Sports Nicknames - Il Maestro

Andrea Pirlo is one of the most renowned midfielders to ever play the game of football. He took a position that was traditionally held by strong, defensive midfielders and turned it into one of fluid passing, vision and playmaking excellence. He became so known for these skills that the Italian fans named him Il Maestro (the Master).



Pirlo began his career as an attacking midfielder at hometown club Brescia in Serie B. However, he first started garnering attention at AC Milan, where he was moved into what would become his signature position. From the 2003 season onward, he would play in the position and dominate the top statistics of Serie A in passes, possession time and successful passes.

While other players like Paolo Maldini would lead and those like Hernan Crespo would finish, Pirlo would remain at the heart of the team, picking out passes and controlling the flow of the game. This would continue throughout Pirlo's career, even after he moved to Antonio Conte's Juventus.

In terms of honours, Il Maestro has won some of the top tier trophies. He won the 2006 World Cup with the Italian national team, 2 Champions League trophies with Milan, 8 Serie A titles, and 2 Coppa Italias between Milan and Juventus.

Pirlo ended his playing career after a short stint with New York City FC in the MLS, and has now picked up his coaching career. Funnily enough, 9 days after his first position as Juventus Under-23s, he was promoted to manager of the first team. Whether Pirlo can translate his control and style into coaching success is yet to be seen. However, the Italian maestro's effect on the game cannot be denied.


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