Andrea Pirlo “expected nothing other than” Juventus winning the Champions League against Real Madrid and helping Gigi Buffon get the Ballon d’Or.

His final match in a Bianconeri jersey was the 3-1 Final defeat to Barcelona in 2015, followed by his transfer to New York City FC.

“What to say? We’re here: Juve-Real, the Champions League Final,” wrote Pirlo in La Stampa newspaper.

Andrea Pirlo “expected nothing other than” Juventus winning the Champions League against Real Madrid and helping Gigi Buffon get the Ballon d’Or.

His final match in a Bianconeri jersey was the 3-1 Final defeat to Barcelona in 2015, followed by his transfer to New York City FC.

“What to say? We’re here: Juve-Real, the Champions League Final,” wrote Pirlo in La Stampa newspaper.

“I say ‘we’ because – even if this time I won’t be on the pitch – I will be your Number One Fan. Today I play in New York, so I’ll watch once the game has started, but between keeping an eye on my phone and running home, I won’t miss it.

“Every now and then I think back to that night two years ago in Berlin, because when you lose a Final, it comes back into your thoughts and you’d love to play it again. Unfortunately for me, I can’t do that, but I am happy for them.

“And I am happy for Gigi: he’s been waiting a lifetime to lift this Cup. I hope he wins it, after coming so close at other times. I say this as a friend and a former teammate, someone who knows him well – he deserves it. This is the only thing he’s missing.

“I read that he could win the Ballon d’Or: he hasn’t surprised me, not even in this extraordinary season. Because when he truly believes in something, and has that objective in his head, he’ll do anything to reach it.

“Similarly, I was not surprised by Juve, even if it’s not easy to win everything, as I knew this season they were targeting the Champions League. I expected nothing other than this.

“I remember in December, when I went back to Turin and had dinner with Gigi, chatting also to other ex-teammates, they were convinced they had a great squad and could go all the way.

“There was that confidence and hunger, which I too have known. A Final is not yet the end and Real are a great team: there’s reason to fear, but that’s true of all opponents at this level.

“If Juve face this test the way they know how, they’ve got a big chance of winning. At the end of the day, this season they never got it wrong in the games that matter.

“I know that in July you will come to play round these parts and I’ll go visit. I’d happily say hello to the Cup.”

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