Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has ruled out any talk of retirement from the game.
The 35-year-old has emphasised that he still has a few years ahead of him, stating that he will retire the day his passion for the game is no longer the same.
“Of course, there’s enough Pirlo to go for a while, I still have a few years of football ahead,” he told Spanish newspaper ABC.
“I still love this sport the way I did when I was 15-years-old; when I wake up one day and that’s no longer the case, I’ll retire.”
The 35-year-old had initially retired from the Azzurri set-up following the disappointing exit from the group stages in the 2014 World Cup; however, newly appointed national team coach Antonio Conte convinced the playmaker to reverse his decision.
“Antonio Conte called me and asked me if I would be willing to lend my country a hand for Euro 2016, he convinced me,” he said.
Pirlo was quizzed on the unforgettable semi-final victory over Germany in Dortmund during the 2006 World Cup, a game the midfielder remembers fondly.
“In 2006 we had an unrepeatable generation and that year’s World Cup was our moment,” he concluded.
“We won a World Cup semi-final against the home team – who were the great favourites – in Dortmund, with 70,000 Germans in the stands and with two goals in the last few minutes of an exceptional extra-time.”
