Andrea Pirlo
Encyclopedia
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI
(born 19 May 1979 in Flero
, Lombardy
), is an Italian
World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A
club Juventus
, and for the Italian national team
. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus
and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position. Praised for his inventive play and his long passing ability, he is also a set-piece
specialist.
Pirlo has played for the Italian youth teams U-15, U-18 and U-21, captaining and leading the latter to victory in the 2000
as the Golden Player and Top Scorer of the tournament. He joined the Italian senior side during the qualification round for World Cup 2002 and captained the national team to a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics
. Later, he was instrumental in their victory in the 2006 World Cup
. He was named man of the match three times, including the final, more than any other player in the tournament, and ultimately won the Bronze Ball (third best player in tournament).
With Milan, he has won two UEFA Champions League
(2003 and 2007), two European Super Cups (2003 and 2007), two Scudetto (2004 and 2011), an Italian Super Cup (2004), a FIFA Club World Cup (2007), and the Italian Cup in 2003.
He came in third and second in IFFHS World Playmaker of the Year awards in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Fellow players on the Italian team gave him the nickname "l'architetto" (the architect) because his long passes frequently set up goal-scoring opportunities for the Azzurri (Italian national team).
, Lombardy
, Italy
. His brother Ivan plays for a Serie C2 club in Brescia. Pirlo made his debut for Brescia
against Reggina
. After breaking into the Brescia first team, Pirlo was spotted by Internazionale
coach, Mircea Lucescu
who signed the playmaker. However, Pirlo was unable to break into the first squad and Internazionale finished 8th in the 1998–99 Serie A
campaign. Pirlo was shipped off on loan to the club he made his debut against in 1995, Reggina. After an impressive season he returned to Internazionale but was once again unable to break into the first squad making just 4 league appearances and spent the second half of the season on loan at former club, Brescia.
's Milan
for 35 billion Italian lire (about €18 million). That transfer windows the two clubs has also swapped Cristian Brocchi
for Guly
; Paolo Ginestra
for Matteo Bogani
. The deals later reported by press were also aimed to create "false profit" by inflating the transfer fees in the swap deal, which Ginestra and Bogani both created €3.5million "profit" for both clubs but in terms of registration rights.
It was at Milan where he found his true strides developing into a world class player. With Milan, he won two Scudetto and two Champions League
titles. He also won an Italian Cup and two UEFA Super Cups with Milan in 2003 and 2007. However, his most forgettable incident was the penalty miss during 2005 UEFA Champions League Final
, as he found his spot kick was saved by Jerzy Dudek
.
Pirlo started his career as an offensive midfielder until coach Carlo Ancelotti
developed for him a deep-seated playmaking
role at Milan. Since then, he has formed a formidable partnership with Gennaro Gattuso
in the midfield and has earned the nickname "the metronome
" for the way he sets the team's rhythm. He led Serie A
in the 2002–03 season in four special categories, passes played (2589), ball possession (123 hours played and 39 minutes), successful balls (661) and successful passes (2093). This implies that he averaged almost 90 passes per game. He led Milan in minutes played for the 2006–07 season with 2,782. In October 2007, he was nominated for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year Award but it went to Milan teammate Kaká
instead. After Kaká and coach Carlo Ancelotti
left Milan in the summer of 2009, Chelsea
tested Milan's resolve by bidding $12m and Claudio Pizarro
for Pirlo. The club rejected the offer and Pirlo was said to be contemplating a transfer request. On 5 August, Berlusconi decided not to sell Pirlo who said he was overjoyed and wanted to end his career at Milan. On 21 October 2009, Pirlo scored a notable 30 meter goal in Milan's 3–2 win over Real Madrid
.
On 2 October 2010, Pirlo scored a 40-yard goal against Parma
to give Milan their first away win of the 2010–11 season.
On 18 May 2011, Pirlo confirmed that he would be leaving Milan at the end of the 2010-11 season, after a mutual decision not to renew his contract.
have announced that they have signed midfielder Andrea Pirlo as a free agent on a contract that will last until 2014. “The contract signed is from July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2014.”
