Andrea Pirlo played football as if he were sitting in a Venetian café with an espresso. Everyone else ran. He waited, looked up and passed, and the game went where he sent it.
From attacking midfield to regista
The move that made him was a change of position. Pirlo started as an attacking midfielder and was moved back to play as a deep-lying playmaker, the regista. It changed his career and, arguably, the way the role was played.
What followed:
- The 2006 World Cup with Italy, with his passing driving the whole campaign
- Two Champions League titles with AC Milan, in 2003 and 2007
- A free transfer from Milan to Juventus, and then four consecutive Serie A titles there
- The Panenka penalty against England at Euro 2012, the most audacious penalty the tournament has seen
He did not need pace or hard tackling. He needed the ball and a little time, and most teams made the mistake of giving him both.
Every side Pirlo played for got better, and he made it look like the easiest job in the world. Football has had few more elegant players.
Tomorrow we reach the top ten.
