When it comes to set pieces, few did it better than the legendary Andrea Pirlo.
The OG ‘regista’ was essentially the Mozart of Football, possessing incredible technique on the ball alongside unparalleled positional fluency.
Watching the midfielder compose and organize his side’s structure was akin to an orchestral experience, and his trademark nonchalance just made it all the more impressive.
Every dribble, every pinged and precise pass, every sumptuous strike, all of it carried a sense of ease and excellence, Pirlo made the game look far too easy.
His moments of pure genius are many, with that iconic panenka against England being a noteworthy example.
Pirlo was especially adept at dead ball situations, a skill he further honed the longer his career progressed.
He could whip in a sick delivery from the corner flag and even flash one in from a free kick, the Italian made the ball swivel to his tune.
Even at the age of 43, the Juventus legend recently showed off that he’s still got it, through a strike that has amazed fans online.
Currently the gaffer for Turkish outfit Fatih Karagumruk, Pirlo delivered a masterclass in set-piece techniques for his players during a training session, by executing one of his classic knuckleballs.
In fact, everything about the moment was vintage Pirlo.
Short runup, swift action, the ball struck through the laces, and of course, an unbothered reaction.
The ball quite literally launched off his foot and gained altitude to clear the wall with ease, all before dipping downwards and rattling the net in the span of milliseconds.
Now that’s better than most professional footballers of the present.
The legendary midfielder is yet another example of the famed ‘class is permanent’ idiom, while age may have caught up to him, the exquisite technique remains, and it is still world-class.
