Top 10 Incredible Facts about Andrea Pirlo

Top 10 Incredible Facts about Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo is a retired Italian professional footballer who is widely perceived as one of the greatest midfield players. Widely known as the Professor, he was a key figure in Italy’s successful 2006 World Cup campaign. The current head coach of Juventus was also a set-piece and penalty-kick specialist during his playing time.

Here are the Incredible Facts about Andrea Pirlo.

1. He Was A Darling Of The Italian Fans

Renowned for his control of the ball, free kick skill, good ball passer, and innovation, he was a darling of the fans and was regarded as one of the greatest football players of his generation. Beyond all the awards and accolades, pundits believe that it is his aura and persona that draws in fans from across the divide. He has a stoic facial expression which looks even more fantastic with his epic and majestic beard. It is that style and swagger that have made people to find him interesting.

Looking back, it is hard to pinpoint precisely when Pirlo transcended from domestic darling to global brand. What we know is that somewhere along the line he achieved that highest form of footballing recognition: the stage at which a player’s name becomes synonymous with their position. The ‘Pirlo role’ is understood worldwide as the one in which he did his best work.

2. He Was One Of The Most Sought After Players

As one of the most sought after players at some point, Pirlo once admitted to having wanted to play for Real Madrid. After the World Cup win in 2006, Madrid wanted to give him a 5-year contract and a huge salary to play in Spain. But AC Milan Vice President had other plans for him. Instead of allowing him to leave, he gave him a blank cheque and told Pirlo to write what he wanted.

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3. He had more success at AC Milan than Juventus

Although he won titles at both AC Milan and Juventus, it is at the latter that he achieved more despite winning back to back Serie A titles at Juventus and a total of seven while at AC Milan. Pirlo also won the Champions League twice with AC Milan.

4. He has a net worth of $50 million

Pirlo oozed class on and off the pitch. His twenty-two-year professional career saw him retire the football game with the top trophies a footballer could earn and the benefits that come with it. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the retired professional footballer is one of the richest footballers. He has a net worth of $50 million. His money comes from the salary he earned throughout his career as a professional footballer and other sources of revenue. These include his participation in many commercials over the years and also own a vineyard called Pratum Coller.

5. He Was The Master Of Free Kicks

Andrea Pirlo 2017. Author ANDES News Agency. Wikimedia Commons

How many free kick goals does Pirlo have? It is unknown how many direct free kick goals Pirlo scored before 1998 when football analytics first became relevant. However, Pirlo was a free-kick and penalty-kick specialist. Throughout his career, he was regarded as one of the best free-kick takers in the world, and drew praise from pundits for his versatility, and ability to both score and create chances from dead-ball situations.

He was extremely effective at curling shots accurately on target from close range, a technique that he perfected by studying Baggio in training sessions during their time at Brescia. For a decade at AC Milan, he managed to score 12 direct free-kicks for the team. When he signed for Juventus between 2011 and 2015, Pirlo scored 15 direct free-kick goals.

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6. He Is One Of The Greatest Central Midfielders Ever

Andrea Pirlo 2008. Author Rybakova Elena. Wikimedia Commons

In his career as a professional footballer, Andrea Pirlo has always played as a midfielder. While the work of midfielders is to position themselves between their team’s forwards and defenders, Pirlo had a unique role. When he first joined his hometown club Brescia in 1995, he used to play as an attacking midfielder. He helped the team clinch the Serie B title and get promotion to Serie A in 1997.

The promotion and his playing style at that time made Inter Milan to sign him in 1998. But he was not effective at the club from 1998 to 2001. He only made 22 appearances and scored zero goals despite being an attacking midfielder. In 1999 his star continued when he went on loan to Reggina and scored six goals in 28 appearances. However, he was transformed to a world class player by Carlo Ancelotti when he joined AC Milan. The experienced coach transitioned him from being an attacking midfielder into a deep-lying playmaker. That decision seemed to work for him because Pirlo was not a fast-paced player.

At AC Milan, Pirlo was the one who could set the tempo of the game, retain the team’s possession, and build up play through short and precise exchanges. Fans called him the regista,” and it is from there where he became a world-class midfielder even in his subsequent teams and the National team. For ten years, Pirlo made 284 appearances for AC Milan and scored 32 goals.

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7. He Had A Lucrative International Career

Italian National Team 2012. Author Original photo: Arvedui89. Wikimedia Commons

At international level, the football legend achieved a lot. He played 116 matches for the Italian national football team, which is the fifth-most of all time. Having made his senior debut in 2002, and captained his nation to a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics, Pirlo was also instrumental in Italy’s triumph at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, winning the Bronze Ball and being elected to the Team of the Tournament. He repeated similar success as he led Italy to the final of the 2012 UEFA European Championships. Pirlo also represented 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. His name will always remain in fotball’s history books.

8. He Played For Six Clubs In His Professional Career

Andrea Pirlo playing in a pre-season friendly against Singapore in August 2014. Author Muhammad Ashiq. Wikimedia Commons

Are you wondering what team does Andrea Pirlo play for? Well, the Italian has retired from football. Back when he was active, he played for six clubs in his professional career. These are Brescia, Reggina, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, and New York City FC. Pirlo announced his retirement at the end of the 2017 MLS season. At 38 years of age, the midfield maestro had already played 817 games for club and country at all levels. In that time, he had scored 99 goals.

9. The Football Legend Is Now Transferring His Skills To Younger Players

Following his retirement, Pirlo was appointed as head coach at Serie C club Juventus U23 on 30 July 2020. He had no prior top-level coaching experience when he was named Juventus coach. He took charge of the first team nine days later, and won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in his debut season, before being dismissed in 2021 On 12 June 2022, Pirlo was appointed as manager of Turkish club Fatih Karagümrük.

10. Andrea Pirlo Was A Tourism Ambassador At The 2022FIFA World Cup In Qatar

Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo was part of new global campaign by Qatar Tourism titled “No Football. No Worries.” That was fighting the controversies that were likely to resurface during the FIFA World Cup which ranges from human rights violation to criminalization of same-sex relationship in the country.

In the advertisement, the Italian promotes Qatar by sand boarding down the desert dunes of the Inland Sea and soaking up the culture in the Museum of Islamic Art to kite surfing at the country’s new resort, Fuwairit Kite Beach.

“I find people here to be very friendly, always welcoming the tourists with open arms, and I’m sure that they (tourists) will love Qatar and will feel like home,” Pirlo said.