World Cup winner and former Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo has taken a new job after a short hiatus from management.
Pirlo spent the majority of last season out of work after leaving Italian Serie B side Sampdoria at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign. The 46-year-old picked up just one point from Samp's opening three matches of the season, taking charge of 45 games in total during his spell at Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
It followed an entertaining stint with Fatih Karagumruk in Turkey's top flight as Pirlo presided over a 1.29 points-per-game average. The Süper Lig club scored 74 and conceded 70 under Pirlo's stewardship, before the Italian was sacked. Karagumruk finished the season seventh in the table.
Pirlo takes on UAE challenge
Now, Pirlo has taken on a new role in the United Arab Emirates' second tier with United Football Club. The Emirati side were founded in 2022, led by former Moldovan international goalkeeper and current club president Ilie Cebanu, who said of the football legend's arrival: “We are proud to welcome Andrea to the United FC family. He embodies the values and ambitions of our club, and we believe he will be a key figure in taking us to the next level.”
Last year the club finished fourth in the UAE First Division but will be seeking promotion to the UAE Pro League this coming season, which begins at the end of September.
Former Dutch international Quincy Promes represented the club during 2024/25, scoring 19 goals in 20 league appearances.
Promes will not be available to Pirlo this season after he was extradited back to the Netherlands on drug trafficking and aggravated assault charges last month.
Pirlo's experience as Juventus head coach is expected to give the Italian an advantage in the UAE's second tier.
The iconic midfielder ranked eighth in FourFourTwo's list of the best-ever Italian players.
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