Andrea Pirlo Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 9¾ in |
Weight | 68 kg |
Date of Birth | May 19, 1979 |
Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
Eye Color | Hazel |
Andrea Pirlo is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is best known for being the head coach of Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. He is known for his vision, ball control, passing, technique, creativity, and free kick ability. Andrea had played for teams like Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, and New York City FC in the past. In May 2018, he announced his retirement from professional football and later started serving as the head coach of Serie C club Juventus U23 in July 2020. During the course of his career, he has won several tournaments such as Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and has been the recipient of honors like FIFA World Cup‘s “Top Assist Provider”, Serie A‘s “Footballer of the Year”, Serie A‘s “Midfielder of the Year”, and UEFA Super Cup‘s “Man of the Match”.
Born Name
Andrea Pirlo
Nick Name
The Architect (L’Architetto), Mozart, the Professor (Il Professore), The Metronome (Il Metronomo)
Sun Sign
Taurus
Born Place
Flero, Lombardy, Italy
Nationality
Education
Andrea Pirlo started his football education at the local Flero youth side. However, it is not known whether the academy took care of his formal education as well.
After spending a couple of years at Flero, he joined Voluntas academy. Until the age of 15, he stayed with Voluntas and took part in several youth competitions to hone his skills and game.
He then joined the Brescia youth setup in 1994. And, it was at Brescia that he graduated to the senior team at the age of 16.
Occupation
Professional Soccer Player
Family
- Father – Alberto Pirlo (Businessman and founder of Elg Steel Company)
- Mother – Livia Pirlo (Housewife)
- Siblings – Ivan Pirlo (Brother) (Businessman, works as managing director of Elg Steel)
Manager
TMP SOCCER srl agency.
Position
Deep Lying Playmaker
Shirt Number
Throughout his career, Pirlo has worn 21-numbered shirt for his various clubs as well as the national team.
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 9¾ in or 177 cm
Weight
68 kg or 150 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Andrea Pirlo has dated –
- Deborah Roversi (2001–2014) – Andrea Pirlo married Deborah Roversi in 2001 while playing for Brescia on loan but was owned by Inter Milan. Although the exact date of the start of their relationship in unknown, it is rumored that they met at while Pirlo was a Brescia player. Deborah gave birth to a son, Niccolo almost two years after their marriage and, their daughter Angela was born in 2006. Their marriage ended in 2014 as Deborah found that her husband was having an affair with real estate agent.
- Valentina Baldini (2014-Present) – Valentina Baldini found herself as the subject of tabloid reports in the 2014 summer as it was reported that the married midfield maestro was having an affair behind her wife’s back. Pirlo eventually gave Deborah, his wife of 13 years divorce and made his relationship with Valentina official. According to reports, Pirlo met Baldini at the golf course and fell for her at first sight. The couple welcomed twins, Leonardo and Tommaso, in July 2017.
Race / Ethnicity
White
Hair Color
Light Brown
Eye Color
Hazel
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Long locks
- Full beard
- Small and slight build
- Piercing stare
Brand Endorsements
Andrea Pirlo has a long running endorsement deal with sports goods and wear company, Nike. He has starred in number of TV adverts for the brand over the years. Also, he has worked with Nike to produce his custom range of soccer cleats, titled Tiempo Pirlo. The brand has used Pirlo’s love for wine to create the footwear.
While at Juventus, Pirlo had also worked with the American automobile giant, Jeep. He was the star attraction of the campaign launched in 2013 by the company. However, it is not known that whether he retains endorsement deal with Jeep after leaving Italian club in 2015.
Plus, Pirlo started working with Polish producer Drutex as a brand endorser in March 2014. He has appeared at various industry Expo’s in Italy to represent the industrial giant. He has even done a photoshoot for the brand.
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Best Known For
- Being one of the finest deep-lying playmakers.
- His superb free kicks and long shots.
- Languid and graceful playing style.
First Soccer Match
Pirlo played his first-ever professional match at the age of 16 for Brescia in a Serie A match against Reggiana on May 21, 1995.
