Few current players have been more present for significant moments in Italian football history recently than Andrea Pirlo. The New York City FC midfielder spoke to Corriere dello Sport about his career and future plans:"I started playing in the yard outside my house with my brother and cousins. I always played football, my first ball was made out of sponge and I played in the house. In my room there were posters of players. I was an Interista and my idol was Matthaus. Baggio? He was my idol since I was a child and I had the chance of having him as a teammate at Inter and then Brescia"
Pirlo was asked about his relationship with Allegri, a manager he was reunited with at Juventus after a difficult period at Milan:"There were some problems, because I was injured for four months during that year at Milan. I came back when the team was doing well and it was hard to change the lineup. At the end of the season my contract was expiring and after ten years I wanted to change. I wanted a new experience and I tried Juventus. There was the new stadium, great management, they wanted to return to compete at the top in Italy and Europe"
Is there a heir to Pirlo?:"Sincerely no. There is no one who plays in my style. There are many good players but they aren't "registi" like me. I like Verratti a lot but he doesn't play like me. I like Gagliardini at Inter but he has a different role than mine. My future? I have yet to think about it. I'll have time this is the last year on my contract and then we'll see.
At the end of the interview Pirlo made a prediction:"Juventus can win the Champions League, it's up to the standards of the others, if not better. They are more compact tactically and they can get to the end. I talk to Gigi Buffon often, we've been playing together since we were fifteen
