Pirlo makes Milan pledgeFriday 8 September, 2006Andrea Pirlo insists he wants to end his career at Milan after signing a contract extension this week.
“This will allow me to end my career with this club, after ten years with Milan,†said the midfielder who is now tied to the Rossoneri until 2011.
“When I signed, my teammates greeted me with an applause and I think they will do the same for Alessandro Nesta shortly.â€
The playmaker was courted by Real Madrid during the summer, when the Merengues thought that the Calciopoli scandal would cause a mass exodus from Milan, just like it did at Juventus.
“My agent was contacted by Real Madrid officials, but Milan has always been my priority. There was no hurry to extend my deal, but once the summer ended the club immediately renewed the contract and I am pleased about this.â€
The Rossoneri are called to a difficult start against Lazio on Sunday, with both teams eager to start wiping out the point deductions handed out by the summer trial.
“We can finally start playing, the race for the Scudetto will be even more stimulating,†said Pirlo of their eight-point deficit.
“We are not suffering in this situation. We are very motivated and we want to win the Championship. The points handicap only encourages us to do better. The race for the Scudetto this year is very stimulating, although the Champions League always has its charm. We will prove our strength, as we have always been honest and behaved correctly,†added the 27-year-old.
As for the Nazionale, Pirlo defended Coach Roberto Donadoni and claimed it’s too early to despair of qualifying for Euro 2008, despite the draw with Lithuania and the 3-1 defeat against France.
“He has done his best. Our main goal is still to win the European Championship. It isn’t easy to train the world champions and the fact that he changed his tactics doesn’t mean anything, as Marcello Lippi also used to vary a lot. There are still 30 points available in our group, I understand criticism when things are not going well, but now we have to look ahead.â€
Football Italia
