Andrea Pirlo—perhaps Italy’s greatest soccer player since the days of Roberto Baggio and a man whose sublime playing style is only matched by his hairstyle—will join New York City FC on July 21.
That’s right. The 36-year-old World Cup winner, who has spent the entirety of his 20-year career in Italy and most recently played in the Champion’s League final for Juventus against Barcelona, will next be plying his trade in Major League Soccer.
Pirlo exudes a level of class and calm that few others in the modern game show on the pitch. One former teammate said of him: “When I see Pirlo playing, when I see him with the ball, I wonder if I can really be considered a footballer.” Another added: “When I saw him playing, I thought: God exists, because his football skills are amazing.”
Like the greatest chess players, he always seems to be a step ahead of his opponents, almost as if he were playing the match on a PlayStation—which he absolutely loves. He is a true Italian master—the Michelangelo of penalties. The Verdi of passing. Pirlo, one of the most clinical free kick and penalty takers in Europe, has embarrassed goalkeepers the world over—including this outrageous chip against England’s Joe Hart:
He said of that penalty: “There was absolutely no showboating about it—that’s not my style.” That was found in his 2013 autobiography, which has a title that would’ve been laughable coming from anyone else: I Think, Therefore I Play.
On pressure:
I don’t feel pressure… I don’t give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, July 9, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.
On his longevity in the national team:
Take someone like Antonio Cassano [another Italian player]. He says he’s slept with 700 women in his time, but he doesn’t get picked for Italy any more. Deep down, can he really be happy? I certainly wouldn’t be.
On taking Italy’s first penalty in the World Cup final in 2006:
Being first on the spot, kicking off that torture in the biggest, most incredible game that a player can play or imagine … That’s not necessarily good news. It means they think you’re the best, but it also means that if you miss, you’re first on the list of dickheads.
Caressing the ball was something I had to do. I lifted my eyes to the heavens and asked for help because if God exists, there’s no way he’s French. I took a long, intense breath. That breath was mine, but it could have been the manual worker who struggles to make it to the end of the month, the rich businessmen who is a bit of a shit, the teacher, the student, the Italian expats who never left our side during the tournament, the well-to-do Milanese signora, the hooker on the street corner. In that moment, I was all of them.
You won’t believe me, but it was right in that very moment I understood what a great thing it is to be Italian. It’s a truly priceless privilege.
Pirlo joins an increasingly large cast of past international greats who are ending their career in the MLS, kicked off years ago by David Beckham—including David Villa and Frank Lampard (eventually) at NYCFC and Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy–Pirlo’s old foe from the 2005 and 2007 Champion’s League finals.