With what was surely a fast and bold move, Juventus appointed Andrea Pirlo as their new coach until 2022. Pirlo replaces Maurizio Sarri, who was sacked earlier today after being eliminated from the Champions League by Lyon.
The 41-year-old former Milan and Juventus playmaker had just been chosen as the new manager of the Juventus U-23 side, which plays in the Italian third division, no longer than 10 days ago.
President Andrea Agnelli, on the day of his presentation, had said that “the path from the second team towards the first must be valid for both players and coaches. They must deserve it, and this is only the first stage.” Well, that makes for a fast change of mind as Pirlo was called to Juventus’ headquarter this afternoon to be offered the position of head coach of the Bianconeri despite having no previous managerial experience.
This will indeed be Pirlo’s first experience as a Serie A manager. Pirlo ended his playing career in 2017 after three seasons with New York City FC. Prior to that, he had worn the jerseys of Inter, Brescia, Reggina, Milan, and Juventus. Over the course of a career spanning more than 20 years, he collected multiple trophies, including two Champions Leagues with Milan and, moreover, a World Cup in 2006 with the Azzurri.
In 2018, he obtained a coaching license, which he will now get a chance to put to good use.