Andrea Pirlo is an Italian professional footballer who played a pivotal role in Italy’s successful World Cup campaign in 2006. A specialist in set pieces and penalties, he is widely regarded as one of the finest deep-lying playmakers of all time. He began his club career as an attacking midfielder, but due to his lack of speed, he rarely made the starting lineup for the organizations he played for. Carlo Mazzone made the innovative decision to use Andrea Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker during his tenure as Brescia’s manager. He flourished in his new role. His exceptional, the almost supernatural passing ability was on full display as he helped his future team, A.C. Milan, dominate both the Italian and European football circuits. After becoming a free agent in 2011, he signed with Juventus, where he had a similarly successful spell. With 116 appearances for the Italian national team, he is the fourth-most capped player. He was the captain of the Italian team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Currently, he plays for New York City FC in the United States.
Youth and Early Life
Andrea Pirlo was born in Flero, a municipality in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy on May 19, 1979, to parents Luigi and Lidia. His brother’s name is Ivan. Pirlo was a soccer prodigy. As a child, he and his sibling and friends would play in the sand at the Tuscan seaside resort of Viareggio, where his family vacationed.
At age 13, he garnered international prominence for the first time when he and his team, ‘Voluntas Brescia U15s,’ competed in the ‘Dana Cup’ in 1992. They reached the semifinals before being eliminated.
Pirlo’s Club Position
16-year-old Andrea Pirlo made his Serie A debut against Reggiana on May 21, 1995, after signing with Brescia. His performance impressed Inter Milan coach Mircea Lucescu, who added him to his squad. His time with the team was unproductive; he appeared on the field only sporadically. Nevertheless, Inter leased him to Reggina for the 1999-2000 season, and he performed admirably there.
The following season, he was again loaned out, this time to his former club Brescia. Carlo Mazzone, their manager, was the first coach to position him in the defense. He led the team to a respectable seventh-place finish in the league while playing alongside his childhood icon Roberto Baggio.
He was acquired by A.C. Milan from Inter after three seasons with the latter club. There, he encountered the team’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, who would eventually steer his career in a new direction and make him a world-class player. On September 20, 2001, he made his debut for the team in the UEFA Cup against the Belarusian club BATE Borisov. The match was won by Milan, 2-0.
For the next decade, Pirlo served as Milan’s central midfielder, winning a ‘Coppa Italia’ (2003), a ‘Supercoppa Italiana’ (2004), a ‘FIFA Club World Cup’ (2007), two ‘Serie A championships (2004 and 2011), two ‘UEFA Champions Leagues’ (2003 and 2007), and two ‘UEFA Super Cups’ (2003 and 2007). He played in 401 games for the club and scored 41 goals.
In 2011, he departed Milan after reaching an agreement with the club. He joined Juventus on a free transfer and scored four goals against Parma in his Serie A debut. Prior to Pirlo’s arrival at Juventus, the team had not won a championship since 2003.
He delivered the club four Serie A championships (in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015), two Supercoppa Italiana championships (in 2012 and 2013), and a Coppa Italia championship (2015). He participated in 164 matches and scored 19 goals for them. Since 2015, he has been a member of ‘New York City FC,’ a team in ‘Major League Soccer’ with whom he signed in 2015.
Andrea’s International Profession
Andrea Pirlo captained the Italy U21 team at the ‘European Championship’ in 2000, where he was named the finest player and leading scorer. He participated in the 2000 and 2004 Italian Olympic squads, where he won the bronze medal 2004. At the age of 23, he made his senior team début in a 2-0 victory over Azerbaijan. He played a pivotal role in his country’s 2006 World Cup qualification campaign.
He scored Italy’s first goal against Ghana and assisted Fabio Grosso in scoring his first goal on July 4 against Germany in the semi-final. On July 9, he continued his outstanding play in the final against France. After both teams were unable to break the 1-1 tie in a hard-fought match, it was decided by a penalty shootout. He was the first Italian player to take a penalty kick and effectively score a goal.
After 24 years, Italy would win the match and become World Champion. Pirlo was dubbed “Man of the Match” for both the semifinal and championship games. He served as Gianluigi Buffon’s vice-captain during the 2012 Euro Cup. They defeated Ireland, England, and Germany to reach the final, where they were defeated by Spain, 4-0.
Although he announced his international retirement after the 2014 World Cup, he returned to the Italian squad for European Cup qualifiers in 2016. However, his relocation to the United States had unanticipated consequences. On May 23, 2016, it was announced that he had been cut from the 30-man Euro 2016 squad.
Awards & Achievements
Andrea Pirlo was knighted in 2004 (official title: Cavaliere dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana). He was promoted to the rank of Officer (‘Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana’) two years later.
He was awarded the “Bronze Ball” and “Top Assist Provider” at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Andrea Pirlo was awarded the 2011-12 ‘Pallone d’Argento’ by the ‘Unione Stampa Sportiva Italiana’ (Italian Sports Press Union) or USSI for having “the fairest and for football talent, sporting correctness, good morality and generosity towards the weak.” He was named Serie A Footballer of the Year for the consecutive years 2012–2014.
Personal History and Legacy
In 2001, Andrea Pirlo married Deborah Roversi. Together, they have two children; their son Niccolo was born in 2003 and their daughter Angela in 2006. After 13 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 2014. It was later reported that Pirlo had an affair with Valentina Baldini, a real estate agent he encountered at his golf club.
On April 30, 2013, he published his autobiography, ‘Penso Quindi Gioco’ (I Think, Therefore I Play), via ‘Arnoldo Mondadori Editore’. Critics and admirers alike praised the book for its interminable quotability and abundance of wit and charm.
Estimated Net worth
The net worth of Italian professional soccer player Andrea Pirlo is $50 million. In May of 1979, Andrea Pirlo was born in Flero, Lombardy, Italy. From 1995 to 1998, he was a member of Brescia’s senior club after having played for their junior team from 1990 to 1994. He played for Internazionale from 1998 to 2001 and was loaned to Reggina and Brescia.
Trivia
The Italian national team colleagues of Trivia Pirlo have given him the nickname “l’architetto.” (the architect in Italian). He has also been referred to as “il professore,” “Maestro,” and “Mozart.”
Throughout the majority of his tenure, Pirlo has worn jersey number 21.