Is Pirlo Done or can he Still Help Italy Next Summer?

Pirlo is one of the greatest central midfielders that has ever played the game. That is a fact that cannot be disputed and once the dust settles and time passes, he will still be a benchmark of central-midfield excellence. A great example to use for kids coming up through the ranks.


There is no shame in calling time. Age is age and no amount of quality can supersede biology. This is still a 50% physical sport, and if the body can't match up to what the mind wants it to do...it's time to work out that retirement plan in Vegas with cigars and two tigars in a pink Cadillac blaring Mozart.


Back to Andrea.


This is a difficult one to decipher. It's the classic battle of the head versus the heart. The head has the mighty sword, armor and shield and is telling me Pirlo needs to step aside for the younger generation. He has the brains, but his legs have gone and you just can't make him a starter in an age with younger and fitter players who will press the hell out of him and expose him and Italy.

The heart on the other hand may have the tiny dagger, but it's still a potent weapon that if used properly, will compound the head with a critical blow. That heart says to me Pirlo can still be of use to Italy. He can still make that pass that nobody on the pitch can see. He is still one of the best free-kick takers in the world. He can still HELP Conte in a moment of need come the Euros.









At the moment, I am perhaps leaning towards the more logical choice as opposed to the one of passion. Veratti is one of the best midfielders in the world now, and Thiago Motta would complement him very well. Marco being the creator and passer, whilst Motta being the workhorse who gets the work done in midfield to maintain Italy's control of the game. With Pirlo in the mix, he is very similar to Veratti. They are both flair players, and great passers of the ball, so they pretty much cancel each other out. It's like the classic big and small strike partnership. It's all science. Like charges repel and unlike ones attract.

One of the best midfield partnerships to give a good example was Vieira and Zidane. Zizou acted as the creative force who made plays and was the one that set the tone of play for France with him constantly receiving the ball. However, Zidane would not have that luxury if not for Patrick. Mr. Vieira was more all round, but also was the one called upon to track back and win the ball back for France, in order for Zidane to be able to control the game for France. Both players were vital for the French midfield to work.

That is the kind of dynamic that Italy need. Before Veratti, all Italy had was Pirlo who was the orchestrator. De Rossi and co. just combined together to make the midfield compact and ever present but it was Andrea who was called upon to make the match-defining passes as he did so for Grosso in 2006. With Veratti, who has miraculously improved by great amounts under that clown called Blanc, he is now the future of Italy and the "new Pirlo." I hate using that term; "the new [insert legend]", because players should be their own person, and you can never have two identical players, and we will never ever again in the history of football see another Pirlo. If Veratti keeps on getting better at the rate that he is, then he very well could be one of the leading midfielders in the world and then we'd have the "new Verratti."



I can't answer this question. I really cannot come out and say Pirlo is done and he should be kicked out the room with the door slammed behind him. If it were to happen I wouldn't complain, but you won't find me clamoring for his expulsion from the Azzurri. It really is now down to Conte, who really needs to calm down before he gets an anxiety attack on the touchline, to make that tough decision which must be with the team's interest first, rather than his affinity and love for Drea P.



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