Pirlo Expresses Interest In MLS Coaching Role
Andrea Pirlo has expressed interest in taking charge of a side in America’s Major League Soccer following his exit from Juventus.
Pirlo lasted just one season in his first senior coaching role at the Allianz Stadium before being dismissed.
Pirlo took over the club at the start of the 2020/2021 season on a two-year deal after Maurizio Sarri was sacked, however the former Italy international endured a difficult first season in management as Juventus lost their Serie A title to Inter Milan and only secured Champions League qualification on the final day of the season.
The 42-year-old spent the last two years of his playing career in the MLS with New York City and would like to experience the league as a manager one more time.
"I’m not ruling out anything,” Pirlo told The Athletic when asked about MLS. “It’s a great league. I see lots of coaches coming to MLS from other countries. I was lucky enough to play there.
"You saw what the USMNT did in the Gold Cup so I’d say the American game is taking off. Lots of Americans are now playing for the best clubs in the world — Juve, Barcelona, Chelsea. If they’re playing at that level, it speaks to their potential.”
“I don’t watch all the games but I turn it on when I can,” the former AC Milan midfielder added.
“I know it’s really hot this time of year. I remember playing in that heat. It’s hard for players to maintain high intensity when it’s this hot.
“I watch all the teams. I love New York — I had a place there before I moved stateside — but I like everything about MLS. I really enjoyed my time there. I got on well with the club, my teammates, the staff and the coaches I had.
"It was a great life experience, a great football experience too. Two of my kids were born in America, so it’s something we’ll always carry with us. It’s like home to them, a part of our lives. They’re American.”
