Using former players as managers is certainly not a new trend. Vicente del Bosque made 445 appearances for Real Madrid from 1968 to 1984. The Spaniard the returned with a managerial stint that yielded two league titles and two Champions Leagues. Johan Cruyff established himself as one of the world's greatest players on the […]

Milan (AFP) – Former Italy star Andrea Pirlo on Thursday defended Gianluigi Buffon for his Champions League outburst as he named the veteran goalkeeper among his lineup for his testimonial on May 21. "If I'd been on the pitch, it would have burned to go out like that," said Pirlo, "when you play a game […]

Milan (AFP) – Italy veteran Andrea Pirlo was among the absentees as coach Antonio Conte named a provisional 28-man squad on Monday for a pre-Euro 2016 training camp with several stars absent with Cup finals to play.  Conte, who earlier Monday was cleared of sporting fraud charges relating to a match-fixing affair while he was […]

Let’s call it the “Pirlo Problem.” Not because the elegant Italian midfield maestro is a “problem” per se. But rather because he perfectly illustrates a brain-teaser that MLS coaches are increasingly dealing with. We love to see these splashy names coming into MLS. Yes, the narrative of MLS as a retirement home is annoying and […]

After weeks of speculation, Andrea Pirlo has officially signed with New York City F.C., one of MLS's most recent expansion teams. Pirlo will head to New York and become the third designated player on the roster, alongside David Villa and Frank Lampard — making NYCFC's roster one of the most successful trio to ever play in […]

New York City FC's very own website revealed that Juventus and Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has joined the club, according to a page that was on its website on Tuesday night but was later removed after the details spread throughout social media. By accidentally publishing the page to the public, New York City FC confirmed what most […]

Andrea Pirlo is on the verge of being unveiled as the latest MLS and New York City FC star signing on Friday after agreeing personal terms with the Big Apple club, according to various sources. If and when he joins the team, Pirlo will be New York City's third Designated Player. The Italian midfielder will find himself […]

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has heaped praise on Juventus legends Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo ahead of Tuesday's Champions League semi-final in Turin. Casillas said Buffon is "a reference for a generation" and believes Pirlo in a "marvel to watch". Despite their age, both players have played pivotal roles in helping Juventus win their fourth consecutive Serie A title and […]

With Brazilian striker Amauri close to becoming an Italian citizen, it looks like Bayern Munich's Luca Toni will find it quite hard to represent Italy in South Africa. Azzurri Boss Marcello Lippi has hinted on more than one occasion that Amauri will be very useful for the national team. The raging debate is whether more foreign born players […]

To fans of Calcio it's still as vivid as ever: The vision of Fabio Cannavaro lifting the World Cup aloft remains the proudest of Italian memories in a difficult recent history. But with one year to go before the 19th World Cup Final, Cannavaro and his Azzurri have a lot of hard work to do […]

Nike's "Take It To The Next Level" is back this time with Andrea Pirlo.  When is a wall not a wall? When it's made up of more people than would normally take to the pitch during any one game. But Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo doesn't see walls, he sees goals.