Pirlo: “The real reason I left Milan…”

Pirlo: “The real reason I left Milan…”

ANDREA PIRLO says he left because Allegri’s tactics made him understand he’s no longer useful.

Many people regret the day Pirlo announced he leaves Milan in favour of a Juventus move, after failing to reach an agreement with the club over a new contract. Pirlo is now the Champion of Italy, with Juventus.

Pirlo without a shadow of a doubt is the main reason Juventus won their 28th Scudetto, inspiring the Old Lady while Milan couldn’t find the same of such. Andrea now reveals the real reason he has left Milan.



“Milan offered me a 1-year extension but I wanted 3 years because I was younger than the other players whose contracts were expiring,” Pirlo, 32, told today’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “But the real reason behind why I left Milan was because Allegri wanted to use Ambrosini and Van Bommel in front of the defence.

“So that meant that I had to change position on the pitch. So I said ‘No, thanks’ to Milan, and chose Juve. Milan decided that I was no longer useful to them. I understood that immediately during our meeting.

“Allegri wanted to use other players in my position. During a long season injury problems can occur, but I believe that they should change something in the preparations at Milanello. During the season, many of my former teammates have said that they could feel my absence, but I’m happy. I won. When I was at Buffon’s wedding in June last year, people asked me if I was crazy because I had left Milan,” he continued.

“I then replied that when I decide to join another club, I do it because I want to win. And I also said that we would win the Scudetto. And now those people thank me, because they went and put money on us winning the Scudetto. Almost all of my former teammates at Milan congratulated me on winning the Scudetto.”

Milan wanted to get Pirlo suspended after he elbowed Mark Van Bommel but he says it was unintentional. “That annoyed me. I played there for 10 years and they know that I don’t do certain things…” he said.

Pirlo is not the only one that has problems with Allegri. Clarence Seedorf is ready to leave Milan as well because he does not get along with the coach who failed to win the title for the second year in a row. Mathieu Flamini, Alexandre Pato and other players also admitted for lack of communication with the Mister.


thank you allegri for getting rid of technical and creative players and sticking with DMs, B2Bs...

People here know that I'm usually defending Allegri in the face of calls for his head, but Pirlo was my favourite Milan player and to this article, I say...

Allegri you 3 DM bastard.

In defence of Allegri Milan were too one dimensional with Pirlo.

When we played you last year Ozil man marked him which allowed Xabi Alonso to take over the game.

The decision makes sense in theory.

I adore Pirlo, even now though I'm less inclined to grab his jersey when I need to play a casual game, however I understand where Zeal is coming from and in particular Allegri's aims.

The three DMs tag is an exaggeration, however compared to the midfield of our past it certainly feels like it. Up until the recent rift between Allegri and Seedorf however it must be said that Seedorf was effectively part of our first choice midfield however age, injuries and a hectic schedule effectively restricted Seedorf's ability to be a regular in our eleven despite his status - the same might be said of his understudy Aquilani, the concern of age aside. Seedorf shifted from his role in Leonardo's 4-2-1-3 to a different but free role in Allegri's central midfield trio, however it was a return to a position of old one that took even a wily midfielder like Seedorf to grow used to once again. His form reinforced the calls for us to move on before the move paid dividends and allowed Seedorf to express himself again and exert his control over the game.

I am one hundred per cent certain that Allegri wanted Pirlo to be the one who took that role at LCM with Ambrosini in front of the defence. Pirlo had been switched over to the left hand channel the game before he sustained a very lengthy injury in the game to Roma and generated praise from Allegri for the manner in which he executed the role, however his injury left only Seedorf capable of fulfilling such a role.

When Pirlo did return he required time to regain fitness and adapt to playing with Van Bommel as the centre of the midfield but only saw his comeback interrupted once more before the season was suddenly over. When Pirlo was told he would have to adapt, I'm certain that he would have been simply told that he'd need to find himself in this new role, just as Seedorf had done. In Seedorf's first few games in the position he was wasteful and listless, however he soon became central once more to Allegri's midfield. Pirlo was asked to have anther shot at adapting as Allegri had hoped he would and decided he wanted to keep playing his own football.

