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Pirlo: I nearly joined Chelsea

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Italian playmaker, Andrea Pirlo reveals how he was to follow Carlo Ancelotti to Stamford Bridge in 2009. 

During his time at Ac Milan, Andrea Pirlo had made a special bond with boss Ancelotti, and was willing to follow the manager on his next move. He reveals how an agreement had been reached, but Ac Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi eventually persuaded the player to stay. Pirlo would then move on to Juventus in 2011. 

“It was August 2009 and i’d reached agreement with Chelsea, the club where Ancelotti has just come in as manager”, Pirlo said in his autobiography- I Think Therefore I Play, which has recently been printed in English for the first time.He goes on to say: “Carlo was like a father and a teacher for me, a kind, friendly man who knew how to make things fun. “It was August 2009 and I’d reached agreement with Chelsea, the club where Ancelotti had just come in as manager. “I’d spent the best years of my career with him. If you’re a player who wants to get on and give everything, you won’t find anyone better than him.”Carlo Ancelotti was my motivation for agreeing to head to London. But, in the meantime, Berlusconi had pulled out a second piece of paper.”This time there were loads of names with ticks next to them, and one that had been circled. ‘Stay. We’ve signed Huntelaar’. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is an excellent player. He knows how to score goals, loads of goals and, at that point in time, he was playing for Real Madrid. But he’s not the type of guy who’s going to win the Ballon d’Or. “‘Listen, Andrea, you just can’t do this, damn it. You’re the symbol of Milan, a standard bearer for this team, and we’ve already sold Kaka. You can’t jump ship as well. It’d be a terrible blow, to our image as much as anything. We can’t have everyone leaving.’ “Ancelotti and I spoke a fair bit on the phone. He wanted to bring me to London at all costs, and cost was indeed the last hurdle still to be overcome. Insurmountable, as it transpired.”Milan wanted too much cash, and they were also pushing for Branislav Ivanovic to be included in the deal. Chelsea hadn’t the slightest intention of letting the defender go. “As it turned out, I moved to Juventus. That’s Berlusconi all over, though. He’s theatrical and knows exactly what he wants. It’s what makes him such a fantastic president and lover of pure, beautiful football.” 

If this deal did happen, there is no doubt that it would have been a great spectacle to see Pirlo at Chelsea.

By Ollie Brown 

 

 

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