Andrea Pirlo reveals 'it was the first time Ronaldo was happy to be subbed off' and explains what Juventus have lacked this season.
The Old Lady leapfrogged Napoli in fourth place after a 3-2 win over Inter. Napoli sit two points behind the Bianconeri, but have a game in hand as they face Fiorentina away tomorrow.
Andrea Pirlo reveals 'it was the first time Ronaldo was happy to be subbed off' and explains what Juventus have lacked this season.
The Old Lady leapfrogged Napoli in fourth place after a 3-2 win over Inter. Napoli sit two points behind the Bianconeri, but have a game in hand as they face Fiorentina away tomorrow.
"We should have had the same determination and desire to fight on every ball also in the other games of the season," Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia.
"If we had done so, we would not be fighting for a top-four finish at this point. We made too many mistakes in games that seemed easy on paper."
"We've asked ourselves many times what we've lacked this season. We didn't have the same fire burning inside. We had to turn the light on again to fight the title and a top-four finish. The lads have proved they are up to the task in big games," the coach added.
"This group has a lot to give, we have many young players, but playing for Juventus means having more responsibility. It takes time to adapt.
"We shouldn't have dropped so many points, but this is a good team, we have room for improvement, there is a good base to work well."
Will Pirlo leave Juventus at the end of the season?
"I haven't thought about the future. I was only focused on today's game. We'll talk about the future later on."
Cristiano Ronaldo was subbed off in the second half. Although he didn't seem irritated for the first substitution in a league game this season, he didn't follow the final minutes with his teammates but instead headed to the dressing room.
"I think it was the first time he was happy to be subbed off. We were one man down, and he'd have been chasing shadows. He was happy and smiling in the dressing room," Pirlo concluded.