His career as player and a coach, Juventus, and the Derby d’Italia: Pirlo speaks about everything.
The Sampdoria coach, on a event in Genoa, Orientamenti 2023, spoke on various topics. From his career as a player to his role as a coach, the gambling scandal shaking Italian football, his past at Juventus, and the upcoming Derby d’Italia.
FROM PLAYER TO COACH
The ex midfielder begins by talking about his career as a player, but also about his second football life as a coach: “As a child, I wanted to become a footballer, I was very clear about that. I was also fortunate, but I was sure I could make it. To reach the top, you need daily work, make sacrifices, even if, personally, it was never a sacrifice for me.”
“Nothing should be taken for granted; to achieve certain goals, you have to constantly push yourself, and be motivated. When I stopped playing, I reflected on what I wanted to do and decided to enroll in the coaching course, a profession completely different from that of a player. It takes a lot of energy, but it gives you enormous satisfaction when you win, seeing on the field what you practiced in training.”
JUVENTUS EXPERIENCE
Pirlo began his coaching journey on one of the most prestigious benches in world football, that of Juventus: “The Bianconeri club gave me this tremendous opportunity, and I started from there. A fantastic experience, which in my opinion went well. Then I went to Turkey, and now I’m at Samp, where I hope to have a good path.”
Do I dream of returning to Serie A? “You have to go step by step, but dreaming is certainly possible. However, you also need to be realistic, be focused on the moment: in recent times, we (Sampdoria) have improved, but now we need to accelerate towards the first positions.
JUVE VS INTER
As often happens, Italian football will come to a standstill to watch the match between Juventus and Inter on Sunday, November 26 which can be worth a Scudetto, but Pirlo confesses: “Honestly, I’m not that interested; I don’t really care at this point, I prefer to watch Serie B matches.
But I’ll watch the match between Juve and Inter; it’s a historic game: I hope the best team wins. At this moment, not much is at stake because there is still a long way to go, but winning certain games gives you a different energy. A favorite? I don’t think there is one: I’m convinced they will play on equal terms.”
ON THE NATIONAL TEAM
Finally, a comment on Luciano Spalletti’s national team: “He is a good coach whom I have always respected as a person. We cannot miss the Euros: we must cheer for him and all the boys.”
