The former midfielder made a shocking move from Inter to Milan in 2001, and went on to spend the next 10 years with the Rossoneri. He once again took the soccer community by surprise when he left for Juventus in 2011, playing in Turin for four years before spending his sunset years with New York City in MLS.

Eventually, Pirlo stayed connected to the sport as a coach, as he was at the helm of Juve from October 2020 to May 2021. His latest managerial job was at Turkish club Karagümrük, but now he looks like he’s ready to bring back his playing days.

Andrea Pirlo joins the Kings League

Pirlo will play in the Kings League for Jijantes FC, the team led by Twitch personality Gerard Romero. The Italian icon joins a list of soccer legends who have already gotten on board.

While Gerard Pique is the face of this revolutionary, seven-a-side soccer league, the former Barcelona defender has been able to attract the likes of Sergio Agüero, Iker Casillas, and Ronaldinho.

The arrival of Pirlo certainly boosts this competition, whose popularity continues to increase. Not long ago, over 90,000 spectators attended the Camp Nou to watch the Kings League finals.

The Argentina international, who arrived in Turin from Palermo in 2015 for a sum of €41 million, has failed to come to an agreement with the Bianconeri’s management in the past months. As a result, as ofJanuary, he is available to talk to other clubs. The reigningSerie A champions are prepared to offer himafive-year contract until 2027, a fixed salary of €7.5 million, pluscertain bonuses, and an additional signing bonus.

The report also adds that Inter plan to fund the striker’s salary thanks toChristian Eriksen‘s departure, as well as the exitsof Matias Vecino, Arturo Vidal, and Ivan Perisic, all three as free agents.An interesting fact is that Dybala wouldn’t be one of the numerousplayers who has switched between the two clubs.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic:Juventus to Inter, 2006

Zlatan Ibrahimovic stepped into the top 5 soccer leagues with Juventus in 2004, after leaving Ajax as a highly promising young star at the age of 23. He ended up staying two seasons in Turin,helpingthe Bianconeri become back-to-back Serie A champions. Calciopoli, however. nullified both of his Scudetti wins with Juve. As a result of the scandal, Juve weredemotedto Italy’s second division,Serie B.

92official games and 26goals later, the Swede moved totheir fiercest opponent,Inter. The striker has not onlyrepeated the same successattheOld Lady, but he even managed to improve his record, grabbingthree Serie A titles in a row with the Nerazzurri. His Inter spell lasted three years, summed up with 117appearances in all competitions, and a tally of66goals.

Roberto Baggio:Juventus (1990-95),Inter (1998-00)

Roberto Baggio moved from bellow Italian club Fiorentina to Juventus for a sum of €13min 1990, the then-world record transfer fee for a player. He took up Michel Platini’s number 10 jersey. After the move, riots erupted in Florence, injuring 50 people. During the first half of the decade, he starred in the Old Lady’s attack,leaving behind a legacy of 115goals in exactly 200 matches.

In his final season at the Stadio delle Alpi, he won the UEFA Cup and the Italian league double. After the nexttwo seasons at Milan and the following one at Bologna, he opted to sign for Inter.Having appeared59times,Baggio netted 17goals, in spite of not winning any trophy in the two years he woretheBlack and Blues jersey.

Giuseppe Meazza: Inter (1927-40), Juventus (1942-43)

When Internazionale playat home, they refer to their stadiumas Giuseppe Meazza, even though it is officially called San Siro. It was named after the club’s great goalscorer, who managed to rack up 284 goals in 409 games over the course of13 years withLa Beneamata, from1927 to1940.

The following season, the Italian forward transferred to city-rivals Milan,and two years later, he joined Juve. His time in Piedmont was unfortunately cut short dueto World War II. Meazza, then 32, lasted only one season at the Zebras, contributing to 10goals in 27 Serie A fixtures.

Fabio Cannavaro: Inter to Juventus, 2004

Considered one of the best Italian defenders of all time, Cannavaroearned his reputation at Parma before switching them with Inter in summer 2002. At the time, the Emilia-Romagna outfit were struggling financially, while Inter were looking to start over after losing a bitter Scudetto battle with Juventus. His time in Milan started off well, but the following year was less fruitful, and he wasforced to miss the majority of the seasonas a result of an injury.

