Winning Champions League was a target from first day at Juventus: Pirlo
Tonight’s Champions League final will see Juventus taking on 4 time European Champions, Barcelona. One person who is guaranteed to start is Italian legend and Juve’s midfield maestro, Andrea Pirlo. He revealed that winning Champions League was a major target for the club when he joined the club in 2011.
“When I arrived at Juve, I still remember the talk I had with President Andrea Agnelli about targets,” Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia. “Even then winning the Champions League was an objective from my first day at Juventus.”
Pirlo joined Juventus on a free transfer from Milan in the summer of 2011. He was a Milan legend but found himself warming the bench for Mark Van Bommel during 2010-11 season and they did not renew his contract. Many reckon that as big folly from the part of the Milan management to let go of a player of Pirlo’s talent and the fact that it was a free transfer added more insult to the injury.
As Pirlo was instrumental in Juve’s Italian domination over the last 4 seasons where they have consecutively won 4 league titles and 1 Coppa Italia.The interesting thing was that Milan was being coached by the current Juventus coach, Massimilliano Allegri when Pirlo left them.
“I needed a change, to find new challenges and Juve were the project that fascinated me the most, seeing as they hadn’t won for years.
“Antonio Conte was a hard taskmaster, but there was such hunger because the team was coming off two bad seasons.
“Allegri arrived with great motivation and the desire to prove his doubters wrong. We met again at Juventus and started from scratch, although to be honest nothing really happened between us at Milan.”
Pirlo has played in 3 Champions League finals and won two of them. And he is pleased to be back on the biggest stage of European Club football, however, he feels that he is less anxious about it now.
“I am happy to be back experiencing certain emotions. The first Final was the one I felt most anxious in, as it was new and there were many expectations.
“Now I can prepare calmly, but with the same desire and excitement as ever.”
Champions League final will be played at the historic Olympiastadion Berlin and the kickoff is 12:15 am (IST).