JOHN GLYNN pays homage to Andrea Pirlo, the consummate Italian midfielder who has just retired from international football

Andrea Pirlo

The never ending obsession with Andrea Pirlo seems to be, well, never ending. A player who possesses the spatial awareness and control of the football not seen since the days of Zidane, Pirlo is an enigmatic soul. A generation of ‘Pirlovers’ actively embrace his debonair appearance, that masterful beard, and an autobiography that made Zlatan Ibrahimovic look modest.
A man who never hides his feelings, Pirlo stated in his autobiography I...