next month and is still playing regularly for United.
It would have been nice for AC Milan to treat Pirlo similarly to how Man United has treated Scholes and Giggs, but at the same time, soccer has become a huge business. If Juve believes that Pogba is the future of the club, it makes sense to prioritize him over Pirlo. Additionally, from your description of Pirlo’s recent behavior, he seems to be dealing with this adversity petulantly. As much as it would be nice to have Pirlo age gracefully like one of his beloved wines, if I were a betting man, I’d bet on him leaving Juve this summer.
I agree that Pirlo is a fantastic football talent who is often undervalued by others, most importantly AC Milan. I was shocked when they allowed the maestro to join Juventus. Although many players are leaving to Spain and England, for La Liga and the Premier League, it is nice to see that certain Italian players remain in Serie A and compete regularly in the Champions League. Pirlo has been a staple for the Italian national team and represents a true playmaker in the game. He may not be the flashiest or most exciting player to watch, but like Xavi his passing, vision, and leadership are top class. Also, it will be interesting to see how Pirlo finishes his career and what Pogba decides to do in his future. For the sake of Juventus and Italian football, I hope that Pogba is not sold in the coming transfer market. In all, the changes in playing styles are evident, but both players are definitely crucial to the success of the Bianconeri who are trying to put the past of Calciopoli behind them and begin a new era of glorious triumphs harkening back to the days of Platini and company.
Well written and very insightful. Milan is by far my favorite club in Italy, and I recall being incredibly disappointed when the Rossoneri let Pirlo leave to rivals Juventus for a free transfer just a few years ago. Unlike most stars, the skill set that has made Pirlo so astronomically successful is a very particular and unique skill set: one that does not deteriorate with age. Pace was never an asset of Pirlo’s game. His true advantage over his competitor was that the game seemed to slow down for him. Playing in real time for Pirlo was similar to other players watching film: the correct passes and ball maneuvers just seemed evident to him. Apart from this sense of vision that cannot be taught, Pirlo was blessed with precision ball skills and a knack for controlling the midfield. Because his competitive advantage was not based on any sort of physical prowess, it was clear that his career would be a long and prosperous one. That’s why Milan letting him ago at the tender age of 32 was such a ludicrous move. Pirlo has clearly still displayed his worth on the pitch, being noted by many as “the ageless wonder”. He continues to perform at a high level, so releasing or selling him would have catastrophic effects on the Bianconeri. To be honest, it stuns me that the question about Pirlo’s usefulness is being raised considering his role as the keystone for a very successful Juve team.
Very good post! I agree whole-heartedly with your conclusion, the Maestro should stay in Italy. Not only because he still has a few good years left in his legs, but also because a move to a Premier league side would most likely prove disastrous for Pirlo at this stage in his career. His game has always been one of finesse, and changing scenes to a much more physical and pace-heavy English team would place the aging Pirlo in a situation in which success would not come easy. A move to Madrid would not be much different, and I would hate to see one of the greatest midfielders of our lifetime end his career on a bad note. If he wants to be the main man of the team, my suggestion would be to move to a less prestigious team in Series A and help them reach newfound heights. But hey! I’m not the guys agent.