Of course, player Andrea Pirlo was a genius on the ball.
But what about the coach?
Sunday, against Sampdoria (8:45 pm), the “Maestro” starts on the bench of Juventus with a lot of pressure: not to be the one who will interrupt a series of nine consecutive titles of champion of Italy.
"Predestined".
This is the term that comes up most often about Pirlo, since the ex-playing master of Milan and Juve replaced Maurizio Sarri, ejected after only one season the day after the elimination in the 8th final of Champions League against Lyon.
By his vision of the game, his technique, but also his charisma and his culture of winning (a world title, two Champions Leagues and six Italian championships), the former midfielder indeed seems to have a lot to pass on to current Juve, untouchable in Italy but a little confused by the Sarri era.
An aura that should give him time
But will this exceptional pedigree be enough to take up a sacred bet: to sit on the bench of the most prestigious Italian club (36 titles) without having ever trained before, with a diploma just obtained?
"They say of him that he is predestined, but Guardiola or Zidane, when they started, they already had a little experience as a coach", warned Fabio Cannavaro, his partner of the World Cup victorious in 2006 in Germany.
“The idea of the game, he has it, clearly.
But now he will have to be able to pass it on to a group, ”added in the Gazzetta dello Sport Cannavaro, now coach of the Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.
Pirlo's first asset is probably time: his aura will undoubtedly give him more the right to make mistakes than others.
As such, the warm welcome from the fans at the start and the first glowing comments from the players are not deceiving.
His first weeks as a coach were devoted to dialogue, in particular with the “senators” of the Turin locker room Chiellini, Bonucci and Buffon, whose relationship with Sarri has never been fluid, according to the press.
His goal ?
"Give Juventus some of the enthusiasm that has been lacking in recent times" and "bring back the DNA of work and sacrifice," said the 41-year-old coach, who has enlisted the services of 'Igor Tudor, a former bianconero player who has already worked as a coach for a few years.
For the former Italian coach Marcello Lippi, Pirlo has the advantage of being able to discuss as a "colleague" with executives like Cristiano Ronaldo, a bit like "Zizou" at the start: "Zidane did not bring technical innovations, tactics (...).
It brought serenity and put the champions in the ideal conditions to express themselves, ”Lippi told the weekly Sportweek.
"Andrea is going to have to do Pirlo, which means being above the rest, including on the bench."
Andrea Pirlo
Pirlo, who was mainly a TV consultant since the end of his career in the United States in 2017, is also expected on the (beautiful) game. Fans hope that the promises of offensive play, never made concrete with Maurizio Sarri, will finally be kept with the "Maestro".
In an English managerial role, he thus has a say during the transfer window.
With a desire to rejuvenate an aging workforce where several thirty-something have not been retained (Higuain, Matuidi, after Pjanic).
There remains the question, still unresolved, of the new center-forward, with ongoing discussions with Luis Suarez or Edin Dzeko.
Coach Pirlo, who formally validated his diploma on Monday, will quickly pass on the grill: after the opening against Sampdoria, Juve will move to Roma from the second day before receiving Naples in stride.
His mission, he knows it: a tenth consecutive scudetto for Juve, champion without interruption since 2012 with three different coaches (Conte, Allegri, Sarri).
A series that Pirlo had started as a player (4 titles from 2012 to 2015).
“It's Juve, it's normal to have to win.
This was the case as a player, it will also be as a coach ", he also stressed Sunday, after the friendly victory of Juventus against Novara (5-0).
With the encouragement of Francesco Totti: “He is a man of gold, and I hope he will get there (...).
Andrea is going to have to do Pirlo, which means being above the rest, including on the bench. ”
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