After the transfer to Juventus, Pirlo stated that going to Juventus was not an incorrect choice. His first match for Juventus was a friendly match against Sporting Lisbon, although he played well he couldn't prevent Juventus from losing 2-1. Pirlo made his first return to the San Siro yet again in a friendly match which the game unfortunately went AC Milans favour 2-1. Pirlo made his first appearance in Serie A for Juventus against Parma in season 2011-2012. He lobbed in the ball into the box for Stephan Lichtsteiner
who dribbled it past the goalkeeper and opened the score. Later, he provided another assist for Claudio Marchisio
which made the game 4-0. The match eventually ended in 4-1, marking strong start for Juventus in the new season.
In the fifth game of the season, Pirlo faced his old team Milan for the first time, and while he did not score, he dictated the tempo of the game to lead his new club to a 2-0 win.
, won the bronze medal
at the 2004 Olympics
.
Pirlo was a member of the Italian Squad
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. In Italy's first match in the tournament, Pirlo scored the opening goal against Ghana
, and subsequently set up a goal for Vincenzo Iaquinta
to seal the 2–0 victory. He was named the Man of the Match. In the second match, he set up a diving header for Alberto Gilardino
from a set piece which proved to be vital in their 1–1 draw against the United States
. In the semifinal against Germany
, he assisted on the opening goal in the dying minutes and was again named Man of the Match. In the final
against France
, his corner kick produced Marco Materazzi's equalizing header ten minutes after France had opened the score. The match went to a penalty shoot-out, in which he scored. He was named Man of the Match for a third time, and was voted third-best player of the tournament.
Pirlo was not be able to play the first two games in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
for Italy, due to recent injuries. He came off the bench for Italy late in the match on 24 June against Slovakia
. Even with his help in orchestrating a renewed Italian offense, Pirlo could not prevent Italy from being knocked out of the first round.
1European competitions include the UEFA Champions League
, UEFA Cup
, and UEFA Super Cup
2Other tournaments include the Supercoppa Italiana
, Intercontinental Cup
and FIFA Club World Cup
|-
|2002||4||0
|-
|2003||1||0
|-
|2004||7||1
|-
|2005||9||3
|-
|2006||14||1
|-
|2007||8||1
|-
|2008||9||1
|-
|2009||12||1
|-
|2010||8||1
|-
!Total||72||9
|}
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
(born 19 May 1979 in Flero
Flero
- Famous Figures :* Dino Decca - painter* Andrea Pirlo* Headquarter of Mondial Moto* Michele Maria Giambelli- External links :...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
), is an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, and for the Italian national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position. Praised for his inventive play and his long passing ability, he is also a set-piece
Set piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
specialist.
Pirlo has played for the Italian youth teams U-15, U-18 and U-21, captaining and leading the latter to victory in the 2000
2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2000, which spanned two years , had 47 entrants. Northern Ireland competed for the first time. For the first time a finals tournament with two groups of four teams was held, with one of those teams, Slovakia, having been chosen as the hosts.Italy U-21s won the...
as the Golden Player and Top Scorer of the tournament. He joined the Italian senior side during the qualification round for World Cup 2002 and captained the national team to a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
. Later, he was instrumental in their victory in the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. He was named man of the match three times, including the final, more than any other player in the tournament, and ultimately won the Bronze Ball (third best player in tournament).
With Milan, he has won two UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(2003 and 2007), two European Super Cups (2003 and 2007), two Scudetto (2004 and 2011), an Italian Super Cup (2004), a FIFA Club World Cup (2007), and the Italian Cup in 2003.
He came in third and second in IFFHS World Playmaker of the Year awards in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Fellow players on the Italian team gave him the nickname "l'architetto" (the architect) because his long passes frequently set up goal-scoring opportunities for the Azzurri (Italian national team).
Club career
Pirlo was born in FleroFlero
- Famous Figures :* Dino Decca - painter* Andrea Pirlo* Headquarter of Mondial Moto* Michele Maria Giambelli- External links :...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. His brother Ivan plays for a Serie C2 club in Brescia. Pirlo made his debut for Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
against Reggina
Reggina Calcio
Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...
