Juventus would be "wrong twice" if they sacked Andrea Pirlo: Fabio Cannavaro
Former World Cup and Ballon D'Or winner Fabio Cannavaro recently revealed that it would be a mistake for Juventus to sack manager Andrea Pirlo this season, knowing that they hired an inexperienced manager.
"Calm down," Cannavaro asserted. "When Juve picked Andrea, they knew very well that he had no experience. It’s logical that he should have time to mature, even for his relationship with the team. There are still 30 points to play for and it’s right to leave this judgment pending."
"And he did good things, launching young players and managing a complicated dressing room with people who have won a lot," the former Italy captain added.
The Bianconeri turned heads this year after they sacked Maurizio Sarri and appointed Pirlo despite the latter having never worked in the backroom at a football club before.
Juventus have struggled in all competitions this season. However, Cannavaro - who spent two seasons in Turin with the Old Lady - claims that the Italian needs more time to get things right.
"Sure, some things don’t work, he has made mistakes: he’s human. It’s a heritage that must be protected," the Italian said. "After all, if Juve don’t confirm his position, what did they choose him to do last summer? They would be wrong twice if they take that decision now. And the blame can’t only be his if the players make mistakes on and off the pitch," said Cannavaro.
Juventus likely to miss out on a Scudetto for the first time in 10 seasons
Juventus were one of the most successful domestic teams in Europe when Andrea Pirlo took charge last summer. The Old Lady has won 9 consecutive Serie A titles under three separate managers - Antonio Conte (3), Massimiliano Allegri (5), and Maurizio Sarri (1).
However, things have not gone as planned for the former club captain. Although the Bianconeri have booked a place in the final of the Coppa Italia, they currently find themselves in fourth place in the Seria A table, 12 points behind league-leaders Inter Milan with only 10 games to go.
Pirlo has come under considerable scrutiny after Juventus were knocked out of the Champions League by Porto. Conjecture about the hot seat at Juventus will continue to be a topic of heated debate till the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Andrea Pirlo faces a stern test on Wednesday against Napoli at home in the Serie A. Defeat at the Allianz Stadium could see Juventus drop out of the Champions League places in the Serie A table.