By Jon Essien
Andrea Pirlo has been sacked by Juventus following an unimpressive first season with the Turin giants which they lost their dominance in the Serie A and a shocking Champions League exit in the hands of FC Porto.
The Bianconneri began the season in search of a 10th straight Scudetto but were beaten to the race by champions Inter Milan.
Pirlo was shown the exit few days after he managed to squeeze Juventus into the top-four at the expense of Napoli. And reports making the rounds suggest Max Allegri is set for a return, two years after he left the Italian outfit.
The club confirmed the 41-year-old departure on Friday in a highly sentimental statement.
The statement read: ‘Thank you, Andrea.
“These are the first words that all of us need to say at the end of this special experience together.
“A few months ago, Andrea Pirlo, an icon of world football, began his new adventure, his first as a coach.
“To do this, first of all, it takes courage, as well as awareness of one’s own means, especially in a period marked by thousands of difficulties, with the world forced by the pandemic to reinvent its own rules day after day.
“Pirlo has just begun the first steps of what will no doubt become a brilliant career as a coach. An adventure of transformation, seeking, and often managing, to bring his ideas and his experience as a champion on the pitch from the ‘other side’ of the fence.
“And since in football, what counts are the victories, let’s remember them: in the space of a few short months Pirlo’s Juve has raised two trophies: The Italian Supercup and the Coppa Italia. “‘And he, as coach, brought home brilliant victories on the most prestigious of fields, from San Siro to Camp Nou.
“For all this, for the courage, the dedication, the passion with which he demonstrated every day, our thanks go to the Maestro, the Coach and to Andrea, that really comes from the heart. As well as our good luck for the future that will surely be a wonderful one.”
Pirlo took the managerial hot seat following Maurizio Sarri’s sacking in 2019 and since the former AC Milan midfielder has been relieved of his duties, it looks like Max Allegri will be taking over, just two years after he left the club.
Pirlo’s sacking after just one campaign with the Old Lady, means Andrea Agnelli will hire his fourth coach in four seasons.
