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Some of the last glimpses we have of Andrea Pirlo in a Juventus jersey involve tears and the disappointment of another loss in a Champions League final. (Stupid, stupid Berlin.) It was there, in a brutal loss on the biggest of stages in club football, that Pirlo’s Juventus career came to an incredibly disappointing end.
His playing career.
We might be seeing a managerial career starting within a few months.
Pirlo, who went on to play a couple of seasons with New York City FC in Major League Soccer after his career in Italy came to an end, is the reported leader in the clubhouse to take over for Juventus’ Under-23 team in Serie C next season, according to a report in the Corriere della Sera on Monday. Pirlo, who is currently working with Sky Sport Italia and has secured his necessary coaching badges, would replace Mauro Zironelli.
[CorSera] Pirlo allenatore della Juve Under23: trattativa avviata, si lavora per un accordo definitivo https://t.co/r8a85Z2aNG pic.twitter.com/Ql0FeUK8IL
— VecchiaSignora.com (@forumJuventus) March 4, 2019
Juventus’ reserve team has had a rough first season of existence in Serie C. They have never been in the conversation for promotion since the season actually started and currently sit in 12th place in Serie C1 with 29 points earned in 28 games.
Now, maybe that’s a surprise to some seeing as it’s a Juventus team and they’re going to have the resources that no other team in Serie C has in terms of a financial backing. But, as the numbers prove, Juve’s first season with a reserve team has been more about survival and making sure no relegation happens rather than getting promoted to Serie B right off the bat.
If Pirlo does get the job, he would be following the lead of many of Italy’s former players that enter the coaching world — starting in the lower leagues and trying to make a name for themselves as managers rather than simply jumping into the fray in Italy’s top flight. It’s what Antonio Conte did in Serie B with Arezzo and Bari, it’s what Max Allegri did over a decade ago with a handful of Serie C clubs before leading Sassuolo to a historical promotion to the second division.
But hey, if managing Juve’s reserve team means we get to see Pirlo looking dapper in a suit with a Juventus patch on it, then that’s all good in my book.