Andrea Pirlo has recalled some of his memories from his 10 years with AC Milan, including the Champions League finals and his controversial exit.
Pirlo is a player that needs little introduction given his reputation as one of the greatest midfielders of all time thanks to his vision, technique, creativity, passing and of course his trademark free-kicks. He is one of the icons of Italian football, and he cut his teeth at Milan in a decade-long spell.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
He became world class in a regista role under Carlo Ancelotti, winning two Scudetti, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup, a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana. Then, in 2011, he controversially left for Juventus on a free transfer, which still divides fans now.
Pirlo did an interview with Milan TV having been part of the legends team that faced Spurs in London recently, and he spoke about the memories he made in the red and black shirt, both good and bad. MilanPress relayed his comments.
What does the Milan shirt mean to you?
“This shirt has been part of my life, a piece of history in my journey. It’s always wonderful to wear this shirt again with the Legends, because you find former teammates, friends.
“Free kicks? It was my way of seeing football, maybe different than others. I interpreted it in a role, I tried to make it mine. The free kick was something more.”
Why was the 2003 Champions League win your most important trophy?
“Because it was the first, my first Champions League and for what it was. We came from a long journey, from the preliminaries.
“Then getting to play the semi-final against Inter and the final against Juve, I think it was the culmination of an extraordinary year. I remember the emotion of arriving at Old Trafford. It was the most exciting match.”
Best moments?
“I remember how good we had it in those ten years. It was a pleasure to meet every day to go to the field. The strength for so many years of being together, with the same players, we had created something special between us. Every sacrifice was not a sacrifice but something to share.”
That midfield with Seedorf, Gattuso and Ambrosini…
“It wasn’t a year or two, we kept it up for many years. We started young and finished when we weren’t too old. It was a long period of time, with champions.”
Is there some regret for not having won as much as you could?
“We could have won a few more championships. We lost another Champions League, we could have won others. If we look at everything, there is the regret of having won perhaps a little too little compared to what we could have won. But in the end we won a lot and that’s not for everyone.”
You faced Liverpool twice in the final…
“The rematch made everything a little sweeter, also because it means that from up there someone gave us the chance to have revenge, also because I think that the 2005 final is one of the most beautiful ones we played and also perhaps as finals ever.
“We had played a great game, it was dramatic. With the rematch a few things went back to our side. As a coach I played my first match in that very stadium, and I lost it.”
Did you become a man at Milan?
“There I became a man. I would have liked to continue to do more, then I took another path, but I think I spent perhaps the best ten years. I grew up with friends that I still hang out with. That is the thing that remains with me the most.”
Does it bother you how your exit is perceived today from the outside?
“Yes, because perhaps it was not understood by many, many think it was my choice but it was not like that. I would have continued at Milan, but there were no conditions to be able to do so.
“When I told my teammates that I would leave Milan it was one of the most painful and sad moments, but that’s how it went.”
Would you like to play with anyone at Milan now?
“Many champions have passed and now there are many good players. I think I played with the best of my time, so now I leave the chance to others to do it at Milan.”
The worst decision of the Berlusconi era was letting this man walk out the door for the fear that he was past his prime. No better passer in the game and everything ran through him!
not because he’s too old, our finance can’t let us extent Pirlo while we’ve R10
The greatest player of the last generation, and what a midfield with Seedorf and others. Absolute legend and sad to see the way he was discarded at the end. He showed us all how wrong Milan were for letting him go, even though we all knew it at the time. If only our midfield had a 10th of the quality now.
“I think I played with the best of my time, so now I leave the chance to others to do it at Milan” – in another words, this Milan midfield is garbage 😀
Seedorf – Pirlo – Rino. What a trio that was. I really miss players of his kind. Nowadays it’s all about physicality and stamina.
Problem with Pirlo is his ego is huge. Those conditions not met were a renewal with same or bigger figures when his last two seasons were awful. All football world thought he was done and what Milan did in that moment was logical, because he lacked motivation. And he was good at Juventus but that was because that midfield was one of the best in Europe with prime Vidal, prime Pogba and prime Marchisio. Put them again in the midfield of the contemporary Milan and he would have continue to suck big time. I admire the player, but not the person.
People actually didn’t see or forgot his performances in the last two seasons before he was let go. He lost motivation but still wanted to maintain on the same salary or higher for more than a year contract. Not forgetting we had Van Bommel who was then playing that position very well. I am sure Galliani didn’t want to sell him to avoid fans back lash. It’s like Theo eventually leaving Milan and he starts playing well then fans blame the management for selling him while forgetting how he has played his last 2 seasons outrageously and without motivation.
Great player.
Top 5 Italian player ever.
His slide rule pass to Grosso for Italy’s opening goal against Germany in the 2006 World Cup Semi Final was a moment of absolute genius – forever etched into my memory.
Snake literally wrote in his book that he wanted to crawl over to Barca if he had the chance and we have people supporting him
hilarious fans here as usual
So by your logic Gerryboy, we should crucify Shevchenko and Kaka then?
He wanted to go to Real Madrid – not Barca. Get your “facts” straight before start bashing others. 😀 😀 😀 😀
“The strength for so many years of being together, with the same players, we had created something special between us.”
Our owners could take a little lesson from this. They stopped Maldini and Massara from building something over years for the sake of short term finacial gains.
Well said. The owner has ruined ACM. It got rid of not only Maldini and Massara, who were gradually steering our club towards its rightful place at the summit of European football again, but also Tonali, a young star around whom a core Italian identity to our team could have been built.
As a life-long Milanista, I hate to say this but Inter are what ACM once was but sadly no longer is. They have an excellent Italian coach; a solid kernel of fine Italian players surrounded by a strong contingent of foreigners; great togetherness, a coherent style, and a fierce desire to succeed; and able professionals in their management who are disciplined and know what they’re doing. I hope Inter bring honor to the city of Milan – the capital of calcio – by going all the way and winning the Champions League this year. Their victory against Bayern Munich yesterday was an impressive advertisement for Italian football.
I’m not surprised that the foolish Cardinale – whose focus on short-term financial gain at the expense of glory on the pitch is responsible for ACM’s present woes – hasn’t shown his face in Milan for months. I assume he’s gone into a state of occultation in the US and doesn’t intend to emerge from his hideout and reappear in Milan until the time of the end.
How you managed to squeeze the current Milan management into this discussion is very absurd and at the same time, funny.
Don’t you people get tired of complaining every time?
I’m delighted you found my comments funny; but absurd? You mean you’re happy with our club’s current calamitous condition – languishing in 9th place in Serie A and struggling to even qualify for the Europa Conference League? Happy that it’s 18 years since we last won the Champions League, during which period our rivals Real Madrid have won it multiple times? Happy that we dispense with our best players and fail to bring in the best? Happy that a club legend, proven winner, and loyal servant like Maldini is unceremoniously dismissed and sent into exile?
If ACM today lacks the togetherness of the great teams in which Pirlo played, surely that’s the fault of our indigent and inept owner and his amateur management who have put short-term financial gain ahead of sporting success?
I want ACM to rise to the top again and won’t stop complaining until we have an owner who has the deep pockets, ambition, and football knowhow to make that happen.
And yes, until that change occurs, I demand that the present owner emerges from his New York hiding place, comes to Milan, and explains to our long-suffering fans why he continues to utilize a business model that has turned ACM – once the cynosure of world football – into an eyesore.