Andrea Pirlo urges Juventus players not to give up on Champions League

Andrea Pirlo urges ‘angry’ Juventus players not to give up on Champions League hopes after damaging AC Milan defeat and insists he is ‘NOT afraid’ of the sack with top four hopes on the line ahead of Sassuolo trip

  • Andrea Pirlo called on his players to believe in Champions League qualification
  • Pirlo’s plea came after Juventus’ damaging 3-0 defeat by AC Milan on Sunday
  • The loss in Turin meant Juventus dropped out of the top four and into fifth place
  • They are at risk of failing to qualify for the club competition for the first time

Andrea Pirlo called on his Juventus players to continue believing in Champions League qualification after they were left furious by a damaging 3-0 defeat by AC Milan on Sunday.

The loss in Turin meant Juve dropped out of the top four and into fifth place, one point behind Napoli in fourth, with three games remaining.

Pirlo’s side are at risk of failing to qualify for Europe’s top club competition for the first time in a decade ahead of their trip to Sassuolo on Wednesday.

Andrea Pirlo called on his players to continue believing in Champions League qualification 

‘We are very angry. I do not want to see resignation on the faces of the players,’ Pirlo told a news conference.

‘We are Juventus and we cannot be resigned. We must fight until the end.’

Pirlo was part of the AC Milan team that famously surrendered a 3-0 halftime lead to lose to Liverpool on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the 2005 Champions League final, and he used the game as an example of how quickly things can change.

‘I have seen it all, I have lost a Champions League final after winning 3-0 at halftime. We still have the chance to reach our objective,’ he said.

Pirlo’s plea to his players came after Juventus’ damaging 3-0 defeat by AC Milan on Sunday 

The loss in Turin meant Juventus dropped out of the top four and into fifth place in Serie A 

‘There was great disappointment because we lost 3-0 in an important game and a head-to-head clash with a rival.

‘But like I said, anything can happen in football and our objective has not changed. It is up to us and we hope that they will slip up. We have the duty to believe until the end.’

Juventus’ poor season, in which they were also knocked out of the Champions League by Porto at the last-16 stage, has led to widespread reports that Pirlo will be replaced at the end of the season.

‘I am not afraid, I am only thinking about the good of Juventus, which is more important than anything. Then the results will dictate if I will be the coach,’ he said.




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