The Italian centre-backwas also frequently used in a position other than his own. Consequently,Cannavaro was traded to Juventus in a shocking last-minutepart-exchange deal. His adventure in Turin lasted another two years as well, and severalmonths after his departure, he was awarded the 2006Ballon d’Orafter helping Italy win the World Cup. He is the most recent defender to receive the prestigious award.

Andrea Pirlo: Inter (1998-21), Juventus (2011-15)

During his teenage years, between 1998 and 2001, Andrea Pirlofeatured40times for Inter. The Italian deep-lying playmaker, however, was unable to secure a regular spot in the first team, and thus, in 1999, he was shipped out on loan at Reggina. Another loan at his former side, Brescia followed, before realizing that he couldn’t make it in the Blue part of the city of Milan and moved to the Red side, at AC Milan.

He spent an entire decade playing for the Rossoneri, and thanks to the various club and individual accolades, heestablishedhimself as one of the best midfielders in modern soccer. In 2011, after failing to agree on a contract renewal with the San Siro team, he left for Juventus as a free agent. Teaming up withArturo Vidal and Paul Pogba in the mid-area,hewent on to claimSerie A four times during his four years in Turin.

Barcelona has gotten off to a sluggish start with 2 wins and 2 draws in La Liga, and a brutal 3-0 home loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. ESPN reports that the club is looking to replace him, even though Koeman will coach the team on Thursday against Cadiz.

Barcelona is rumored to have lined up 4 possible replacements for Koeman, here is the list of coaches that Barcelona is looking at to take over the club in one of the toughest moments in the team’s history.

Xavi

Xavi is currently the head coach of Al Sadd is Qatar, but he is a Barcelona legend having played over 500 games for the club and winning 25 championships. Xavi would almost have unanimous approval from the supporters.

Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo recently was the coach of Juventus, but his tactics came under fire at times and is still a relatively new manager, to replace Koeman with someone who struggled already with a big club would be more of the same for Barcelona.

Joachim Low

Former Germany head coach Joachim Low would be an interesting choice to lead Barcelona back to the promise land. Low had a very successful 16 years in charge of Germany winning the 2014 World Cup.

Antonio Conte

Antonio Conte snapped Inter Milan’s Serie A title drought and has already coached other big clubs like Chelsea and Juventus. Conte would be a safe bet for Barcelona who need balance for a young squad who is feeling the pressure.

Paris Saint-Germain have done awesome business this summer landing Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Georginio Wijnaldum for no cost before landing one of the best in the game history.

Messi’s arrival at Parc des Princes as a free agent might be the most shocking move ever, but over the last few years, we have seen several big-name players switching teams for zero cost and delivering results.

Robert Lewandowski

The Poland internationalhas left Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2013/14 season after signing a pre-contract with Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich just a few months ago. Robert Lewandowski then went on to become one of the most prolific strikers on the planet.

He caught the soccer world’s attention by helping the Black and Yellows reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2012/13 but only one year later he joined the opponents. It was a shocking move at that time, and Lewandowski has certainly lived up to expectations amassing 294 goals in 329 appearances with the Bavarians.

Andrea Pirlo

An Italian legend, Andrea Pirlo‘s switch from AC Milan to Juventusin 2011took the soccer community by surprise. Not only he was a Rossoneri legend but one of the country’s finest talents, it didn’t make sense he joined the rivals for free.

He was 31 at the time, but if Milan thought he didn’t have much left,they were completely wrong. The Architect went on to win four Serie A titles in a row and helped Juve in their UCL 2014/15 run to the grand final.

Paul Pogba

Sometimes you don’t know what you’ve gotin your hands until you lose it. If not, ask Manchester United, who let Paul Pogba leave for free in 2012 and only four years later they brought him back in a record-breaking deal.

The Frenchman has had such a fantastic rise with Juventus that the Red Devils considered he was worth the mind-blowing $115.50 million bid. Pogba’s free transfer to Juve not only paid off due to his performances but mainly because of the profit the club has made with his exit.

Sol Campbell

Could you leave a club after nine years to join its lifelong rivals? And for free? Well, Sol Campbell did it in 2001, when he left Tottenhamto become an Arsenal player in one of the most controversial – but successful – moves in history.

The former Englishdefender, however,became a key piece in Arsene Wenger‘s project in golden years for the Gunners. Campbell lifted the Premier League trophy twice, including the last one for Arsenal so far belonging to the Invincibles.

Leon Goretzka

Bayern Munich have the ability to attract the Bundesliga’s finest talents, but they don’t even have to bother in splashing the cash sometimes. Just like they did when they signed Lewandowski, the Bavarians acquired Schalke’s Leon Goretzka for free in 2018.

