Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo Ufficiale OMRI (born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player. He played for Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Inter and Inter Milan’s Serie A rivals Milan. At international level, he played 116 matches for the Italian national football team, which is the fifth-most of all time. He won four consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, and two UEFA Champions Leagues. In 2015, he joined Major League Soccer club New York City, where he played for two years before retiring in 2017.

About Andrea Pirlo in brief

Summary Andrea PirloAndrea Pirlo Ufficiale OMRI (born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Serie A club Juventus U23. At international level, he played 116 matches for the Italian national football team, which is the fifth-most of all time. He won four consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, and two UEFA Champions Leagues. In 2015, he joined Major League Soccer club New York City, where he played for two years before retiring in 2017. He was named Serie A Footballer of the Year three times, and voted to the Serie A Team of the year four times. Pirla was elected into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2019. He has been named in the UEFA Team of The Year in 2012, the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season in 2015, and the FIFPro World XI in 2006. He also placed seventh in the 2007 FIFA World Player award, finished in the top ten three times for the Ballon d’Or, and was named an MLS All-Star in 2016. He played for Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Inter and Inter Milan’s Serie A rivals Milan. He captained his country at the 2004 and 2008 UEFA European Championships, the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and the 2009 and 2013 FIFA Confederations Cups. He helped Italy to the final of the 2012 UEFA European Championship, and won the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Games.

He made his Serie A debut in 1995, at the age of 16, playing against Reggiana. In 1997, he won the Serie B title with hometown club Bresciia. He scored his first goal in Serie A during the 1997–98 season, in a 4–0 home win over Vicenza on 19 October 1997. He spent the second half of the 2000–01 season on loan at his former club, Brescia, playing alongside his childhood idol, Roberto Baggio, as an attacking playmaker. In 2001, he was sold to cross-city rivals Milan, but was unable to break into the first squad permanently. In 2002, he made his senior debut for Milan, and captained the club to a bronze medal at the 2002 World Cup. In 2004, he helped Inter Milan to a Serie A title, as well as two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and another Coppa Italia. In 2005, he moved to Inter Milan on a free transfer. In 2007, he signed for Inter Milan for a fee of £1.5 million. In 2009, he became the first Italian player to play in the Premier League for two different clubs. In 2011, he left Inter to join Serie A side Juventus. In 2013, he retired from professional football, and took charge of Juventus’ U23 side. In 2014, he coached Juventus’ Serie C U23 team to the Italian Serie A Cup final. In 2016, he also coached Juventus U21 side to the Champions League final.