Pirlo Leaves AC Milan As Free Agent

[Thrillos]

Pirlo announced today he isn't resigning with AC Milan, and is now available on a free transfer.

He would be ideal as our attacking central midfielder, 31 years of age and has always played with heart.

Drooling at the prospect of Stevanovic, Pirlo and JDG linking up on the field.

[DangerRed]

Keep drooling. He's not coming. You heard it here first.

[CretanBull]

He would be a dream signing...one of the most under appreciated players in the world.

[Thrillos]

Damn, well that was about 30 seconds of pure joy......

Edit. Fuck it, i'm gonna stay in my dream world until he signs somewhere else..... until then anything is possible!

[ensco]

What TFC needs most is a second below-average-height, older, multi-million dollar DP central midfielder, who can't tackle.

[Thrillos]

What TFC needs most is a second below-average-height, older, multi-million dollar DP central midfielder, who can't tackle.

When we play with 2 DCM then we don't need our ACM to be able to tackle. And if you have ever watched him play (consistently watch him play) then you would know he would be the next Scholleto or Blanco, the touch he has is incomparable.

Maicon and Gordon would score bag fulls with him feeding the ball to them

[Whoop]

It's almost pretty much a given that he's staying in Italy and likely signing with Juventus.

[prizby]

wtf is up with everyone starting baseless rumours

get some fucking facts first then post

[Roogsy]

Um...the original poster posted a FACT about Pirlo's availability then muses about whether he'd be a fit on TFC. Where is the baseless rumour exactly?

[prizby]

posted in the tfc news section...since when was he an attacking mid?

[Thrillos]

do you watch AC Milan play prizby, or even the Italian national team.... what position would you say he plays if he isn't an attacking mid????

[trane]

Pirlo is not an attacking mid, he is a deep lying CM/CDM playmaker, and he can tackle, and he could contribute to the attack, as his passing is superb, and his set pieces are world class. He is like 176, hardly short. Unless average height is 186.

However, as I said in the International section he is not comming to TFC, if he does nto sign with Juve, there are plently of top European clubs, that would have him as a depth/sub player.


He has played as an AM, but that is not his natural position.

[tfcleeds]

It's almost pretty much a given that he's staying in Italy and likely signing with Juventus.

Please Juve, no. No Milan scum please...

[CretanBull]

He's a play-maker who distributes the ball very well. He's also one of the best dead-ball specialists in the world - my how we could use those talents here.

[Thrillos]

Pirlo is not an attacking mid, he is a deep lying CM/CDM playmaker, and he can tackle, and he could contribute to the attack, as his passing is superb, and his set pieces are world class. He is like 176, hardly short. Unless average height is 186.

He has played as an AM, but that is not his natural position.


He is considered a deep lying mid because of the way the Italian system is to sit back and counter quickly. He has played with the likes of Ambrosini and Gattuso on both national and club teams and he plays ahead of those two. If they are DCM then I would say that Pirlo is more of a ACM.

Also Trane, the reason he is leaving Milan is because he is playing as a depth/sub player. So why would he leave the club he has been with for 10 years to go the same at another club......

Not saying he is coming, just saying that logic is faulted

[Pachuco]

Pirlo by all means would be a great attacking midfielder who could sit in front of JDG and Tchani. Forget the technical terms people have made up for every player standing in a specific corner of the field. Fact is he's a great ball distributor going forward and we sure as heck could use a guy like him.

Oh and I agree that this is the right time for Pirlo to make a move like this. Isn't that the timing of alot of other DPs that have come down? alot of them could've had jobs in Europe still as depth players but decided to cash in here instead.

[Gazza]

He'd tear this league apart.

[s2cazz]

Please Juve, no. No Milan scum please...

Amen, brother... Amen

[trane]

He is considered a deep lying mid because of the way the Italian system is to sit back and counter quickly. He has played with the likes of Ambrosini and Gattuso on both national and club teams and he plays ahead of those two. If they are DCM then I would say that Pirlo is more of a ACM.

Also Trane, the reason he is leaving Milan is because he is playing as a depth/sub player. So why would he leave the club he has been with for 10 years to go the same at another club......

Not saying he is coming, just saying that logic is faulted

A ACM is called a treguartista in Italy. He is not a trequartista, he is either a CDM or a CM, when he playes CM he is ahead of Ambrosini and Gattuso.

And he is not leaving Milan by choice, Milan has not offered him a contract, because yes he will not get alot of playing time. He can be a depth/sub player but play way more then he has or will with Milan, which is rebuilding for a CL run. We resigned Van Bommel as well.

