Following the conclusion of the 2017 MLS season,
Andrea Pirlo announced his retirement, ending a playing career which lasted over 20 seasons
and saw him earn all sorts of individual and team awards.
And after his playing days were behind him, Pirlo embarked upon a coaching journey
which has been unusual. His first step into the managerial side of the game was into the role
of the U23 manager at Juventus, a position he occupied for just 9 days before being promoted
to manager of the first team at Juventus, taking over from the dismissed Maurizio Sarri.
Though his time as manager of Juventus lasted just one season,
his vision of football was made clear through his side’s playing style. In addition, the paper he
submitted to obtain his UEFA Pro Coaching License was also released and available to the public,
a rare privilege which allows everyone to understand how Pirlo sees the game.
But how is that?
In English, Pirlo’s paper is entitled “The football that I would like to”;
it’s a thesis on the way he would like his team to setup and react
during all phases of the game, covering both team and individual principles designed to
influence player behaviors and choices depending on the situation in the match.
Within his work, Pirlo mentions how his ideas on football are heavily influenced by the Barcelona
sides of Johan Cruyff and Pep Guardiola, in addition to Louis van Gaal´s Ajax, Carlo
Ancelotti’s Milan, and Antonio Conte´s Juventus side – the last two in which he played, of course.
First and foremost, Pirlo wishes his sides to play a form of ´total football´,
a style he bases around two key foundations:
retaining possession of the ball as long as necessary before finishing off an attack and
recovering the ball as quickly as possible, with extreme intensity, upon losing it.
Pirlo also requires his players to be dynamic when in possession, capable of manufacturing
space for others, and occupying the correct spaces themselves when teammates have created them. Off
the ball movement is crucial for controlled ball progression in his system. Players should
have the ability to read opposition defenses and stretch them vertically and laterally by occupying
defenders and creating space between lines for other teammates. This is where a player’s position
on paper is not as important as the actual positions they may appear in during a match.
With a heavy focus on maintaining control of the ball, building play from the back is
a key component too. Achieving this depends on the constant creation of a diamond shape
around the ball carrier. This means that the player in possession should
have support behind them, support laterally on each side, and a player ahead of them
who also positions themselves behind the next line of opposition pressure. Upon each successful pass,
teammates should readjust their positioning to create a new diamond shape around the ball.
Reliance on fluidity, dynamic space occupation and positional
rotations is also key for dominating possession and progressing the ball.
Pirlo does not see players as having traditional and functional positions, but more so roles
which they must be able to carry out based on movements and positioning of their teammates.
There are various scenarios throughout the course of a match where this can be seen.
Certain roles must always be occupied, and it is not relevant what position the
players technically have started in, as long as the correct positions are being occupied.
For example, this can happen when a central midfielder drops down into the backline
filling in for a fullback, who is then allowed to push forward taking on the role of a winger,
who in turn drifts centrally to occupy the space centrally which the midfielder has vacated.
This extreme focus on the concept of space is achieved through use
of various principles which will influence the players’ decisions.
Some examples of this include making sharp movements when marked by an opposition player
to drag them away and create space for a teammate, and then for the teammate to move into the newly
created space in order to receive a pass. This is a continuing process which never stops,
in turn allowing for players to freely move around the pitch.
Other simple principles he wishes to implement include moving toward the ball carrier if he
is being pressured, offering them a simple outlet, moving away from the ball carrier
if they are not under pressure and allowing them more room, carrying the ball into space
to attract pressure and always looking to move into space after playing a pass.
A good example of this often occurs when a center back is in possession of the ball.
If he is not being pressed by the opposition, the expectation is that he should carry the ball
forward until he attracts an opposition defender and pull them out of shape,
allowing for new spaces to be created and a teammate to move into the space. On the contrary,
if the center back is in possession but being heavily pressed by the opposition, the expectation
is then for a player further up the pitch to drop down and offer an outlet to relieve the pressure.
Further up the pitch, there are three fundamental principles which should
be maintained at all times, regardless of playing personnel. Width must be maintained
on each side of the pitch with a maximum of one player each side, there must also be a
minimum two players rotating in between the opposition’s midfield and defensive lines,
and at least two players who are running into depth beyond the opposition backline.
It is clear to see that Pirlo has a vision of football which does not necessarily align with
traditional philosophies. As a player he always appeared to see things before they happened,
and as a manager he wants his players to also find creative solutions
based his principles of play for manipulating space.