Andrea Pirlo secures return to management

Italian icon Andrea Pirlo has, on Sunday, officially secured a return to management.

The club to have brought the one-time AC Milan midfielder in with a view to the 2022/23 campaign? Turkish Super Lig outfit Fatih Karagümrük.

In a series of posts across their social media platforms a short time ago, the Istanbul-based club confirmed that they have opted to hand the inexperienced tactician just his 2nd job in management.

Pirlo has put pen to paper on a one-year contract at the Vefa Stadium, handing both parties flexibility in the case of their partnership not producing the desired results over the coming campaign.

A press conference has been pencilled in for this coming Tuesday, during which the Italian will take questions from the media as Fatih boss for the first time.

📣Andrea Pirlo Karagümrük’te pic.twitter.com/p0etFDnxap

— VavaCars Fatih Karagümrük SK (@karagumruk_sk) June 12, 2022

#BenvenutoAndrea pic.twitter.com/dH75Ezoiix

— VavaCars Fatih Karagümrük SK (@karagumruk_sk) June 12, 2022

Pirlo’s new venture of course marks just the 43-year-old’s second stint in management.

After calling time on a legendary playing career in 2017 on the back of a stint in the United States with New York City FC, the Lombardy native was thrown in at the deep end in the summer of 2020, taking up the reins at Serie A champions Juventus.

His spell in Turin, though, lasted just 12 months, as, despite showing promise, a season which saw the Bianconeri surrender their status as perennial Serie A champions proved all she wrote for the 116-time capped international.

A further 12 months on, Pirlo will therefore be hopeful of finally being afforded a prolonged opportunity to prove his worth as a tactician, having previously proven himself nothing short of a midfield genius across a playing career spanning 22 years.