Andrea Pirlo, a jewel in the crown of the Azzurri

[1]

At 33, Andrea Pirlo is at a stage where many footballers go through mid-life crisis. It is a phase in which their vision dims, legs tire, shots lose venom, bodies give up and spirit evaporates.

An impending uncertain future outside the football field only adds to the misery. The modern game rewards youngsters handsomely because distance covered is an essential statistic these days.
The likes of Pirlo are a rarity.

The Italian midfield maestro has become a symbol for the durability of class with his game-changing performances at Euro 2012.

Pirlo ran England ragged in the quarterfinals, even though his master class didn’t produce a goal in open play it richly warranted.

But he more than made up for the disappointment with an audacious chip in the subsequent penalty shootout. Pirlo’s cheek lifted the Italians.

It was the moment — as he himself later pointed out — that destroyed the English confidence. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the dink paved the way for the Azzurri’s progress to the semifinals.

Ordinary players run the risk of ending up as jokers with a chip from the penalty spot. The last man to dink successfully in a major tournament was Zinedine Zidane in the final of the 2006 World Cup.

Antonin Panenka was the pioneer in chipping as he won the 1976 Euros for Czechoslovakia with a daring effort in the final against West Germany.

To think that an Italian — who values safety above anything else on the football field — can emulate Panenka and Zidane is surreal.

There is near unanimity among pundits on the reason for England’s downfall: Pirlo. The midfielder was here, there and everywhere at Kiev’s magnificent stadium, starving England of the ball.

At times, it appeared that Cesare Prandelli had entered a couple of Pirlos on the pitch. Pirlo popped up whenever Italy needed his services.

He controlled the game’s tempo from start to finish. England had a close up view on what they were missing.

The number of passes Pirlo made on that day — 131 — was almost twice the combined total of passes completed by the English midfield duo, Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker.

It was Pirlo who had run the maximum distance — almost 12 kilometres — in either team. We have to remember that Pirlo isn’t a byword for speed and strength, essential components in the making of a world-class central midfielder. The Italian flourished on his ever-ticking football brain and supreme technical ability.

Why has he not been appreciated enough? Has he not won a World Cup and the Champions league? Stereotypical notions about Italy’s defensive style are a stumbling block to applaud the artistry of Pirlo.

He is no less effective than Xavi and Wesley Sneijder. In fact, he has been the most effective midfielder at Euro 2012. Pirlo has had a hand in every goal Italy have scored at Poland and Ukraine.

He is the owner of the tournament’s best set-piece goal — a stunning free-kick against Croatia. Germany are confident of beating Italy in the semifinals but they would be fearful of Pirlo, who unlocked their defence in the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup.

AC Milan thought Pirlo was past his prime when they refused to give him more than a one-year contract last season.

He moved to Juventus on a free transfer. The league table at the end of the season told a story: Juventus reclaimed the Serie A title from Milan without losing a match.

Pirlo — statistically the most successful passer in the history of Italian top flight — was the fulcrum of Juve’s attacking moves.

Pirlo shuns attention. He seems to revel in anonymity. Negative stories about him are as rare as a calm day for Silvio Berlusconi during his tenure as Italian prime minister.

Pirlo can never be a Cristiano Ronaldo. Grandmothers may not identify him but losing popularity contests can’t devalue Pirlo’s great contributions to football in general and Italy in particular.