. After breaking into the Brescia first team, Pirlo was spotted by Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
coach, Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
who signed the playmaker. However, Pirlo was unable to break into the first squad and Internazionale finished 8th in the 1998–99 Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
campaign. Pirlo was shipped off on loan to the club he made his debut against in 1995, Reggina. After an impressive season he returned to Internazionale but was once again unable to break into the first squad making just 4 league appearances and spent the second half of the season on loan at former club, Brescia.
Milan
After 3 seasons on the Internazionale books, Pirlo was sold to fierce rivals, Fatih TerimFatih Terim
Fatih Terim, Commendatore OSSI, is a Turkish football former player and manager. Terim was born in Adana, Turkey to Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who emigrated to Turkey....
's Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
for 35 billion Italian lire (about €18 million). That transfer windows the two clubs has also swapped Cristian Brocchi
Cristian Brocchi
Cristian Brocchi is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Lazio.-Career:Early careerStarting his career at his native club A.C. Milan youth system, he was loaned to Pro Sesto and Lumezzane in early years.Hellas Verona...
for Guly
Andrés Guglielminpietro
Andrés Guglielminpietro , nicknamed Guly, is a former Argentine football player. A midfielder, he has been capped for the Argentina national football team, and represented his country at the Copa América 1999.His career reached its peak at the Italian club A.C...
; Paolo Ginestra
Paolo Ginestra
Paolo Ginestra is an Italian footballer who plays for Foggia.He played over 200 games at lower divisions.-Career:Ginestra started his career at Serie C1 and Serie C2 clubs. He was signed by A.C. Milan in late 1990s...
for Matteo Bogani
Matteo Bogani
Matteo Bogani is a former Italian footballer. He started his career at a forward but changed to play at midfield.-Biography:Born in Como, Lombardy, 45 km north of Milan, Bogani started his career at F.C. Internazionale Milano...
. The deals later reported by press were also aimed to create "false profit" by inflating the transfer fees in the swap deal, which Ginestra and Bogani both created €3.5million "profit" for both clubs but in terms of registration rights.
It was at Milan where he found his true strides developing into a world class player. With Milan, he won two Scudetto and two Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
titles. He also won an Italian Cup and two UEFA Super Cups with Milan in 2003 and 2007. However, his most forgettable incident was the penalty miss during 2005 UEFA Champions League Final
2005 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2005 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Liverpool of England and Milan of Italy at the Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 25 May 2005...
, as he found his spot kick was saved by Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Dudek
Jerzy Henryk Dudek is a retired Polish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After beginning his career in his home country, he went on to have successful spells in Netherlands and England, winning the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, appearing in 186 official games for the club over...
.
Pirlo started his career as an offensive midfielder until coach Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
developed for him a deep-seated playmaking
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
role at Milan. Since then, he has formed a formidable partnership with Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
in the midfield and has earned the nickname "the metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
" for the way he sets the team's rhythm. He led Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
in the 2002–03 season in four special categories, passes played (2589), ball possession (123 hours played and 39 minutes), successful balls (661) and successful passes (2093). This implies that he averaged almost 90 passes per game. He led Milan in minutes played for the 2006–07 season with 2,782. In October 2007, he was nominated for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year Award but it went to Milan teammate Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
instead. After Kaká and coach Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
left Milan in the summer of 2009, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
tested Milan's resolve by bidding $12m and Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio is a Peruvian football forward. Pizarro plays for Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga...
for Pirlo. The club rejected the offer and Pirlo was said to be contemplating a transfer request. On 5 August, Berlusconi decided not to sell Pirlo who said he was overjoyed and wanted to end his career at Milan. On 21 October 2009, Pirlo scored a notable 30 meter goal in Milan's 3–2 win over Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
.
On 2 October 2010, Pirlo scored a 40-yard goal against Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
to give Milan their first away win of the 2010–11 season.
On 18 May 2011, Pirlo confirmed that he would be leaving Milan at the end of the 2010-11 season, after a mutual decision not to renew his contract.
Juventus
JuventusJuventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
have announced that they have signed midfielder Andrea Pirlo as a free agent on a contract that will last until 2014. “The contract signed is from July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2014.”
