Andrea Pirlo is widely regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in soccer history, known for his pinpoint passing and impeccable free-kick abilities. Despite his own brilliance, the Italian doesn’t consider himself—or any current player—as the best in that department.
In a surprising revelation, Pirlo didn’t name Lionel Messi (66 free-kick goals) or Cristiano Ronaldo (64) as the greatest. Instead, he chose a retired player with an astonishing 77 free-kick goals: Juninho Pernambucano. A legend for his time at Olympique Lyon and Vasco da Gama, Juninho is the free-kick maestro Pirlo most admires.
“I studied Juninho, his technique, collected his DVDs, even old photographs of matches he played,” Pirlo shared in his autobiography, “I Think, Therefore I Play“. “During his time at Lyon, he made the ball do extraordinary things. It was as if an orchestra conductor had the baton at his foot instead of his hands”.
Pirlo’s admiration for Juninho was so profound that he tried to emulate the Brazilian. “I’m Italian, but there’s a Brazilian part of me: Pirlinho,” Pirlo wrote. “When I take free kicks, I think in Portuguese, and most of the time, I celebrate in my native language,” he explained.
Juninho Pernambucano of Lyon takes a free kick during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Real Madrid and Olympique Lyon. (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Juninho identifies Miralem Pjanic as his successor
In 2015, after retiring, Juninho Pernambucano himself identified Miralem Pjanic as his successor in the art of free-kick taking. It was a massive compliment for the Bosnian midfielder, coming from someone widely considered the best in history.
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“Pjanic has incredible quality. He is possibly the best free-kick taker in the world today—no, I’m sure of it,” Juninho told L’Équipe. “He’s very efficient and, above all, consistent, which is the hardest part. He has many variations in his shots and can adjust his technique based on the distance,” Juninho explained.
Pjanic, who played alongside Juninho at Lyon during the Brazilian’s final season in 2008/09, currently plays in Russia and has scored 26 career free-kick goals. Before leaving Lyon, Juninho shared his most valuable advice with Pjanic: “I told him, the most important thing to becoming a great free-kick taker is repetition. It’s tiring, but it’s absolutely essential”.