On September 20, 2001, he stepped out for the first time in AC Milan’s strip in a UEFA Cup match against BATE Borisov as a second-half substitute for Massimo Donati.
His first competitive appearance for Juventus came in Serie A match against Parma in a 4-1 win at Juventus Stadium with Pirlo delivering two assists.
He made his debut for MLS club, New York City FC as a 56th minute substitute in 5-3 win against Orlando City at the Yankee Stadium on July 26, 2015.
His debut for Italy national team came against Azerbaijan in a Euro 2004 qualifying match on September 7, 2002, in a 2-0 victory.
Strengths
- Passing
- Through balls
- Controlling game tempo
- Vision
- Long Shots
- Positioning
Weaknesses
- Tackling
- Strength
- Speed
- Mobility
First Film
He made his first film appearance in the short documentary film Me, Myself & Martin Laursen as himself. He hasn’t appeared in a theatrical film yet.
First TV Show
Apart from his appearances in matches for his clubs and country, he hasn’t made any TV appearance as of October 2016.
Personal Trainer
Andrea Pirlo has often shown his aversion for the gym workouts and training regimes. So, it is unlikely that he would be working with personal trainer for any workout apart from regular team training.
Andrea Pirlo Favorite Things
- Hobby – Sony PlayStation
- Players – Xavi, Andres Iniesta
Source – Contact Music, Squawka
Andrea Pirlo Facts
- He owns a vineyard and winery, Pratum Coller which produces around 15–20,000 bottles per year of white and red wine and is located in the lower Brescia.
- He was the Italian team’s captain at the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Italy won the tournament with Pirlo winning the Golden Player award.
- He was named man of the match in the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup against France, which they won on penalties.
- He has won the title of the Serie A Footballer of the Year on three different occasions – 2012, 2013, and 2014.
- Early in his career, he played mostly as an advanced playmaker or support striker before Brescia manager Carlo Mazzone moved him to deep midfield position.
- After his side AC Milan lost the 2005 Champions League final on penalties to Liverpool after leading the match with three goals by halftime, Pirlo briefly considered retiring from the game.
- Andrea Pirlo is one of the few Italian players to play for the three most successful clubs in the league – Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Juventus.
- Before moving to Juventus, he played 401 matches for AC Milan and won two Serie A titles, two UEFA Champions League, and one Coppa Italia cup with the club.
- When he joined New York City on July 6, 2015, he became the highest-paid Italian player across all professional leagues with a $8 million salary.
- In November 2015, Andrea Pirlo created history by becoming the first-ever MLS player to be selected in the FIFPRO World XI.
- He won three Man of the Match awards at the 2012 UEFA Euro, which was joint highest along with Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta.
- He almost moved to Chelsea in 2009 after his former manager Carlo Ancelotti moved to the English side and placed $12 million bid, which was eventually rejected by AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi.
- With 116 caps, Pirlo is the fourth-most capped player in the history for the Italian national team after Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon.
- With Juventus, he won four consecutive Serie A titles – 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15, one Coppa Italia cup – 2014-15, and two Supercoppa Italiana cups – 2012, 2013.
- For his immense contribution to AC Milan’s success during his 10-year stay with the club, he was inducted in AC Milan Hall of Fame in March 2015.
- He has been included in the end of the season Serie A Team of the Year for four seasons – 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15.
- He was inducted in the team of the tournament after the 2012 UEFA Euro and was selected in the UEFA Euro All-time XI in 2016.
- While growing up, Pirlo’s idol was German midfielder Lothar Herbert Matthäus, whom Pirlo admired for his goal scoring ability from the number 10 position.
- On April 26, 2015, in a match against Torino, he joined Siniša Mihajlovic at the top for most number of free kick goals. Both have scored 28 goals from free kicks.
- In 2010 summer, Catalan coach Pep Guardiola invited Pirlo to his office and asked him to join Barcelona, which Pirlo was keen to but again, AC Milan refused to budge.
- Pirlo considers Brazilian star Juninho Pernambucano as his inspiration when it comes to a free kick. And, he cracked his technique while sitting in the toilet.