[trane]

Amen, brother... Amen

He was first an Inter player. Juve wants him, and he could help them. Italy is not England, when a usefull player comes available you take him. Fuck were he played before.

[trane]

Pirlo by all means would be a great attacking midfielder who could sit in front of JDG and Tchani. Forget the technical terms people have made up for every player standing in a specific corner of the field. Fact is he's a great ball distributor going forward and we sure as heck could use a guy like him.

Oh and I agree that this is the right time for Pirlo to make a move like this. Isn't that the timing of alot of other DPs that have come down? alot of them could've had jobs in Europe still as depth players but decided to cash in here instead.

The technical terms are there, to describe players roles and personal playing styles. He has been used as a ACM, but he does not play like a traditionsl ACM, but as a CM. He stays back from the play. As I said he is a great contributer to the attack as a CM but he is not the aggresive attacking player that a typical ACM would be. He is also not good enough of dribler or fast enough to be an ACM.


He would be great with TFC, and he would bring the Italian community, Juventini, Interisti, Milanisti and everyonelese for the most part love him, for most of us it is Nation over Club, and Pirlo is a great Azzurro. BUT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN.


Although in our present system he would fit the role of the CM/ACM that plays just infront of the DMs. He would be great. No doubt. But he is not comming. [I would love to be wrong-he is one of my favourite players ever-but it is not happening]

[dimops]

Were Pirlo and Winter teammates on Inter squad in 98/99??

[s2cazz]

I think so. I don't remember I was young then and Italian games were hard to come by over here.

Especially for a kid with cheap wop parents who refused to pay for television.

[Thrillos]

Trane, I would have to agree with you that he is not an out and out ACM, but I definitely don't see him as a DCM.

Either way we can both agree that he would do great in front of our two DCM's, and on the fact that it would be amazing for him to come, he probably has a few too many clubs still willing to provide him consistent playing time at a top level.

[__wowza]

anyone wanna tell me how this is TFC or MLS news?
this should be moved to the international forum.. unless we're doing that whole "X player has just left ____ and would be a great fit here!" thing again.

i agree with prizby's frustration, i've seen too many threads about things like this. until i see mention of a move to TFC or MLS, we can do without this here.

[trane]

Thrillos,

He is more of a CM. But he has played both throughtout his career with Milan, depending on tactics and formatiosn adopted, he has been tried as a ACM, but that has been only occasional.

[GeorgeBest]

Thrillos,

He is more of a CM. But he has played both throughtout his career with Milan, depending on tactics and formatiosn adopted, he has been tried as a ACM, but that has been only occasional.

I agree. Under Ancelotti's 4-3-2-1 Xmas Tree, Pirlo played in the middle of Ambrosini and Gattuso and often behind them with Seedorf and Kaka as AMs in front of those three. Having said that, I've seen him play more forward for Italy and he could certainly play that role for TFC, similar to the way Guevara did.


What TFC needs most is a second below-average-height, older, multi-million dollar DP central midfielder, who can't tackle.

Pirlo can tackle. Looks can be deceiving. He looks like he should be sitting at a cafe on a piazza sipping wine and discussing opera or modern art but he is actually a pretty hard tackler.

[trane]

^ Exactly.

[ensco]

Pirlo can tackle. Looks can be deceiving. He looks like he should be sitting at a cafe on a piazza sipping wine and discussing opera or modern art but he is actually a pretty hard tackler.

I got confused there. I stole the whole point from you, but misunderstood what you actually said!

From a marketing POV, I do think this is exactly the kind of player I think TFC will bring in to goose renewals.

[Thrillos]

^ Exactly.

Agreed


Now lets hope there is a connection between Winter and Pirlo, which apparently according to above their playing careers overlapped briefly.

[torontocelt]

^ Exactly.

Anyone that doesn't think Pirlo is good enough for TFC, well I cannot say much to that, I'm speechless. He is way, way better than any player we have ever had.

[ensco]

^I don't know that bringing him in makes sense, but I know this is true.

[69Chevy396]

What TFC needs most is a second below-average-height, older, multi-million dollar DP central midfielder, who can't tackle.
Any team at any level who signs Pirlo will instantly discover why he has remained a mainstay on the great Italian National Mens team for so many years. He could play for most teams in the EPL or La Liga right now, it is very unlikely he would select MLS

[SuperTCP]

Forget about the Beckham bends, to see Pirlo magic at BMO would be great!

[ensco]

It's interesting. This story is 6 weeks old, and it's just a story, but Pirlo supposedly wants 3.5 million euros, and Juve only are offering 2.5 million euros

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276/serie-a/2011/03/24/2409480/juventus-in-talks-with-ac-milan-over-move-for-andrea-pirlo

3.5 million euros is around $5 million Canadian.

