New York City FC

Andrea Pirlo 'regrets' not playing in Spain

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 16 November 2016

Veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo, now with New York City FC, admits that he 'regrets' having not turned out for either Real Madrid or Barcelona during his career.

Veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo has admitted that he 'regrets' having not turned out for either Real Madrid and Barcelona during his glittering career.

The 37-year-old was believed to be a target for the La Liga giants during his time with AC Milan, but Pirlo has claimed that the Italian giants would not allow him to leave.

The New York City FC midfielder, however, has insisted that he is "very satisfied to have played for the best teams in Italy", having represented Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus during a trophy-laden career.

"I still have a thorn in my side at not having played for Real Madrid or Barcelona, because playing there is a dream for every player," Pirlo told Marca. "But I consider myself very satisfied to have played for the best teams in Italy.

"Real Madrid? Any player would like to play for them; Fabio Capello was there and there were a lot of rumours circulating about Milan's future because of the scandal.

"Milan wouldn't let me go, and they gave me a new contract. Was I disappointed? Well it's true that unfortunately they wouldn't let me leave, but at the same time I spent 10 years at Milan, winning everything there was to win."

Pirlo, who has represented the Italian national team on 116 occasions, made the move to MLS outfit New York City in the summer of 2015.