“?Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has explained his decision to leave AC Milan for Serie A rivals Juventus in 2011.
The 37-year-old departed the San Siro for Turin and went on to win four more Scudetti and a Coppa Italia, before joining MLS side New York City in 2015.
The World Cup winner, speaking to Marca Plus, as reported in Football Italia, has now revealed the thought process behind his controversial decision to leave the Rossonieri, where he spent over a decade.
“I was coming off 10 years at Milan and I wasn’t motivated any more,”? Pirlo said.
“I needed another team with a new project, but still a winning one. Juve were perfect, as they hadn’t won in a long time and were making their debut in the new stadium. It was the best place to start building.”?
The move to the ‘Old Lady’ proved an indian summer for the the classy deep-lying midfielder, and his spell with Juve culminated in defeat in the Champions League final in 2015 against Barcelona.
Thank you Frank.I’ve been honored and It has been a pleasure to play with you in this year. I wish you and your family all the best! pic.twitter.com/fmREcvybdm
The two-time Champions League winner was quick to point out that he was happy with the clubs he played for in his 20-year career.
“I also played for all of the best teams in Italy [Inter, Juventus and Milan].”
In the candid interview, Pirlo also told of the time “?Pep Guardiola tried to bring him to Barcelona, and while the the two were teammates at Brescia, Pirlo never considered Pep as one of his role-models, instead naming for an early international teammate as his key influence.
“Roberto Baggio. He was my idol. For a young lad it’s a dream to play with your idol and I managed to make that happen.”
The young Pirlo had his chance to line up alongside the ‘Divine Ponytail’ at Internazionale during the formative years of his career and was eager to make an impression alongside his hero.
“From the moment I knew I had the chance of training with him I was impatient. I couldn’t wait,” Pirlo said.
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