Andrea Pirlo: Italy-Brazil isn’t a friendly

Juventus and Azzurri midfielder Andrea Pirlo is adamant that Italy’s upcoming game against Brazil can’t be classified as a friendly.

Both sides face each other on Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland to start off their round of fixtures.

“There are no such things as friendly matches in football, especially when we’re involved and when the opponents are Brazil,” said Pirlo at Coverciano.

“We want to wear this jersey with pride and it’s always a pleasure to take part in games like this one coming up.”

After their Brazil test, Italy will square off with Malta in a World Cup qualifier.