Now suppose you ran TFC. Right now the average ticket price is around $50/ticket. Let's say you concluded that, this fall, to get a renewal rate of 90%, you would either need to have an average per game price decline of $15/ticket (which doing simple math, on 15,000 seats for 19 games is around $4.3 million in revenue decline), or that you could get 90% renewals by bringing in the right DP, and keeping prices flat.

As long as the DP cost $4.3 million or less, you'd be way ahead of the game. You'd far rather bring in the DP. He keeps the price level up, that's the most important point, because future renewals will be off a higher base. Plus the right DP might help grow the business, get TV ratings etc., especially if he had the right ethnicity. So maybe you'd be willing to pay $5 or $6 million.

If you thought that Pirlo could be that right DP, he'd be worth the $5 million.

fwiw I think Del Piero would make more sense, from both a marketing bang-for-the-buck and on field POV, but he just re-signed....

[69Chevy396]

It has always surprised me by how little MLSE has done to increase fan interest among the largest segments of the city's population. English, Italian, Chinese, South Asian, Portugese and German players of star quality such as a Pirlo would do wonders for the club and soccer in general in Toronto. Instead, we have seen a handful of no name English players and nobody from the other areas I mention. Pirlo at BMO would do more for generating fan interest then making the playoffs.

[Thrillos]

I said in a different thread that I was most likely not going to renew my seasons, but I have to admit, if Pirlo was to wear a TFC jersey there is no way I would give up my seats.

[GeorgeBest]

So if Juve offer him 2.5 and we offer 3.5 million euros, that amounts to 1 million euros "hardship pay" to compensate him for restricted access to really good food, wine, and culture and the loss of the aesthetic pleasure of seeing someone actually finish one of his beautiful cross-field pinpoint passes. Seems about right, ok maybe 1.5 million euros.

[ensco]

Seems like players of this caliber who want the paycheque are mostly going to teams in the gulf.

Toronto might compete very well with Dubai, actually, unless Pirlo likes falconry or camel racing.

[TorontoGooner]

If you like getting shot down this forum is the place for it. I don't think it would be an unreasonable signing.

As for starting "baseless rumours", welcome to football mate

[Ossington Mental Youth]

unless Pirlo likes falconry or camel racing.

I cant think of a footballer that doesnt

[GeorgeBest]

Speaking of falconry, what's happened to Bitchy? I've haven't heard any Bitchy news in years.

[arbogast]

Seems like players of this caliber who want the paycheque are mostly going to teams in the gulf.

Toronto might compete very well with Dubai, actually, unless Pirlo likes falconry or camel racing.

Or a No Income Tax pay day that gulf clubs offer their foreign players.

[LucaGol]

Even the mere hint of suggestion that Andrea Pirlo would come to MLS (at any point in his career, let alone at 31) shows quite a bit of ignorance.

1. Italians don't traditionally play abroad.

2. Italian players have career trajectories that see them peak around the ages of 27-29 as opposed to 21-24 (at age 31, Pirlo is still very much a desired player in Serie A, as he should be)

3. Italy is a nice country with a relaxed lifestyle and many nationals are reluctant to give that up.

On another note, Andrea Pirlo is a CM, "regista", ... 100%. He is a playmaker that lies just in front of the two centre-backs. His ability to play long passes accurately makes him ideal for this role. He doesn't tackle well, has a knuckle-ball free-kick style, and tends to get lost in fast-paced games. What he loses in pace, he makes up in creativity.

He played some games as a CAM, behind the strikers, for the Italian national team under Roberto Donadoni and maybe also Marcello Lippi. While I believe he has the qualities to actually play there ... he doesn't.

Now close this ridiculous thread.

[trane]

^ I do not think that Pirlo is the best takler out there but he is a solid tackler, but otherwise I agree with your assessement. Most Italian midfielders, other then those playing trequartista (AM/SS) are solid tacklers as that is what mids in Italy are exepcted to do, tackle well, mark well and pass well.

[trane]

Pirlo is in the process of finalizing his deal with Juve.

[Marvin]

Pirlo is in the process of finalizing his deal with Juve.

that's so weird, i thought for sure he would sign with TFC...

[Macksam]

Please Juve, no. No Milan scum please...
Out of all players who deserve to be called scum, this guy is not one of them my man.

[ensco]

Pirlo is in the process of finalizing his deal with Juve.

It's done
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/25/juventus-andrea-pirlo-alberto-aquilani