Andrea Pirlo facts for kids
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Pirlo with the Italian national team in 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 19 May 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Flero, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Dubai United (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1988 | Flero | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1992 | Voluntas Brescia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Brescia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Brescia | 47 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Inter Milan | 22 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | → Reggina (loan) | 28 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | → Brescia (loan) | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2011 | AC Milan | 284 | (32) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Juventus | 119 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | New York City FC | 60 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 570 | (61) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Italy U15 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Italy U16 | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Italy U17 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Italy U18 | 18 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Italy U21 | 37 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Italy Olympic (O.P.) | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2015 | Italy | 116 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Juventus U23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Juventus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Fatih Karagümrük | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Sampdoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Dubai United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Andrea Pirlo (born 19 May 1979) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the head coach of Dubai United. Many people think he is one of the greatest midfielders of all time. Pirlo was famous for his amazing vision, passing skills, and his ability to score from free kicks.
Pirlo started his career in 1995 with his hometown club, Brescia. He later played for big Serie A clubs like Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Juventus. With AC Milan, he won two UEFA Champions League titles. With Juventus, he won four Serie A titles in a row. In 2015, he moved to America to play for New York City FC before retiring in 2017.
For his country, Pirlo played 116 games for the Italian national team. He was a key player when Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also helped Italy reach the final of UEFA Euro 2012. Because of his amazing talent, he won many awards and was named to the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Contents
Club Career
Early Years in Italy
Pirlo was born in Flero, Italy. He started playing football for youth teams in his area. In 1992, he joined the youth team of Brescia. At just 16 years old, he made his first appearance in Serie A, Italy's top football league, on 21 May 1995. This made him the youngest player ever to play for Brescia in Serie A.
His great performances caught the eye of Inter Milan, who signed him in 1998. However, he didn't get to play much at Inter. He was loaned to other teams, including his old club Brescia. There, a coach named Carlo Mazzone had a brilliant idea. He moved Pirlo from an attacking position to a deeper role in the midfield. This new position, called a deep-lying playmaker, was perfect for Pirlo. It allowed him to use his incredible passing ability to control the game from further back on the field.
AC Milan: Becoming a Superstar
In 2001, Pirlo was sold to AC Milan. At Milan, under coach Carlo Ancelotti, Pirlo became a world-class superstar. Ancelotti continued to use him as a deep-lying playmaker. Pirlo became the heart of Milan's midfield, controlling the pace of the game with his smart passes. He earned the nickname the metronome because he set the rhythm for the whole team.
During his ten years at Milan, Pirlo won many trophies. He helped the team win two Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues in 2003 and 2007. In the 2007 UEFA Champions League final, Pirlo assisted a goal from a free kick, helping Milan beat Liverpool 2–1. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2007.
After the famous Brazilian player Kaká left Milan in 2009, Pirlo continued to be a key player. In 2011, he helped Milan win another Serie A title. It was his last season with the club. In total, Pirlo played 401 games for Milan and scored 41 goals.
Juventus: A New Chapter of Success
When Andrea told me that he was joining us, the first thing I thought was: "God exists". A player of his level and ability... I think it was the signing of the century!
In 2011, Pirlo joined Juventus on a free transfer. Many people thought his career was slowing down, but he proved them wrong. At Juventus, he played alongside other talented midfielders like Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal. This new midfield trio was very strong.
In his first season, Pirlo led Juventus to the 2011–12 Serie A title without losing a single game. He had the most assists in the league that season. For the next three years, Juventus continued to dominate Italy, winning the Serie A title every year Pirlo was there. This made it four championships in a row.
Pirlo also became a master of scoring from free kicks. On 26 April 2015, he scored his 28th free-kick goal in Serie A. This tied the all-time record held by Siniša Mihajlović. In his final season, he helped Juventus reach the 2015 UEFA Champions League final, but they lost to Barcelona. It was the last of his 164 games for the club.
New York City FC: Final Years
On 6 July 2015, Pirlo moved to the United States to play for New York City FC in Major League Soccer (MLS). He joined other famous European stars like David Villa and Frank Lampard.
