Juventus' Andrea Pirlo sees his Milan spell under Carlo Ancelotti as a turning point both in his career and in Italian football’s mentality.
When under Ancelotti at San Siro, the midfielder developed his game from his now traditional position in front of the defence.
Considering his tactical switch this week with Spanish outlet ABC.es, the 35-year-old paid tribute to the now Real Madrid boss.
Juventus' Andrea Pirlo sees his Milan spell under Carlo Ancelotti as a turning point both in his career and in Italian football’s mentality.
When under Ancelotti at San Siro, the midfielder developed his game from his now traditional position in front of the defence.
Considering his tactical switch this week with Spanish outlet ABC.es, the 35-year-old paid tribute to the now Real Madrid boss.
“Until Ancelotti had me playing in front of the defence, that position in Italy was occupied only by defensive midfielders with the same idea – destroying rather than creating,” Pirlo has said.
“I started playing as a pivot, and that changed trends in Italian football. We proved you could win while playing good football. I'm proud of having introduced the Jogo Bonito in Italy.
“I had the immense good fortune of coming across Ancelotti in Milan. He marked a before and after in my career.
“I stopped playing as a second striker and turned into a playmaker. That's where my career really began.
“Ancelotti is my 'father' in terms of football. He took me to the summits of the sport. He is one of the best people I've found in football and a superb Coach on top of that.
“Our time in Milan was full of triumphs. We had a team of young and talented players and we were hungry for silverware.
“Everything was magical. And we made some lasting friendships outside of football too, for instance with [Alessandro] Nesta and [Gennaro] Gattuso.
“Gennaro wears his heart on his sleeve, he is a special human being who was very beneficial to everyone in the team. One of my best friends.”
The midfielder also looked back at the earlier stages of his career, revealing who his models were.
“[Roberto] Baggio was my idol as a child. I loved seeing an Italian footballer play the sport so well.
“I came to Inter at the age of 18 in a very turbulent period, when Coaches were changing all the time, and when people like Baggio and [Youri] Djorkaeff played in my position.
“I lacked continuity but the experience was unforgettable. I had the opportunity of playing in the same team as the player I always admired, a dream that seldom becomes true. I feel privileged for that.
“[Lothar] Matthaus was another model. I was an Inter fan and back then Lothar was the leader.
“I identified with the great '10s' – [Michel] Platini, [Gianfranco] Zola, [Roberto] Mancini. Seeing them was synonymous with fun.”