After watching Andrea Pirlo play last Saturday against the Whitecaps, I was inspired to write this article on my thoughts on the legend himself. He is by far my favourite soccer player of all time, and I am entirely convinced there will never be another like him.
The numbers speak for themselves. Pirlo has won practically everything there is to win at the highest level. Alongside the six Italian league titles, he won two Champions League trophies with the great Milan sides of the 2000’s, and of course the 2006 World Cup, where he was named man of the match in the final, and turned this sports editor into a huge fan of his.
But that’s not what is most impressive about him. What is most impressive is that Pirlo is entirely different from every other soccer player out there. Ronaldo amazes you with his athleticism; he can do it all. Messi amazes you with his dribbling and his one-on-one skills. But Pirlo amazes you with his brain.
He always seems to be in open space, ready to deliver a perfect pass to a player higher up the pitch. In an era where soccer fans seemed to be only concerned with flashiness and highlight reel goals, Pirlo is a throwback. He’ll never have any amazing runs through five players like Messi, but he will place the perfect pass nearly every time. Even at the age of 36, he was still playing at the highest level, starting in the Champions League final for Juventus.
Pirlo will probably go down as one of, if not the greatest free kick specialist of all time. If he has a chance within 25 yards of the goal, nine times out of ten it’s in the back of the net. He can score them any way as well; whether it’s bending it away from the wall, or hitting it perfectly into a bottom corner, his right foot is as precise as a surgeon. To quote Pirlo from his autobiography, which is a terrifically written book: “I strike those dead balls Alla Pirlo. Each shot bears my name, and they’re all my children.”
His personality and look is unlike any other professional athlete. It oozes coolness and class. He owns his own vineyard. His book is entitled I Think Therefore I Play, a twist on the famous Descartes quote. I can’t imagine another athlete who would title their book after a quote from a 16th century French philosopher. He also has one of the sexiest beards in all of the world, only rivaled by our Copy Editor Joel MacKenzie’s.
Andrea Pirlo is like a Michelangelo sculpture; one of a kind. He is a playmaker the likes of which we may never see again. I speak for all soccer fans when I say I hope he continues on for a few more years.