He played for the team for three seasons. On 18 June 2016, he scored his first and only MLS goal from a free kick. In 2017, after dealing with some injuries, Pirlo announced he would retire at the end of the season. He played his last professional game on 5 November 2017.
International Career
Youth Teams and Olympic Glory
Before playing for the main national team, Pirlo was a star for Italy's youth teams. In 2000, he was the captain of the Under-21 team that won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He was named the best player and was the top scorer of the tournament.
In 2004, he played in the Summer Olympics in Athens. He helped Italy win the bronze medal.
2006 World Cup Champion
Pirlo made his debut for the senior Italian national team in 2002. His greatest achievement with the team came at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Under coach Marcello Lippi, Pirlo was a key player in every match.
In Italy's first game against Ghana, he scored the first goal and assisted the second, earning the Man of the Match award. In the semi-final against Germany, he made a brilliant pass to set up the winning goal in the final minutes of extra time.
In the final against France, his corner kick led to Italy's equalizing goal. The game went to a penalty shootout, and Pirlo calmly scored the first penalty. Italy went on to win the World Cup. Pirlo was named Man of the Match for the third time in the tournament and won the Bronze Ball as the third-best player overall.
Later Years with Italy
Pirlo continued to be a leader for Italy for many years. At UEFA Euro 2012, he led the team to the final. In the quarter-final against England, he scored a famous chipped penalty kick called a "Panenka." Italy lost to Spain in the final, but Pirlo was named to the Team of the Tournament.
In 2013, he played his 100th game for Italy during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring a goal with a free kick to celebrate. He retired from international football after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but briefly returned to help Italy qualify for Euro 2016. He played his final game for Italy in 2015, ending his international career with 116 appearances and 13 goals.
Style of Play
Pirlo is a genius. Together with Baggio, I think he's the greatest talent that Italian football has produced in the last 25 years.
Pirlo was a creative and intelligent midfielder. He wasn't the fastest player, but he had amazing technique, balance, and control of the ball. His greatest skill was his vision and passing. He could see passes that other players couldn't and was famous for his incredibly accurate long-range passes.
He played as a deep-lying playmaker, a role that is sometimes called "the Pirlo role" because he was so good at it. From his deep position, he could control the game's tempo, starting attacks with his precise passes. His teammates nicknamed him l'architetto ("the Architect") because he built the team's plays.
Pirlo was also a master of set pieces. He was one of the best free-kick takers in the world. He could curl the ball perfectly over the wall or hit it with a special "knuckle ball" technique that made it swerve unpredictably.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Pirlo became a coach. In 2020, he was surprisingly appointed the head coach of Juventus. In his first season, he won two trophies: the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana and the 2020–21 Coppa Italia. However, the team finished fourth in Serie A, and he left the club after one season.
He later managed Fatih Karagümrük in Turkey and Sampdoria in Italy. In July 2025, he was appointed manager of Dubai United.
Personal Life
Pirlo has a brother named Ivan. His father started a metal trading company, and Pirlo is still involved in the family business. He is also a wine expert and owns his own vineyard in Italy.
Pirlo has four children. He wrote a book about his life called I Think Therefore I Play. He is known for his calm personality both on and off the field.
Honours
Player
Brescia
- Serie B: 1996–97
AC Milan
- Serie A: 2003–04, 2010–11
- Coppa Italia: 2002–03
- UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
Juventus
- Serie A: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Coppa Italia: 2014–15
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2012, 2013
Italy
Individual
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2000
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 2006
- FIFPro World XI: 2006
- Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2014
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2012
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2019
- Ballon d'Or Dream Team (Silver): 2020
Manager
Juventus
- Coppa Italia: 2020–21
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2020
Images for kids
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Pirlo (left), with AC Milan, preparing to take a free kick against Real Madrid in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League.
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Pirlo with Italy in 2012. He is the fifth most capped player in the history of the Azzurri with 116 appearances between 2002 and 2015.
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Pirlo captaining Italy in 2015.
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Pirlo playing for Juventus in 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Andrea Pirlo para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards
