Here’s the story of an unlikely friendship between two men who are the mere opposites of one another. When Andrea Pirlo played alongside Gennaro Gattuso at the heart of Milan’s midfield, the two were more than just teammates, they were almost brothers in arms.
Gattuso’s fighting spirit and incredible work-rate completed Pirlo’s unique touch and extraordinary vision. The two teammates created an unbreakable bond on and off the pitch, and won everything there is to win with both the Rossoneri and the Azzurri.
This celebrated partnership lasted until 2011, when Andrea left for Juventus, and Rino retired shortly after. But their epic tale was far from over.
Whilst the Calabrian has been coaching for almost a decade now, his younger friend found himself sitting on the black and white bench in his first managerial adventure.
Therefore, this season, the two former teammates found themselves colliding as tacticians after years of fighting side-by-side on the pitch.
Even in their very first battle, a trophy was already at stake, and Pirlo landed the first blow for Gattuso, by conquering the Italian Super Cup in January.
Almost a month later, the two friends prepared for their next battle. This one took place at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Napoli, and this time, a head rather than a title was on the line.
In the lead-up for the February league clash, the town’s worst hidden secret was that president Aurelio De Laurentiis had set his mind on sacking his manager on the heels of a defeat at the hands of Juventus.
Gattuso had been suffering from a series of bad results at that point, and in such a poetic fashion, it fell to his dear friend to take him out of his misery.
Nonetheless, in a twist of fate, Napoli overcame the champions – or more accurately what’s left of the champions – as the former Rangers man rode his way back from the abyss.
However, the football gods were not done yet, as they decided to make a complete mockery of fate, by turning the plot upside down.
The artist who was supposed to slay the warrior not so long ago, now finds himself playing the opposite role.
The fixture between Juventus and Napoli was never supposed to be played in April, as it’s original date was in fact back in October.
Nevertheless, these gods insisted that it would happen at the exact timing when the Maestro himself is the one facing the axe.
Will his warrior friend land the final arrow in the heart of a young managerial career? Or will this unique odyssey witness yet another unexpected turn?
On thing is for sure, Wednesday’s clash will be much more significant than a mere football match.