Former player Pirlo replaces Sarri as Juventus manager

James Holland
Andrea Pirlo Juventus

Andrea Pirlo has been announced as the new Juventus manager, following Maurizio Sarri’s sacking earlier today.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Pirlo has been chosen by Juve President Andrea Agnelli as Sarri’s successor.

The former Juve and AC Milan midfielder only started working as the club’s under-23s manager last week but has now been promoted.


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Sarri was sacked following the club’s disappointing Champions League round of 16 defeat to Lyon.

Despite winning their ninth Scudetto in a row, the Italian champions have once again failed to win Europe’s elite competition. Even their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo could not help the Bianconeri to victory against the French side.

Pirlo was immediately linked with the managerial position, alongside former Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino, Simone Inzaghi and Massimiliano Allegri.

Pirlo finished his UEFO Pro Licence last summer and was touted as a future manager. However, the decision has come earlier for Pirlo than many would have anticipated.

Allegri soon became a favourite for the role after his success with the club between 2014 and 2019. During that time, he won four consecutive domestic doubles, a feat still not matched in any of the top five European leagues.

With a win percentage of 70.4% while at the club, it’s no surprise that Allegri was seen as an early frontrunner.

Sarri was sacked after failing to incorporate his own style of play while also getting the most out of Ronaldo. European success is also seen as being integral to Juve’s success going forwards.

The move for Pirlo is a risky one and could raise eyebrows amongst fans, just as the announcement of Sarri did last summer.

Pirlo played 119 times for Juve between 2011 and 2015, while helping to cement himself as a legend of Italian football. He also appeared 284 times for AC Milan and won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.

His stunning performances on the International stage against England will make him hard to forget for many fans.

It will be interesting to see whether management suits the so-called ‘maestro’.