The German international has quickly made an impact and earned a spot in the starting XI, but he played his best soccer in 2019/20. In a season halted by the pandemic, Bayern returned to the pitch strongly and won the Champions League in great fashion with a Goretzka in his prime.

Dani Alves

Eight years and 23 trophies later, Dani Alves bid farewell to Barcelona in 2016 as a free agent and chased a new challenge with Italian giants Juventus in Serie A. The following season he was on the move again and joined PSG also for free.

Even though he didn’t stay long in Italy, his one-year stint at the Old Lady was one to remember. After all, he won two titles, but his best was seen in the Champions League. Unfortunately, Dani Alves and that incredible Juventus squad was left empty-handed by Real Madrid in the grand final.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swedish superstar made a shocking move to the Premier League in 2016 following a four-year tenure at Paris Saint-Germain. Jose Mourinho‘s Manchester United landed a dependable striker for free and Zlatan has certainly responded.

Ibrahimovic hadimpactful first months at Old Trafford, but a cruciate ligament injury ruled him out for most of the second half of the campaign and also kept him on the sidelines in the beginning of 2017/18. Later that year, another injury prevented him from taking part with the first team and then embarked on a new adventure withLA Galaxy.

The Italian giants not only have failed to win the league title for the first time in ten years butalso struggled to book a place in the next UEFA Champions League, finishing fourth in a dramatic season finale. Once again, they’ve suffered an early European exit and not even Coppa Italia success was enough to strengthen Pirlo.

Cristiano has been reportedly unhappy after such a poor term for his team, even though his form continued to be great. The Portuguese superstar’s future might be far away from Turin, as he has already been linked with a potential return to Manchester United. Will Allegri’s arrival change his mind?

Cristiano Ronaldo believed to be looking for a change

The five-time Champions League winner shocked the soccer world when he decided to leave Real Madrid, ending an extremely successful nine-year spell, for Juve. His signing immediately turned the Italian kings into potential European champions, but they never lived up to those expectations.

Three years later,according to Il Messagero, Cristiano Ronaldo has alreadytold histeammates he wants to leave Juventus this summer. The 36-year-old has kept displaying impressive performances in Italy, but the lack of good continental results saw him far from taking part in the big UCL nights he was looking forward to.

The world-class goalscoreris under contract until next year, but he reportedly intends to leave in the upcoming transfer window. According to TransferMarkt, his market value is $55 million. A return to Los Blancos has already been disclaimed by the Spanish club, but the Red Devils wouldn’t refuse to have him back.

Cristiano has scored 36 goals in 44 appearances this season, provinghe is still capable of delivering his bestregardless of his age. Massimiliano Allegri’s appointment, though, could play an important part in the forward’s decision about his future.

It seemed inevitable that Pirlo was going to be sacked after Juve looked far from the dominant side it has been over the last years, but with anew manager that has already succeeded with the Old Lady, glory days seem to be closer. Allegri even led Juventus to the 2015 Champions League Final. With him at the helm again, Cristiano mightreconsider giving one more shot to Juve and at least playing the last year in his contract.

There is one thing all these great stars have not won and that is a World Cup, of the players from all over the world that have played in MLS only 13can claim they are World Cup winners. 12 entered their MLS careers as World Cup winners, and now one can calim he was playing in MLS when he won the World Cup.

While the list boasts some incredible players, their MLS careers are mixed bags as many had fairly successful careers in the league and others… well not so much. Let’s review all of the World Cup winners who have played in MLS!

Branco – Brazil – MetroStars – 1997

The first World Cup winner to ever play in MLS was from the reigning champions at the time, Brazil (1994). Branco was a top left back, once, who came to MLS in 1997 to play for the ailing MetroStars. To say that Branco was a flop is an understatement. He played in only 11 games and scored 1 goal, he was sent off twice, once for spitting at his opponent. He chained smoked, was overweight, and was let go quickly as the 97 season ended.