After the transfer to Juventus, Pirlo stated that going to Juventus was not an incorrect choice. His first match for Juventus was a friendly match against Sporting Lisbon, although he played well he couldn't prevent Juventus from losing 2-1. Pirlo made his first return to the San Siro yet again in a friendly match which the game unfortunately went AC Milans favour 2-1. Pirlo made his first appearance in Serie A for Juventus against Parma in season 2011-2012. He lobbed in the ball into the box for Stephan Lichtsteiner
Stephan Lichtsteiner
Stephan Lichtsteiner is a Swiss footballer, currently playing for Juventus and the Swiss national team. He is known for his runs down the right flank when on the counterattack, hence his nickname "Forrest Gump"...
who dribbled it past the goalkeeper and opened the score. Later, he provided another assist for Claudio Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio
Claudio Marchisio is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. A product of the Juventus youth system, he has spent his whole career thus far at his hometown club, with the exception of a season-long loan spell at Empoli...
which made the game 4-0. The match eventually ended in 4-1, marking strong start for Juventus in the new season.
In the fifth game of the season, Pirlo faced his old team Milan for the first time, and while he did not score, he dictated the tempo of the game to lead his new club to a 2-0 win.
International career
Pirlo captained Italy to an Under-21 European Championship in 2000 and semi-finalists in 2002. Pirlo played for Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 2004 Olympics
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
.
Pirlo was a member of the Italian Squad
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. In Italy's first match in the tournament, Pirlo scored the opening goal against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
, and subsequently set up a goal for Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
to seal the 2–0 victory. He was named the Man of the Match. In the second match, he set up a diving header for Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team....
from a set piece which proved to be vital in their 1–1 draw against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. In the semifinal against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, he assisted on the opening goal in the dying minutes and was again named Man of the Match. In the final
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, his corner kick produced Marco Materazzi's equalizing header ten minutes after France had opened the score. The match went to a penalty shoot-out, in which he scored. He was named Man of the Match for a third time, and was voted third-best player of the tournament.
Pirlo was not be able to play the first two games in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
for Italy, due to recent injuries. He came off the bench for Italy late in the match on 24 June against Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
. Even with his help in orchestrating a renewed Italian offense, Pirlo could not prevent Italy from being knocked out of the first round.
Personal life
Andrea Pirlo and his wife Deborah Roversi married in 2001 and have two children: son Niccolò (born 2003) and daughter Angela (born 2006).Career statistics
| Team | Season | Domestic League |
Domestic Cup |
European Competition1 |
Other Tournaments2 |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brescia Brescia Calcio Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence... |
1994–95 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| 1995–96 Serie B 1995-96 This article contains information on the 1995-1996 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996–97 Serie B Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the... |
17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 18 | 2 | |
| 1997–98 Serie A 1997-98 Juventus won the title in controversial circumstances. In their match on Sunday, 26 April 1998, against eventual runners-up, Inter, Ronaldo was denied what appeared a clear penalty for Inter after being blocked by Mark Iuliano of Juventus. Had the penalty been awarded and then dispatched, the... |
29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 30 | 4 | |
| Total | 47 | 6 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 49 | 6 | |
| Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
1998–99 Serie A 1998-99 AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro... |
18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 0 |
| 2000–01 Serie A 2000-01 In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | – | 38 | 0 | |
| Reggina Reggina Calcio Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo... (loan) |
1999–00 Serie A 1999-00 Lazio won the title on the final day of the season in controversial cirumstances. Juventus, the only other team left in contention on the day lost their match against Perugia in terrible conditions at a rain-sodden Stadio Renato Curi, many considering the pitch unplayable. Pierluigi Collina the... |
29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 31 | 6 |
| Total | 29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 31 | 6 | |
| Brescia Brescia Calcio Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence... (loan) |
2001 Serie A 2000-01 In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
10 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10 | 0 | |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2001–02 Serie A 2001-02 In the 2001-02 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 2 |
| 2002–03 Serie A 2002-03 In the 2002-03 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
27 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | - | - | 42 | 9 | |
| 2003–04 Serie A 2003-04 The 2003-2004 season in Italian Serie A football contained 18 teams for the 16th and last time from the 1988-89 season. With the bottom three being relegated, the 15th placed side would face the 6th highest team from Serie B, with the winner playing in the Serie A in 2004-2005.As usual, the top two... |
