Juventus and Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has told his former team-mates to win Saturday\u2019s Champions League final for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere we are: Juve-Real in the Champions League final. I say \u2018we\u2019 because even if this time I will not be on the pitch, I will be the number one supporter,\u201d the veteran midfielder wrote in a column for La Stampa, the daily based in Juventus\u2019s home city of Turin.<\/p>\n
Now playing for New York City FC, Pirlo said he would be racing home after his new club\u2019s MLS clash with Philadelphia to watch the final on television.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be able to sit still,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
Pirlo won four Italian titles in his 2011-15 stint at Juventus. He was part of the side that lost the 2015 final to Barcelona and the pain lingers still.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I think back to that night two years ago in Berlin. When you lose a final you find yourself back there in your mind and you\u2019d love to play it again. Unfortunately for me, I can\u2019t do that, but I\u2019m happy they can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pirlo, who won European football\u2019s biggest prize twice with AC Milan, said a Juve triumph would be a fitting honour for club captain Gigi Buffon as the Italy goalkeeper nears the end of his trophy-laden career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI say this as a friend and a former teammate who knows him well \u2013 he deserves it,\u201d Pirlo wrote. \u201cThis is the only thing he\u2019s missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 38-year-old said Real would be formidable opponents but were not unbeatable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are reasons to be wary of them, but that is true of every team at this level. If Juve approach this clash the way they know how, they\u2019ve got a great chance. They\u2019ve not gone wrong in all the matches that have counted so far this season.\u201d<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Juventus and Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has told his former team-mates to win Saturday\u2019s Champions League final for him. \u201cHere we are: Juve-Real in the Champions League final. I say \u2018we\u2019 because even if this time I will not be on the pitch, I will be the number one supporter,\u201d the veteran midfielder wrote in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[142],"tags":[7762,564,3992],"yoast_head":"\n