Lothar Matthäus – Germany – MetroStars – 2000

The definition of everything MLS does not want to be. Matthäus MLS journey began shortly after the 1999 Champions League Final against Manchester United, you can say that the 38-year-old, 1990 World Cup winner, was one of the best players on the field until he was subbed out. When he did arriveinNew York to be presented to the media he told local media, while he was posing for picturesinTimes Square, he was a German basketball player signed by the Knicks. It seemed to him that playing in MLS was a joke, it looked that way, he played 16 games, when he was “injured” he was photographed in St. Tropez getting a tan. Incredibly Matthäus speaks wonders about the emerging MLS as a pundit in Germany. Go figure…

Youri Djorkaeff – France- MetroStars – 2005

1998 World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff came to the MetroStars during what can be considered the dark times of MLS. The league was stagnant, and the pre-Beckham era saw Djorkaeff play in front of nearly empty stadiums, still the elegance, the skill, and the vision wasall there. Djorkaeff played 2 seasons with the MetroStars as they turned into the Red Bulls, and his positive experience led the way to the signing of his friend Thierry Henry.

Denilson – Brazil – F.C. Dallas – 2007

Denilson won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 after being the highest transferred player ever when he moved from Sao Paulo to Real Betis in 1998. By 2007 he was an unwanted commodity having bounced around France and Saudi Arabia, still on the national team he showed incredible talent. He came to F.C. Dallas with high hopes but unfortunately, he did not play well at all. He scored 1 goal in 8 games. He is considered one of the biggest DP flops and worst signings in MLS history.

Thierry Henry – France – New York Red Bulls – 2010

One the best players the league ever signed, the 1998 World Cup winner was gold for MLS and the Red Bulls. 51 goals in 122 games, but above all else, an example, a leader, the definition of professionalism. Henry gave MLS instant credibility, to prove MLS was no retirement league, he went back on loan to his beloved Arsenal in 2012 and scored 1 goal in 4 matches.

Alessandro Nesta – Italy – Montreal Impact – 2012

The 2006 World Cup winner, Nesta came to MLS at the tail end of his career, but he was a mark of class and professionalism. Only playing 31 games his experience helped the Impact get into the playoffs in 2013. He retired after the 2013 season and lobbied to become the clubs head coach; the job went to Frank Klopas.

Kleberson – Brazil – Philadelphia Union – 2013

Kleberson, the journeyman Brazilian World Cup winner (2002) arrived to the Union in 2013 after lukewarm achievements in his club career. In Philadelphia, he scored 1 goal in 11 outings. Since 2017 he has been working with the Philadelphia Union Academy.

Kaká – Brazil – Orlando City – 2014

Orlando City wanted to enter MLS with a splash, and they did just that when they signed 2002 World Cup Winner, Kaká in 2014. Kaká was pure class on and off the field, on the field, he scored 24 goals in 75 matches for an Orlando City team that was not at his level. Off the field, he is one the league’s biggest spokesman and showed the rest of the league that no matter how famous a player, always make time for fans. A class act.

Andrea Pirlo – Italy – New York City FC – 2015

Like Roberto Donadoni in 1996 for the MetroStars, the 2006 World Cup Winner, Pirlo at NYCFC was nothing but class. Yes, he had lost a step, but he didn’t need to run, he was elegance on the ball, perfect passing, and leadership. In three seasons Pirlo played 60 games for the club, but only scored 1 goal. His injuries forced him to retire, but NYCFC fans have fond memories of the Italian midfielder.

David Villa – Spain – New York City FC – 2015

The Spanish 2010 World Cup winning forward was amazing for NYFC in his four seasons, Villa scored 77 goals in 117 games. He was the clubs first idol and while at the club scored his 400th career goal. Villa is considered by many one of the top 20 best MLS players of all- time.

Bastian Schweinsteiger – Germany – Chicago Fire – 2017

Bastian Schweinsteiger came to the Chicago Fire to provide his experience and be an example, and the 2014 World Cup winner did just that. He played 85 games and scored 8 goals, he was an All-Star and while the Fire only made it to the playoffs once in his three years, he was a rock for the team.

Blaise Matuidi – France – Inter Miami – 2020

Inter Miami need help, who better than a World Cup winner, Blaise Matuidi arrived from Juventus and while he has only just arrived one hopes he can bring his wealth of experience to a new team who is in desperate need for wins. Matuidi started in France’s 4–2 victory against Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup.

Thiago Almada – Atlanta United – 2022

Thiago Almada was able to get on the Argentina World Cup squad due to a few injuries that occurred right before the tournament kicked off. The Atlanta United midfielder and record most expensive player ever signed by MLS did play against Poland in Argentina’s final group stage game. Thiago Almada is the first MLS World Cup winner while playing in Major League Soccer.