Juventus ‘would be wrong twice’ to sack Andrea Pirlo now despite Serie A champions trailing leaders Inter Milan by 12 points, says Fabio Cannavaro as ex-team-mate insists ‘the blame can’t only be his if players make mistakes’
- Fabio Cannavaro says Juventus ‘would be wrong twice’ to sack Andrea Pirlo now
- The Juventus legend has defended Pirlo, who is still in his rookie year as a boss
- Pirlo is on the brink of being sacked following a disappointing campaign
- A run of poor results have seen Juve trail league leaders Inter Milan by 12 points
- However, Cannavaro believes Pirlo should be given the chance to turn it around
Fabio Cannavaro insists Juventus ‘would be wrong twice’ to sack Andrea Pirlo as manager and has backed his former team-mate to succeed in Turin despite his disappointing start to life as a coach.
Pirlo is on the brink of being sacked by Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli after Sportsmail reported this week that the club are set for a major overhaul should they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Juventus currently find themselves fourth in the Serie A and 12 points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan, leaving Pirlo to face intense scrutiny over his position as manager.
Fabio Cannavaro (left) says Juventus ‘would be wrong twice’ to sack Andrea Pirlo (right) now
Should Juve finish fourth, it would see the club miss out on Champions League football for the first time in nine years, but Cannavaro believes Pirlo should be given time in the role and that not all the blame can be put on his shoulders.
‘Calm down,’ Cannavaro told La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked about Pirlo’s future. ‘When Juve picked Andrea, he knew very well that he had no experience.
‘It’s logical that he should have time to mature, even for his relationship with the team. There are still 30 points to play for and it’s right to leave this judgment pending.
Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli wants a major overhaul at the club after a disappointing season
‘And he did good things, launching young players and managed a complicated dressing room with people who won a lot.
‘Sure, some things don’t work, he has made mistakes: he’s human. It’s a heritage that must be protected. After all, if Juve don’t confirm his position, what did they choose him to do last summer?
‘They would be wrong twice if they take that decision now. And the blame can’t only be his if the players make mistakes on and off the pitch.’
Pirlo’s next big test comes on Wednesday when they welcome Napoli to the Allianz Stadium, with both sides level on 56 points.
A win for either side will take them above Atalanta into third and Cannavaro has pointed to how Gennaro Gattuso has managed to turn things around in Naples.
Juventus were dumped out of the Champions League and find themselves fourth in Serie A
The tables have turned since the last match between Juventus and Napoli, when reports claimed Gattuso risked losing his job in Naples.
The Ballon d’Or winner insists Pirlo must be given the chance to turn things around given he is still a rookie boss.
However, a defeat could spell the end for Pirlo, with the club reportedly looking to bring in Zinedine Zidane as his replacement should the Frenchman leave Real Madrid this summer.
