Dynamic Men: Andrea Pirlo

In a country that produced the likes of Gianni Rivera, Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schilachi, it isn’t easy making a name for yourself in the fantasista or number ten position. There have been a few players who have come close to being the perfect gem for Italy. Alex Del Piero tried it with decent success, and then Francesco Totti came along and did it with little success. Domenico Morfeo sniffed around it and failed terribly.

For Italian fans, Andrea Pirlo is a player in a league of his own. He started out in that fantasista position but when the competition was too full, he was given a new position of his own to master. In this position, halfway between the fantasista and the defensive midfielder, he is able to control the rhythm and tempo of the game. With his playmaking abilities and a newly added defensive game to his arsenal, Pirlo turned into an un-defendable schemer. No one knows where exactly he will ping a ball from. He is smooth enough to run with the ball at his feet, and he has enough grit to get fully involved in a tackle.

Born in Flero, Lombardy, Pirlo started playing soccer with his hometown club Brescia. He played for the team in an offensive midfield capacity. His performances were decent enough for the bigger teams to start taking a look at him. He got his chance when he secured a move to Italian super power Inter Milan.

The playmaker was just another number at Inter Milan and couldn’t find enough games to make a name for himself. So he went out on loan with Reggina. He would have moderate success with Reggina, but he still wasn’t considered the complete article. And when he returned to Inter Milan, he was sent back out on loan to his first club Brescia. This second loan spell would prove to be a major step forward for the young playmaker. His performances caught the attention of AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti who had a better idea in mind for the young man’s talents.

When he signed for Milan, the team already had the likes of Portuguese master Rui Costa and Dutchman Clarence Seedorf playing in the playmaker position, but Ancelotti’s gamble would prove to be a masterstroke for both the team and the player. Ancelotti moved Pirlo a few steps behind the number ten position and improved his defensive abilities in tandem with the monster that is Gerrano Gattuso. Pirlo was able to control the game from a deeper position instead of having to go back and seek the ball. The ball came to him easier because he was more accessible.

On the international stage, Pirlo literally walked into the Italian national team. Coach Marcelo Lippi used the player in the exact same position he played at AC Milan. In the 2006 world cup, Pirlo would go on and have some of the best performances of his entire career. The Italians are notorious for being difficult to beat, but with the ball at Pirlo’s feet, they proved to be a bigger threat than anyone expected. His performance in the final was one of the best in the entire tournament. Italy went on and won the World Cup and Pirlo was voted as the third best player in the tournament behind Zinedine Zidane and compatriot Fabio Cannavaro.