Italy legend Andrea Pirlo explains how Liverpool “mentally destroyed” him

Andrea Pirlo

<Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has admitted that he contemplated quitting football altogether after the Champions League final in 2005, in which AC Milan threw away a three-goal lead to draw with Liverpool, eventually losing on penalties. While the majestic playmaker also slammed then Reds keeper Jerzy Dudek for the way he approached the penalty shoot-outs.

Milan had led 3-0 at the break in that game thanks to a Paolo Maldini volley and a brace from Hernan Crespo, but a whirlwind six minute spell saw Liverpool claw back the deficit in the second half, with Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso all finding the back of the net, before Jerzy Dudek saved three spot-kicks to give Liverpool the trophy.

Pirlo has claimed that it was an incredibly bitter pill to swallow to the extent that he considered retirement from the game, acknowledging that Milan only had themselves to blame for the defeat.

Pirlo wrote in his book, “There was a time when I considered quitting football.

“I thought about quitting because, after Istanbul, nothing made sense any more. The 2005 Champions league final simply suffocated me.

“To most people’s minds, the reason we lost on penalties was Jerzy Dudek – that jackass of a dancer, who took the mickey out of us by swaying about on his line and then rubbed salt into the wounds by saving our spot-kicks.

“But in time, the truly painful sentence was realising that we were entirely to blame.”

Furthermore, the Italian also explained how Liverpool “mentally destroyed” Milan.

“We couldn’t speak. We couldn’t move. They’d mentally destroyed us.

“The damage was already evident even in those early moments, and it only got more stark and serious as the hours went on. Insomnia, rage, depression, a sense of nothingness. We’d invented a new disease with multiple symptoms: Istanbul syndrome.”

Andrea Pirlo has created 60 chances for teammates this season, claiming five assists. Only five players (Antonio Cassano, Borja Valero, Miralem Pjanic, Antonio Candreva, Luca Cigarini) have created more in Serie A.