32 | 6 | - | - | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 8 | |
| 2004–05 Serie A 2004-05 In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years.... |
30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 43 | 8 | |
| 2005–06 Serie A 2005-06 In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006... |
33 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | - | - | 49 | 5 | |
| 2006–07 Serie A 2006-07 The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first... |
34 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 1 | - | - | 52 | 3 | |
| 2007–08 Serie A 2007-08 The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze... |
33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 5 | |
| 2008–09 Serie A 2008-09 The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008... |
26 | 1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | - | - | 29 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | - | - | 39 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 1 | |
| Total | 270 | 32 | 15 | 0 | 93 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 377 | 44 | |
| Juventus |align=center|2011-12 |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 355 | 44 | 24 | 0 | 98 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 506 | 58 | |
1European competitions include the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, and UEFA Super Cup
2Other tournaments include the Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
, Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
and FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
|-
|2002||4||0
|-
|2003||1||0
|-
|2004||7||1
|-
|2005||9||3
|-
|2006||14||1
|-
|2007||8||1
|-
|2008||9||1
|-
|2009||12||1
|-
|2010||8||1
|-
!Total||72||9
|}
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 30, 2004 | Radès, Tunisia Radès Radès is a harbour city in Ben Arous Governorate, Tunisia. Situated 9 kilometres south-east of the capital Tunis, some consider it a Tunis suburb, and parts of the harbour installations of Tunis are located in Radès.... |
4–0 | Win | Friendly | |
| 2. | March 26, 2005 | Milan, Italy | 2–0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 3. | March 26, 2005 | Milan, Italy | 2–0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 4. | August 17, 2005 | Dublin, Ireland | 2–1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 5. | June 12, 2006 | Hanover, Germany | 2–0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2006 | |
| 6. | October 13, 2007 | Genoa, Italy | 2–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2008 Qualification | |
| 7. | June 17, 2008 | Zurich, Switzerland | 2–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2008 | |
| 8. | March 28, 2009 | Podgorica, Montenegro Podgorica Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement... |
2–0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 9. | September, 2010 | Florence, Italy | 5–0 | Win | UEFA Euro 2012 Qualification UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
|
Milan
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 2004Serie A 2003-04The 2003-2004 season in Italian Serie A football contained 18 teams for the 16th and last time from the 1988-89 season. With the bottom three being relegated, the 15th placed side would face the 6th highest team from Serie B, with the winner playing in the Serie A in 2004-2005.As usual, the top two...
, 20112010–11 Serie AThe 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011... - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: 2003Coppa Italia 2002-03- Second Round :-First leg:---------Second leg:--------Milan win Coppa Italia 6–3 on aggregate.-References:*... - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 2004 - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2003UEFA Champions League 2002-03The 2002–03 UEFA Champions League was the 11th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding in 1992, and the 48th European Cup tournament overall. The competition was won by Milan, who beat Juventus on penalties in the European Cup's...
, 2007UEFA Champions League 2006-07The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007... - UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
- FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
: 20072007 FIFA Club World Cup FinalThe 2007 FIFA Club World Cup Final took place at the Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan on 16 December 2007.The match pitted Milan of Italy against Argentina's Boca Juniors. Milan won 4–2 in a match watched by 68,263 people. In doing so, Milan won their fourth FIFA Club World...
International
- UEFA Under-21 European Championship: 20002000 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 2000, which spanned two years , had 47 entrants. Northern Ireland competed for the first time. For the first time a finals tournament with two groups of four teams was held, with one of those teams, Slovakia, having been chosen as the hosts.Italy U-21s won the...
- 2004 Summer OlympicsFootball at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's tournamentThe men's football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics featured 16 men's national teams from the six continental confederations. The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four, in which each team would play each of the others once...
– Bronze medal - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 20062006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Individual
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2000
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Top Scorer: 2000
- 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Team of the Tournament - FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball Award: 20062006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
- 2006 FIFA World Cup Final2006 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
Man of the Match - FIFPro World XI: 2006