Andrea Pirlo Returns to Juventus as U-23 Coach

Pirlo heads back to Turin for his first job in management.

Juventus's former maestro is going back to Turin.

Andrea Pirlo, the Italian midfield great who played for Juventus from 2011-2015, is returning to the club as its under-23 coach, according to a team statement.

The job will be Pirlo's first in management, and it comes three years after he retired following a stint in MLS with New York City FC. The 2006 World Cup winner, six-time Serie A winner and two-time Champions League winner will take the helm of Juve's U-23s, a team that is just two years old and has already had two managers in its brief existence. It won the Coppa Italia Serie C this past season and competes in the third tier of Italian football. It most-recently had a 10th-place finish in the 20-team division.

"And so, from Maestro... to Coach!" Juventus wrote in its announcement. "In the summer of 2015, Pirlo said goodbye to Juventus after four seasons, where he boasted an incredible record with the Bianconeri: four Scudetti, one Italian Cup and two Italian Super Cups. It was a storyline that was dotted with many gems: decisive goals, assists painted on canvas, and a vision of play like no other. 

"And, of course, there is his experience with the Italian national team in 2006, which saw him crowned a world champion, and it is one he will make available to the Under 23 players, a young project, in continuous growth and which this year, in its second year of operation, has led to a first and historic result, the Coppa Italia Serie C. A new challenge awaits now, for a return that can only make Juventus fans happy. Welcome back, Coach Pirlo!"