Reports: Andrea Pirlo will be Juventus’ next manager

It seems as though Andrea Agnelli didn’t have to go very far to find the man who is going to take over for Maurizio Sarri.

That’s basically because he’s already under contract with the club.

According to just about every single possible sports media outlet in Italy, Juventus is set to name Andrea Pirlo as the club’s next manager. All of the big guns in Italian sports media have reported it, and there’s very few people who aren’t confirming the initial reports at this point. They’re all saying the same thing: Pirlo, after what feels like a couple of hours — it’s been more than that, we promise — after being hired as Juventus’ new Under-23 head coach, will now take over the big club after its disappointing end to the Champions League this season and Sarri’s subsequent sacking on Saturday.

It was less than two weeks ago that Pirlo, Andrea Agnelli and Fabio Paratici were all on the stage together when the former Juventus and Milan midfielder was announced as the new Under-23 manager. Regardless of Sarri’s position at the time, the thinking was that Pirlo would get his managerial feet wet in Serie C, hopefully get the Under-23 squad promoted to Serie B and then go from there, maybe even taking over Juventus one day if the management team thought that highly of him.

But, I don’t even think the biggest of Pirlo-as-a-manager fans would have expected this.

Part of this could very well be because Agnelli just didn’t think the truncated offseason would allow a “proper” managerial search. Remember, folks, Juventus’ 2020-21 season starts in just a few short weeks, and the likelihood of an extended negotiation with some of the names that have been thrown out there would put the club in such a bind if it didn’t come to an agreement. Or maybe bringing Pirlo is was part of the plan all along and this just accelerated it. I don’t know. I’m just a guy trying to figure all of this out at the same time you all are.

It’s just ... wow. What a day it’s been.

Hell, even Pirlo himself might be impressed with this sudden accession into the big seat.