Pirlo is unique, underlines Materazzi

Pescara starlet Marco Verratti is not the new Andrea Pirlo. “One doesn’t exist,” says Marco Materazzi.

The 19-year-old has won comparisons with the Italy and Juventus playmaker, but ex-Azzzurri international Materazzi has cooled the similarities between the two.

“Pirlo is an extraordinary player, but there will never be a player born like him again,” the former Inter stopper stated.

“I think that Verratti has some excellent qualities, but you can put too much pressure on to his shoulders. The new Pirlo does not exist.”

The Italian Under-21 international has been likened to the former Milan man given that he, like Pirlo, started life as an attacking midfielder before being transformed into a deep playmaker.

Juventus and Napoli have attempted to sign Verratti this summer, but newly promoted Pescara have now taken him off the market.

Materazzi was an international colleague of Pirlo and they won the World Cup together in the summer of 2006.