I don't blame him for it and I obviously have my reservations about Max letting my favourite midfielder depart, however the decision was mutual. If Pirlo wanted he could have signed a contract and adapted, he chose not to, he moved on, he succeeded and congratulations to him. In the end though the coach runs the team and he had his reasons to want to alter the team. It's crying over spilt milk now in any case.

I should clarify my position on this so that it is consistent with what I've said before this thread.

I think it was correct to let Pirlo leave for a few reasons:
---- Our team was no longer equipped to play the style of football that the existence of his position demanded.
---- I don't even believe that it was right to ask a player who is so brilliant at performing such a unique and specialised role to adapt to a completely different position.
---- Pirlo had a torrid time with injuries and form-slumps last season too. There was no guarantee that pre-2008 Pirlo would return like he has at Juve.

At the same time, I am furious that a reason for Pirlo's departure was actually not as a result of Allegri wanting to inject more dynamism and movement into our old, static midfield. Instead, Allegri was looking for space to park 2 DMs in front of our defence.

If I had to pick one tactical element of our campaign this year that has had most impact on our title chase, it would certainly have to be the 3 DM policy. It can only be described as a complete failure.

Contrary to what Dost has said, it think it would only be a slight exaggeration to label our midfield in that way. Far too many times this season, we have seen various combinations of players in our 3-man midfield who are not renowned for their attacking prowess, passing or creativity. Of course, some of these players are not strictly defined as DMs, but they surely fit into my description (so it's not really that much of a stretch). To be precise, its usually 2 DMs + 1 non-AM.

Don't get me wrong, most of these types of players are very valuable when working in tandem with more imaginative, eloquent, attacking players... which leads me on to what irritates me most about this tactic. That is, it is not one of last resort or forced by injuries to our other midfielders, but Allegri's first choice midfield trio. It is directly to blame for our very poor record against big teams who understand how to exploit this and have the players to do so. Furthermore, it's indirectly to blame for Aquilani's now inevitable departure, and Merkel and Strasser's lack of playing time.

This must change for the upcoming season or the coach changes. Simple as that. I was hoping that players retiring and new signings would force this to happen, but Traore's arrival has pretty much quashed that hope. Now it's up to Allegri to stop being stubborn, get this foolish idea out of his head and learn from his mistakes this season.

I'm still in camp Allegri, but the line is drawn now. That's my limit.

our success has always been based on technical brilliance in midfield, and even when we were in transition period, our previous coaches and management had always preferred that having technical players is a right direction to achieve good results. even galliani used to boast how good our team were due to so many great creative players.

ever since allegri came to frame, the mentality and playing style has change drastically, thats fine, i have no problem with it, because new coach brings new ideas.

but his preference on too much physicality and workrate more than technique, vision and creativity has ruined this team.

the midfield and forwards dont even have good connection to complete finishing, to make chances, to pose threat on opponents in their defensive third. the mindset of a midfield has been all about physical and workrate, and pressing. the midfield cant even create chance, or create opportunity that means if guys like zlatan, cassano and boateng are ineffective then thats the end of it.

i hate this kind of football. i despise it so much. its completely opposite to what we all used to love and adore about milan. its physical its boring its not effective football. its all so physical atm that disgusts me. this footballing mentality reminds me of inter of 2006-2007 season. so physical, and when relying on creativity and goalscoring chances, its all zlatan on solo mode. that sucks!!

let see what kind of revision allegri does, but if this kind of physical football were to continue next season i am not interested in watching allegri's football anymore...

i feel huge loss of pirlo, its not crying over spilt milk. its feeling that loss that management has made a huge technical mistake alongside allegri who was the main man to make that choice, and pirlo has proved them all wrong. not just pirlo, in general ... too much physical football concept is wrong atm.