What Can Andrea Pirlo Offer Juventus?

Oladipupo Mojeed Sports 15/08/2020

Juventus officially announced the appointment of Andrea Pirlo as their new manager as he replaces recently sacked Maurizio Sarri. His appointment came a week after he was hired as the head coach of Juventus under 23 team.

It might seem uncharacteristic to call a season where a club won its 9th consecutive league title a woeful one.

The target set by Juventus at the beginning of the season was to win the league and the champions league. Anything less was always going to be seen as not good enough.

Juventus are blessed with a star-studded squad, and an array of quality players such as; Matthijs De Ligt, Aaron Ramsey, and Adrien Rabiot,who joined at the beginning of the season. So winning silverware alongside another league title seems not to be too much to ask.

Appointing Pirlo: Masterstroke or Blunder?

Appointing Pirlo means that Juventus joined the list of top European clubs being managed by their former players. His appointment was out of the blue and has raised questions amongst fans and pundits alike. Pirlo now has a responsibility to prove himself until June 2022.

The questions around the decision are understandable, considering that Pirlo has no managerial experience. We would have to wait to see if this was a masterstroke or blunder.

Champions League is the Ultimate Goal

Juventus are desperate to win the Champions League trophy, and going for an experienced manager would have been the obvious option. But pitching a tent with Pirlo is a move that many see as a risk.

Due to financial constraints caused by COVID-19, going for Pirlo instead of an experienced manager like Mauricio Pochettino does make sense. This os considering the savings made on wages.

So, having Pirlo who already understands the club’s culture is expected to be a good move that should hopefully bear good results.

Following the Trend

Bringing back former players to manage a club seem to be the new trend in football. Recent success of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, Frank Lampard at Chelsea, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United, makes this new trend more attractive.

Lampard, Arteta and Solskjaer are examples of ex players doing well at former clubs

Pirlo already understand the values and system of the club making it easy for him to adapt. Also, the fans are going to back him, having won four league titles during his four years at the club. His success as a player gave him a legendary status and makes him a fan favorite.

Getting an experienced manager these days is usually expensive in terms of wages and cost of the rebuild.

Pirlo still has some of his former teammates like: Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci still playing at the club. These players will understand his philosophy and will make it easier to implement.

Pirlo celebrating a goal for Juventus during is playing career (Photo Source: PlanetFootball)

Sarri wasn’t able to properly implement his own philosophy and playing style in the team. This made his time at the club much harder.

Juventus midfield has often been criticised by most pundits as the source of their issues on the pitch as they have struggled to keep possession and make quick transitions from defense to attack. Most evidently; they have failed to create enough goal scoring chances.

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Moreover, Pirlo being a midfield maestro himself, and capable of playing in different positions in the midfield. Should be able to use his experience to put these issues to bed.

Pirlo’s leadership qualities cannot be questioned, having won 116 caps for the Italian National team, makes him the 5th most capped player in the country’s history.

This should be enough evidence that he’s a leader. Time will tell if the gamble works.